u 


Part  of  the 

©       ADDISON  ALEXANDER  LIBRARY, 

Jl]  which  was  presented  by 

x)  Messrs.  R.  L.  anb  ^A-.  Stuart. 

c 


Id  7 

v.  7 


• 


«* 


M 


> 


THE 


WORKS 


PRESIDENT  EDWARDS. 


IN  TEN  VOLUMES. 


VOL.  Vlf. 


CONTAINING, 


I. EIGHT    SERMONS. 

II. — MISCELLANEOUS  THE- 
OLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 


III. — MISCELLANEOUS  RE- 
MARKS ON  IMPORTANT 
THEOLOGICAL  SUBJECTS. 


NEW  YORK : 
PUBLISHED  BY  S.  CONVERSE. 

1829= 


\ 


Vanderjiool  &  Cole,  Printere 


CONTENTS, 


I— EIGHT  SERMONS  ON  VARIOUS  OCCASIONS. 

Page 
Sermon  I. — Man's  Natural  Blindness  in  Religion,  Psalm 

xciv.  8 — 11, 3 

II. — Men  Naturally  God's  Enemies,  Romans  v.  10,       -         -  31 

III. — Wisdom  displayed  in  Salvation,  Ephesians  hi.  10,         -  66 

IV. — Joseph's  Temptation  and  Deliverance,  Gen.  xxxix.  12,  115 

V. — The  Christian  Pilgrim,  Hebrews  xi.  13,  14,           -         -  135 

YL— God  Glorified  in  Man's  Dependence,  I  Cor.  i.  29—31,  149 

VII. — Sinner's  in  the  hands  of  an  Angry  God,  Deut,  xxxii.  35,  163 

VIII. — The  Watchman's  Duty  and  Account,  Heb.  xiii.  17,    -  178 

II.— MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS  ON  IM- 
PORTANT THEOLOGICAL  SUBJECTS. 

Advertisement, -198 

Preface, 199 

PART  I. — Observations  on  the  Facts  and  Evidences  of 

Christianity,  and  the  Objections  of  Infidels,  -       201 

^hapter  I. — General  Observations,  ....      ibid 

II. — The  Objection  concerning  the  Apostles'  apprehensions 

of  the  Second  Coming  of  Christ,  answered,  -  221 

( /    III. — Jesus'  Prophecies  a  proof  that  he  was  the  Christ,  and  a 

Divine  Person,  ........       228 

IV. — The  Propriety  of  a  General  Judgment,  and  a  Future 

State, 233 

V. — The  Miracles  of  Jesus  not  counterfeited  by  his  Enemies, 

and  superior  to  those  of  the  Old  Testament,  -  -  240 
VI. — Observations  on  the  Scriptures,  ....  244 
VII. — The  Insufficiency  of  Reason  as  a  substitute  for  Reve- 
lation,                 .         -        -        -       261 

VIII. — On  the  Medium  of  Moral  Government,      -         -  277 

IX. — Mahometanism  compared  with  Christianity,  -         -       298 

X. — The  Jewish  Nation  a  standing  evidence  of  the  truth  of 

Revealed  Religion, 303 

PART  II. —  Observations  concerning  the  mysteries  of 

Scripture, 310 

PART    III. — Observations    concerning    the    Deity    of 

Christ.      ---------       323 


IV  I  uNTENTS. 

VIII.— The' Final  Judgment,  Acts  xvii.  31,  ...      38 ' 

IX. — Self  Flatteries,  Psalm  xxxvi.  2,  -         -         -         .       / 1  4 

X. — The  Wicked  Useful  in  their  Destruction  only,  Ezekiel 

xv.  2 — 4, 

XI. — Sinners  in  Zion,  Isaiah  xxxiii.  14,         -         -         -         - 
XII. — Wrath  upon  the  Wicked  to  the  Uttermost,  I  Thessalo- 

nians  ii.  16,         -         -         - 4o.: 

XIII. — The  End  of  the  Wicked  contemplated  by  the  Righte- 
ous, Revelation  xviii   20,     --....       460 
XIV. — Preciousness  of  Time,  Ephesians  v.  16,     -         -         -       48b 
XV. — Procrastination,  Proverbs  xxvii.  1,     -         -         -         -       498 
XVI. — Dishonesty,  Exodus  xx.  15,      -         -         -         -  517 

XVII. — Christian  Charity,  Deuteronomy  xv.  7 — 12,       -         -       536 
XVIII. — The  Nature  and  End  of  Excommunication,  I  Corin- 
thians, v,  1 1,  -         -         -         -  56S 


\ 


EIGHT  SERMONS 


ON 


VARIOUS    OCCASIONS. 


Vol..  VII. 


»  - 


f 

SERMON  I. 


*  w  J* 

HAN'S    NATURAL    BLINDNESSr' 

IN  THE 

THINGS  OF  RELIGION. 


Psalm  xciv.  8 — 11. 

Understand,  ye  brutish  among  the  people :  and  ye  fools,  when 
will  ye  be  wise  ?  He  that  planted  the  ear,  shall  he  not  hear  ? 
he  that  formed  the  eye,  shall  he  not  see  ?  He  that  chastiseth 
the  heathen,  shall  he  not  correct  ?  He  that  teacheth  man  know- 
ledge, shall  he  not  know  f  The  Lord  knoweth  the  thoughts  of 
man,  that  they  are  vanity*. 

.Section  1. 

In  troductory  Observations. 

In  these  words  the  following  particulars  are  to  be  observed. 
(1.)  A  certain  spiritual  disease  charged  on  some  persons,  viz. 
darkness,  and  blindness  of  mind,  appearing  in  their  ignorance 
-ad  folly.  (2.)  The  great  degree  of  this  disease  ;  so  as  to  ren- 
tal the  subjects  of  it  fools.  Ye  fools,  when  will  ye  be  wise  ? 
And  so  as  to  reduce  them  to  a  degree  of  brutishness.  Ye  bru- 
tish among  the  people.     This  ignorance  and  folly  were  to  such 

*  This  Treatise  is  a  posthumous  work,  collected  from  the  author's  papers. 
They  were  drawn  up  by  him  in  the  form  of  three  short  sermons,  in  his  usual  way 
of  preparation  for  the  pulpit ;  but  were  by  no  means  finished  in  a  manner  fit  for 
the  public  eye.  It  is  presumed,  therefore,  that  the  present  form  is  much  more 
Buitable  to  the  nature  of  the  subject,  than  that  in  which  they  appeared  in  the 
Glasgow  edition  (1735)  of  Eighteen  Sermons,  connected  with  the  Author's  Life, 
by  Dr  Hopkins. 

This  plan  we  shall  adopt  occasionally  respecting  some  other  courses  of  sermons, 
especially  posthumous  ones;  which  we  are  encouraged  to  do  by  several  judicious 
friends,  who  are  well  acquainted  with  the  author's  writings.  And  we  own,  it  is 
no  small  inducement  in  our  view,  to  edite  them  in  this  manner  in  a  standard  edi- 
tion, they  are  much  more  likely  to  do  good  at  a  future  period.  A  trad  may  be 
reprinted  with  much  greater  probability  of  acceptance  and  success,  than  the 
same  in  the  form  of  sermons,  unfinished  by  the  author,  with  divisions,  transitions, 
fee.  to  which  the  generality  of  readers  are  unaccustomed, — W. 


4  MAN'S  NATURAL  BLINDNESS   UN    RELIGION. 

a  degree,  as  to  render  men  like  beasts.  (3.)  -The  obstinacy  of 
this  disease  ;  expressed  in  that  interrogation,  When  will  ye  be 
luise  ?  Their  blindness  and  folly  were  not  only  very  great ;  but 
deeply  rooted  and  established,  resisting  all  manner  of  cure. 
(4.)  Of  what  nature  this  blindness  is.  It  is  especially  in  things 
pertaining  to  God.  They  were  strangely  ignorant  of  his  perfec- 
tions, like  beasts  :  and  had  foolish  notions  of  him,  as  though  he 
did  not  see,  nor  know ;  and  as  though  he  would  not  execute 
justice  by  chastising  and  punishing  wicked  men.  (5.)  The 
unreasonableness  and  sottishness  of  the  notion  they  had  of  God, 
that  he  did  not  hear,  did  not  observe  their  reproaches  of  him 
and  his  people,  is  shown  by  observing  that  he  planted  the  ear. 
It  is  very  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  he,  who  gave  power  of 
perceiving  words  to  others,  should  not  perceive  them  himself. 
And  the  sottishness  of  their  being  insensible  of  God's  all-seeing 
eye,  and  particularly  of  his  seeing  their  wicked  actions,  appears, 
in  that  God  is  the  being  who  formed  the  eye,  and  gave  others 
a  power  of  seeing.  The  sottishness  of  their  apprehension  of 
God,  as  though  he  did  not  know  what  they  did,  is  argued  from 
his  being  the  fountain  and  original  of  all  knowledge.  The 
unreasonableness  of  their  expecting  to  escape  God's  just  chas- 
tisements and  judgments  for  sin,  is  set  forth  by  his  chastising 
even  the  heathen,  who  did  not  sin  against  that  light,  or  against 
so  great  mercies,  as  the  wicked  in  Israel  did  ;  nor  had  ever  made 
such  a  profession  as  they.  (6.)  We  may  observe,  that  this 
dreadful  disease  is  ascribed  to  mankind  in  general.  The  Lord 
knoweth  the  thoughts  of  'man,  that  they  are  vanity.  The  Psalmist 
had  been  setting  forth  the  vanity  and  unreasonableness  of  the 
thoughts  of  some  of  the  children  of  men  ;  and  immediately  upon 
it  he  observes,  that  this  vanity  and  foolishness  of  thought  is 
common  and  natural  to  mankind. 

From  these  particulars  we  may  fairly  deduce  the  following 
doctrinal    observation :     That    there    is    an    extreme    and 

BRUTISH   BLINDNESS    IN  THINGS  OF  RELIGION,  WHICH  NATURALLY 

possesses  the  hearts  or  mankind. — This  doctrine  is  not  to  be 
understood  as  any  reflection  on  the  capacity  of  the  human  na- 
ture ;  for  God  hath  made  man  with  a  noble  and  excellent  capa- 
city. The  blindness  I  speak  of,  is  not  a  merely  negative  igno- 
rance ;  such  as  in  trees  and  stoneg,  that  know  nothing.  They 
have  no  faculties  of  understanding  and  perception,  whereby 
they  should  be  capable  of  any  knowledge.  And  inferior  ani- 
mals, though  they  have  sensitive  perception,  are  not  capable  of 
any  intellectual  views.  There  is  no  fault  to  be  found  with  man's 
natural  faculties.  God  has  given  men  faculties  truly  noble  and 
excellent;  well  capable  of  true  wisdom  and  divine  knowledge. 
Nor  is  the  blindness  1  speak  of  like  the  ignorance  of  a  new  born 
infant  which  arises  from  want  of  necessary  opportunity  to  exert 
these  faculties. 


MAX'S  NATURAL    BLINDNESS   IN    RELIGION.  O 

The  blindness  that  is  in  the  heart  of  man,  which  is  spoken  of 
m  the  text  and  doctrine,  is  neither  for  want  of  faculties,  nor  op- 
portunity to  know,  but  from  some  positive  cause.*  There  is  a 
principle  in  his  heart,  of  such  a  blinding  and  besotting  nature, 
that  it  hinders  the  exercises  of  his  faculties  about  the  things  of 
religion :  exercises  for  which  God  has  made  him  well  capable, 
and  for  which  he  gives  him  abundant  opportunity. 

In  order  to  make  it  appear,  that  such  an  extreme  brutish  blind- 
ness, with  respect  to  the  things  of  religion,  does  naturally  pos- 
sess the  hearts  of  men,  I  shall  show  how  this  is  manifest  in  those 
things  that  appear  in  men's  open  profession  ;  and  how  it  is 
manifest  in  those  things  that  are  found  by  inward  experience, 
and  are  visible  in  men's  practice. 


Section  II. 

Man's  Natural  Blindness  in    Religion,  manifested  by  those 
Things  which  appear  in  Men's  open  P?-ofession. 

-  I  would  now  show,  how  it  is  manifest  that  there  is  a  sottish 
and  brutish  blindness  in  the  hearts  of  men  in  the  things  of  reli- 
gion, by  those  things  which  appear  in  men's  open  profession. 

1.  It  appears  in  the  grossness  of  that  ignorance  and  those 
delusions,  which  have  appeared  among  mankind.  Man  has 
faculties  given  him  whereby  he  is  well  capable  of  inferring  the 
being  of  the  Creator  from  the  creatures.  The  invisible  things 
of  God  are  very  plainly  and  clearly  to  be  seen  by  the  things 
that  are  made  ;  and  the  perfections  of  the  divine  Being,  his  eter- 
nal power  and  Godhead,  are  very  manifest  in  the  works  of  his 
hands.  And  yet  grossly  absurd  notions  concerning  the  God- 
head have  prevailed  in  the  world.  Instead  of  acknowledging 
and  worshiping  the  true  God,  they  have  fallen  off  to  the  wor- 
ship of  idols.  Instead  of  acknowledging  the  one  only  true  God, 
they  have  made  a  multitude  of  deities.  Instead  of  worshipping 
a  God,  who  is  an  almighty,  infinite,  all-wise  and  holy  Spirit, 
they  have  worshipped  the  hosts  of  heaven,  the  sun,  moon  and 
stars  •,  and  the  works  of  their  own  hands,  images  of  gold  and 
silver,  brass  and  iron,  wood  and"  stone  ;  gods  that  can  neither 
hear  nor  see,  nor  walk,  nor  speak,  nor  do,  nor  know  any  thing. 
Some  in  the  shape  of  men,  others  in  the  shape  of  oxen  and  calves; 
some  in  the  shape  of  serpents,  others  of  fishes,  &c. 

The  sottishness  of  men  in  thus  worshipping  the  lifeless  images 
which  they  themselves  have  made,  is  elegantly  and  forcibly  re- 
presented by  the  prophet  Isaiah.     "  The  smith  with  the  tongs 

*  This  is  meant  in  a  popular  not  a  philosophical  sense  :  and  is  expressive  of 
active,  •jvilful  perverseness,  rather  than  the  abstract  nature  of  sin,  or  the  obliquity 
of  the  natural  act. — W. 


U  MAN'S    NATURAL   BLINDNESS   IN    RELIGION. 

both  worketh  in  the  coals,  and  fashioneth  it  with  hammers,  and 
worketh  it  with  the  strength  of  his  arms.  Yea  he  is  hungry, 
and  his  strength  faileth;  he  drinketh  no  water,  and  is  faint. 
The  carpenter  stretcheth  out  his  rule  ;  he  marketh  it  out  with  a 
line :  he  fitteth  it  with  planes,  and  he  marketh  it  out  with  the 
compass,  and  maketh  it  after  the  figure  of  a  man,  according  to 
the  beauty  of  a  man,  that  it  may  remain  in  the  house.  He 
heweth  him  down  cedars,  and  taketh  the  cypress  and  the  oak% 
which  he  strengtheneth  for  himself  among  the  trees  of  the  forest ; 
he  planteth  an  ash,  and  the  rain  doth  nourish  it.  Then  shall  it 
be  for  a  man  to  burn  ;  for  he  will  take  thereof  and  warm  himself; 
yea,  he  kindleth  it,  and  baketh  bread  ;  yea,  he  maketh  a  god, 
and  worshippeth  it :  he  maketh  it  a  graven  image,  and  faileth 
down  thereto.  He  burnetii  part  thereof  in  the  fire  :  with  part 
thereof  he  eateth  flesh  :  he  roasteth  roast,  and  is  satisfied  :  yea, 
he  warmeth  himself,  and  saith,  Aha,  I  am  warm,  I  have  seen  the 
fire.  And  the  residue  thereof  he  maketh  a  god,  even  his  graven 
image :  he  faileth  down  unto  it,  and  worshippeth  it,  and  pray 
eth  unto  it,  and  saith,  deliver  me,  for  thou  are  my  god.  They 
have  not  known,  nor  understood :  for  he  hath  shut  their  eyes, 
that  they  cannot  see,  and  their  hearts,  that  they  cannot  under- 
stand. And  none  considereth  in  his  heart,  neither  is  there  know- 
ledge nor  understanding  to  say,  I  have  burned  part  of  it  in  the 
fire,  yea,  also  I  have  baked  bread  upon  the  coals  thereof;  1  have 
roasted  flesh,  and  eaten  it,  and  shall  I  make  the  residue  thereof 
an  abomination  ?  shall  I  fall  down  to  the  stock  of  a  tree  ?"* 

Many  of  the  images  which  the  heathen  worshipped  were  made 
in  the  most  monstrous  and  terrible  shapes  they  could  devise  ; 
and  the  more  hideous  and  frightful  they  appeared,  the  better  they 
supposed  they  would  serve  their  turn  for  gods.  Some  of  their 
images  were  made  so  as  to  be  the  most  unclean  representa- 
tions ;  images  of  men  openly  exposing  their  nakedness. 
These  unclean  images,  they  judged,  appeared  in  a  god-like 
manner,  and  worthy  to  be  worshipped.  Many,  instead  of 
worshipping  a  holy  and  good  God,  and  infinitely  perfect 
Being,  ascribed  vices  to  many  of  the  gods  which  they  worship- 
ped. One  god  they  re&koned  notorious  for  drunkenness  ; 
others  notorious  for  uncleanness :  to  others  they  ascribed  ly- 
ing and  stealing-;  to  others  cruelty;  and  yet  looked  upon 
them  worthy  to  be  worshipped  as  gods  !  Many  worshipped 
devils,  who  appeared  to  them,  and  whom  they  themselves 
reckoned  to  be  evil  spirits  ;  but  yet  built  temples,  and  offered 
sacrifices  to  them,  because  they  were  afraid  of  them.  Many 
worshipped  beasts,  and  birds,  and  fishes  ;  and  the  most  hate- 
ful and  loathsome  animals  were  most  worshipped  ;  par- 
ticularly,  serpents  were   more    commonly    worshipped,  than 

*  Fsai.  xliv.  12—10. 


MAN  S  NATURAL  BLINDNESS  IN  RELIUIOX.  i 

any  other  beast.  Many  worshipped  rivers,  and  trees,  and 
mountains.  They  worshipped  many  diseases.  There  is 
scarcely  any  thing  of  which  men  have  not  made  gods. 

And  so  far  has  that  principle  of  blindness  prevailed,  with 
respect  to  the  things  of  religion,  that  it  has  in  a  great  measure 
extinguished  all  light  in  the  minds  of  many,  even  in  matters 
of  morality,  and  things  that  have  but  a  distant  relation  to  re- 
ligion. So  that  many  whole  nations  have  professedly  ap- 
proved of  many  things  directly  contrary  to  the  light  of  nature; 
and  the  most  horrid  vices  and  immoralities  have  been  esteemed 
harmless,  yea  accounted  virtues  among  them  ;  such  as  revenge, 
cruelty  and  incest.  Many  nations  have  openly  allowed  the 
practice  of  sodomy.  And  with  some  it  has  been  accounted 
commendable  to  marry  their  nearest  relations.  Many  have 
even  worshipped  their  gods  in  their  temples  with  acts  of 
drunkenness  and  whoredom,  and  the  most  abominable  lewd- 
ness. And  the  more  filthy  they  were  in  their  uncleanness, 
they  thought  their  gods  the  more  pleased  and  delighted 
with  it. 

Many  nations  have  been  so  under  the  influence  of  mental 
blindness,  that  they  have  been  void  of  all  civility,  and  have 
been  reduced  to  a  state  very  little  above  the  beasts  in  their 
common  customs,  and  ordinary  way  of  living ;  and  in  a  great 
many  things  far  below  the  beasts  :  being,  if  I  may  so  speak, 
much  more  beastly  than  the  beasts  themselves.  Now  this  has 
not  been,  because  these  men,  with  whom  this  has  been  the 
case,  have  not  had  the  same  faculties  that  we  have.  That  we 
are  not  as  ignorant  as  they,  is  not  because  we  have  better  natu- 
ral understandings,  or  that  our  minds  are  by  nature  more  clear, 
and  our  eyes  more  discerning ;  or  that  our  hearts  are  not  natu- 
rally so  inclined  to  sottishness  and  delusion  as  theirs.  But 
only  because  God  has  not  left  us  so  much  to  ourselves,  as  he 
has  them.  He  has  given  us  more  instruction  to  help  us  against 
our  delusions.  God  has  so  ordered  it  in  his  providence,  that 
we  should  have  his  good  word  to  instruct  us ;  and  has  caused 
that  we  should  grow  up  from  our  infancy  under  christian  in- 
struction. 

2.  The  extreme  blindness  and  sottishness  in  things  of  re- 
ligion, which  is  naturally  in  the  hearts  of  men,  appears  not 
only  m  embracing  and  professing  those  errors  that  are  very 
great,  but  also  those  that  are  so  unnatural.  They  have  not 
only  embraced  errors  which  are  very  contrary  to  truth,  but. 
very  contrary  to  humanity  ;  not  only  against  the  light  of  na- 
ture,  but  against  the  more  innocent  inclinations  of  nature. 
Such  has  been,  and  still  is,  the  blindness  of  many  nations  in 
the  world,  that  they  embrace  those  errors  which  do  not  onlv 
exclude  all  true  virtue,  all  holy  dispositions  ;  but  those  that 
have  swallowed  up  the  more  harmless  inclinations  of  human 
nature. 


8  MAN'S  NATURAL  BLINDNESS  IN  RELIGION'. 

Thus  they  have  embraced  many  gross  delusions,  that  arc 
as  contrary  as  possible  to  natural  affection.  Such  as  offering 
up  their  own  children  in  sacrifice  to  their  idol;  which  has 
been  a  common  thing  in  the  heathen  world.  And  the  parents 
have  not  only  offered  them  up  to  death,  but  they  have  brought 
them,  and  offered  them  up  to  the  most  cruel  and  tormenting 
deaths  :  as,  to  be  burnt  alive,  to  be  broiled  to  death  in  burning 
brass  ;  which  was  the  way  of  offering  up  children  to  Moloch. 
The  image  of  the  idol  being  made  of  brass,  in  a  horrid  shape, 
was  heated  red  hot ;  and  the  poor  child  was  laid  naked  in  this 
burning  brass,  and  so  burnt  to  death.  And  the  parents  them- 
selves brought  the  child  to  this  offering,  however  sweet  and 
pleasant  a  child  it  might  be.  And  thus  the  innocent  child 
was  tormented  till  it  died,  without  any  regard  to  its  piteous 
cries.  And  it  has  been  the  manner  of  some  nations,  to  offer 
in  sacrifice  the  fairest  and  best  beloved  child  that  they  had. 
And  thus  many  thousands  of  poor  babes  have  been  offered  up. 
So  strong  has  been  the  tendency  of  the  hearts  of  men  to  de- 
lusion, that  it  has  thus  overcome  those  strong  natural  affections 
which  men  have  to  the  fruit  of  their  own  bodies. 

And  many  of  these  delusions  have  been  against  men's 
natural  love  of  their  own  ease,  and  aversion  to  pain.  Many 
have  worshipped  their  idols,  and  do  so  to  this  day,  with  such 
rites  as  are  most  painful  and  tormenting ;  cutting,  gashing, 
and  mangling  their  own  flesh.  Thus  they  sottishly  worshipped 
Baal  of  old.  "  And  they  cried  aloud,  and  cut  themselves 
after  their  manner  with  knives  and  lancets,  till  the  blood 
gushed  out  upon  them."*  And  it  is  still  the  custom  in  some 
nations  grievously  to  torment  themselves  :  to  kindle  a  fire  to 
scorch  their  own  bodies  in  a  most  miserable  manner  ;  and  to 
put  themselves  to  various  and  long-continued  torments  to 
please  their  idols.  And  it  is  the  manner  in  some  countries  for 
persons,  on  certain  occasions,  to  hill  themselves  ;  yea,  to  put 
themselves  to  cruel  deaths ;  to  cast  themselves  into  great  fires, 
and  there  burn  themselves  to  death.  How  powerful  must  be 
the  delusions  of  the  human  mind,  and  how  strong  the  ten- 
dency of  the  heart  to  carry  them  such  a  length,  and  so  to 
overcome  the  tenderest  feelings  of  human  nature  ! 

3.  The  extreme  blindness  of  the  mind  of  man  will  appear 
further,  if  we  consider  how  general  gross  ignorance  and  delu- 
sion has  been.  It  has  for  the  most  part  prevailed  through  the 
greater  part  of  the  world.  For  most  of  the  time  from  Noah'' 
flood  to  the  coming  of  Christ,  all  nations,  except  the  children 
of  Israel,  were  overspread  with  gross  heathenish  darkness  ; 
being  given  up  to  the  most  vain  and  ridiculous  notions,  and 
all  manner  of  superstitious,  barbarous,  absurd,  and  unnatural 

*  \  Kinsrs  xviii.  28. 


MAN'S  NATURAL  BLINDNESS  IN  RELIGION.  9 

practices.     And,  for  the  greater  part  of  the  time  since,  most 
nations  of  the  world  have  been  covered  with  gross  darkness. 

So  it  is  at  this  day.  Many  nations  are  under  popish  dark- 
ness,  and  are  in  such  gross  delusions  that  they  worship  the 
Virgin  Mary,  and  a  great  multitude  of  dead  men,  whom  their 
church  has  canonized  for  saints ;  some  real  saints,  and  others 
abominably  wicked  men.  So  they  worship  the  bread  in  the 
sacrament,  and  account  it  not  only  the  real  body  of  Christ, 
but  real  Christ  in  body  and  soul,  and  divinity.  They  carry  a 
wafer,  a  small  piece  of  bread,  in  procession,  fall  down  before 
it,  adore  it,  and  account  it  Christ  himself,  both  in  his  divine 
and  human  nature  ;  and  yet  believe  that  the  body  of  Christ 
is  in  heaven,  and  in  ten  thousand  different  places  on  earth  at 
the  same  time.  They  think  they  can  do  works  of  supereroga- 
tion; thatis,«tore  good  works  than  they  are  obliged  to  do,  where- 
by they  bring  God  into  debt  to  them.  They  whip  themselves, 
and  put  themselves  to  other  ridiculous  penances  and  sufferings, 
whereby  they  think  they  appease  the  anger  of  God  for  their 
sins.  And  they  pay  money  to  the  priests,  to  buy  the  pardon  of 
their  sins ;  yea,  they  buy  indulgencies  for  future  crimes,  or 
pardon  for  sins  before  they  commit  them.  They  think  they 
defend  themselves  from  evil  spirits,  by  sprinkling  holy  water. 
They  pay  money  to  buy  the  souls  of  their  departed  friends  out 
of  purgatory  ;  they  worship  the  relics  of  dead  saints  ;  such  as 
pieces  of  their  bones,  their  teeth,  their  hair,  pieces  of  their  gar- 
ments, and  the  like.  And  innumerable  other  such  foolish 
delusions  are  they  under. 

A  great  part  of  the  nations  of  the  world  are  Mahometans  ; 
many  of  the  articles  of  whose  belief  are  too  childish  and 
ridiculous  to  be  publicly  mentioned  in  a  solemn  assembly.-- 
But  the  greater  part  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  are  to  this 
day,  gross,  barbarous  heathens,  who  have  not  the  knowledge  of 
the  true  God,  but  worship  idols  and  devils,  with  all  manner  of 
absurd  and  foolish  rites  and  ceremonies  ;  and  are  destitute  of 
even  common  civility :  multitudes  of  nations  being  like  beasts 
in  human  shape. — Now  this  barbarous  ignorance  and  gross 
delusion  being  of  such  great  extent  and  continuance,  shows 
that  the  cause  is  general,  and  that  the  defect  is  in  the  cor- 
rupted nature  of  mankind  ;  man's  natural  blindness  and  prone- 
ness  of  his  heart  to  delusion. 

4.  The  sottish  blindness  and  folly  of  the  heart  of  men  ap- 
pears in  their  being  so  prone  to  fail  into  such  gross  delusions, 
soon  after  they  have  been  favoured  with  clear  light.  Were 
not  the  minds  of  men  exceeding  dark,  they  never  would  en- 
tertain such  absurd  notions  at  all ;  for  they  are  as  contrary  as 
possible  to  reason  :  much  less  would  they  fall  into  them,  after 
they  had  once  been  instructed  in  the  truth.  For,  were  it  not 
very  strange  and  creat  sottishness  indeed,  thev  would—when 

Vol.  V11L 


10  MAN'S  NATURAL  BLINDNESS  IN  RELIGION. 

they  come  to  be  informed  of  the  truth,  and  have  opportunity 
to  compare  it  with  those  gross  errors — behold  such  a  reason- 
ableness in  the  truth,  and  such  absurdity  iri  those  errors,  that 
they  would  never  be  in  danger  of  being  deluded  by  them  any 
more.  But  yet  so  it  is  ;  mankind,  after  they  have  been  fully 
instructed,  and  have  lived  in  clear  light,  have,  time  after  time, 
presently  lost  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  and  have  exchanged 
it  for  the  most  barbarous  and  brutish  notions. 

So  it  was  early  after  the  flood,  whereby  the  wicked  world, 
those  that  were  visibly  so,  were  destroyed  ;  and  none  were 
left  but  those  who  professed  the  true  religion  :  and  they  had 
such  an  eminently  holy  man  as  Noah  to  instruct  them.  And 
though  the  true  God  had  so  wonderfully  and  astonishingly 
manifested  himself  in  tha^t  great  work  of  vengeance  against 
his  enemies  ;  yet  the  posterity  of  Noah,  in  great  part,  pre- 
sently lost  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God,  and  fell  away  to 
idolatry  ;  and  that  even  while  Noah  was  living.  And  the 
ancestors  of  Abraham  were  tainted  with  that  idolatry  ;  even 
Terah  his  own  father.  "  And  Joshua  said  unto  all  the  people, 
thus  saith  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  your  fathers  dwelt  on  the 
other  side  of  the  flood  in  old  time,  even  Terah  the  father  of 
Abraham,  and  the  father  of  Nachor  :  and  they  served  other 
gods.  And  I  took  your  father  Abraham  from  the  other  side  of 
the  flood,"  &c*  It  seems  as  though  Abraham  was  called 
away  from  his  father's  house,  and  from  his  own  country,  for 
this  reason,  that  the  country  was  overrun  with  idolatry. 

And  even  many  of  the  posterity  of  Abraham  and  Isaac — 
Abraham's  posterity  by  Hagar  and  Keturah,  and  that  part  of 
Isaac's  posterity  which  were  of  Esau — though  the  true  religion 
was  so  thoroughly  taught  and  practised  in  the  houses  of  those 
holy  patriarchs,  and  God  "had  from  time  to  time  so  wonder- 
fully and  miraculously  manifested  himself  to  them,  yet — soon 
cast  off  the  true  God,  and  fell  away  to  idolatry.  For,  not 
very  long  after,  we  read  of  the  posterity  of  Jacob  as  being  the 
unly  people  of  God,  that  he  had  in  all  the  earth — And  so  the 
people  of  that  part  of  the  land  of  Canaan,  who  were  under 
that  holy  king  Melchizedeck,  soon  totally  cast  off  the  worship 
of  the  one  only  true  GocT,  which  he  taught  and  maintained. 
For  before  Joshua  brought  in  the  children  of  Israel,  the  inha- 
bitants of  that  land  were  wholly  given  to  idolatry.  So  the 
people  of  the  land  of  Uz,  who  were  under  the  government  of 
so  great  and  holy  a  man  as  Job,  soon  lost  the  knowledge  of 
the  true  God,  and  all  those  religious  truths  wMch  were  then 
known  among  them,  and  sunk  into  gross  idolatry. 

So  the  posterity  of  Jacob,  themselves — though  God  had 
manifested  himself  to  them,  and  had  wrought  such  wonder? 

..  xxiv.  ii.   : 


man's  natural  blindness  in  religion.  11 

for  them  in  (he  time  of  Jacob  and  Joseph,  yet — presently  fell  to 
worship  the  gods  of  Egypt.  This  appears  from  the  words  of 
Joshua.  "  Put  away  the  gods  which  your  fathers  served  on  the 
other  side  of  the  flood,  and  in  Egypt.-'*  And  how  soon  did 
they  fall  to  worship  a  golden  calf  in  the  wilderness,  in  the  midst 
of  the  wonderful  and  miraculous  manifestations  of  the  one  only 
true  God  !  And  notwithstanding  idolatry  was  so  strictly  forbid- 
den, and  the  folly  and  wickedness  of  it  so  clearly  manifested,  in 
the  law  of  Moses  and  in  God's  providence  ;  yet,  how  soon  did 
they  fall  into  idolatry  after  they  were  brought  into  the  land  of 
Canaan  !  And  when  God  raised  up  eminent  men,  judges  to  in- 
struct and  govern  them,  and  reclaim  them  from  their  idolatrous 
practices,  from  time  to  time  ;  though  they  professed  to  be  con- 
vinced of  their  foolish  delusion,  yet  they  would  soon  fall  again 
into  the  most  sottish  idolatry.  And  this  they  did  soon  after 
such  great  light  as  they  enjoyed  in  the  time  of  Samuel,  David, 
and  Solomon,  and  so,  from  time  to  time,  down  to  the  Babylonish 
captivity. 

And  in  the  apostles''  times,  when  such  great  things  were  done 
to  rouse  the  attention  of  mankind,  and  such  great  light  was 
spread  over  many  nations,  multitudes,  after  they  had  been  in- 
structed in  the  Christian  religion  by  the  apostles  and  others,  fell 
away  into  the  grossest  heresies,  and  embraced  the  most  corrupt 
and  absurd  notions — After  the  Roman  empire  had  been  con- 
verted from  heathenism  to  Christianity,  and  the  light  of  the  gos- 
pel had  driven  out  the  sottish  ignorance  and  gross  absurdities  of 
Pagan  idolatry,  in  which  they  had  continued  so  long  ;  they  soon 
began  to  fall  away  from  the  truth  into  antichristian  superstition, 
and  idolatry,  in  which  are  opinions  and  practices  no  less  absurd 
than  those  of  the  heathen.  And  a  great  part  of  the  christian 
world  fell  away  to  Mahometanism. 

And  since  the  reformation,  wherein  God  wonderfully  restored 
gospel  light  in  a  great  part  of  the  christian  world,  which  was 
but  about  two  hundred  years  ago,  many  are  fallen  away  again  ; 
some  to  popery,  some  to  gross  heresies,  and  some  to  atheistical 
principles  :  so  that  the  reformed  church  is  greatly  diminished. 
— And  as  to  our  nation  in  particular,  which  has  been  a  nation  fa- 
voured with  light,  since  the  reformation,  above  most,  if  not  any 
in  the  world  ;  how  soon  has  it  in  great  part  fallen  away  !  A  great 
part  of  it  to  atheism,  deism,  and  gross  infidelity  ;  and  others  to 
Arminianism,  and  to  the  Socinian  and  Arian  heresies,  to  believe 
that  Christ  is  a  created  dependent  God  ;  and  to  hold  other  fool- 
ish absurdities  !  And  many  have  of  late  openly  disputed  and 
denied  the  moral  evil  of  some  of  the  greatest  and  most  heinous 
vices. 

Josh.  xxiv.  14, 


12  MAN'S  NATURAL  BLINDNESS  IN  RELIG 

These  things  show  how  desperately  prone  mankind  are  to 
blindness  and  delusion,  how  addicted  they  are  to  darkness. — 
God  now  and  then,  by  his  instructions,  lifts  up  some  nations  out 
of  such  gross  darkness  :  but  then,  how  do  they  sink  down  into  it 
again,  as  soon  as  his  hand  is  withdrawn  !  like  a  heavy  stone, 
which,  though  it  may  be  forced  upwards,  yet  sinks  down  again  ; 
and  will  continue  to  sink  lower  and  lower  with  a  swift  progress, 
if  there  be  nothing  to  restrain  it.  That  is  the  woful  tendency 
of  the  mind  of  man  since  the  fall,  notwithstanding  his  noble 
powers  and  faculties ;  even  to  sink  down  into  a  kind  of  brutality, 
to  lose  and  extinguish  all  useful  light,  and  to  sink  lower  and 
lower  into  darkness. 

5.  The  extreme  and  brutish  blindness  that  possesses  the  hearts 
of  men  naturally,  appears  in  their  being  so  confident  in  gross 
errors  and  delusions.  Some  things  mentioned  already,  show 
how  confident  and  assured  they  are ;  particularly,  their  running 
such  great  ventures  as  offering  up  their  children  ;  and  cutting  and 
mangling  themselves.  Multitudes  live  and  die  in  the  most  foolish 
and  absurd  notions  and  principles,  and  never  seem  to  make  any 
doubt  of  their  being  in  the  right. 

The  Mahometans  seem  to  make  no  doubt  but  that,  when  they 
die,  they  shall  go  to  such  a  paradise  as  Mahomet  has  promised 
them  ;  where  they  shall  live  in  all  manner  of  sensual  pleasures, 
and  shall  spend  their  time  in  gratifying  the  lusts  of  the  flesh. 
Mahomet  promised  them,  that  all  who  die  in  war  for  the  defence 
of  the  Mahometan  religion,  shall  go  to  this  paradise  ;  and  they 
make  no  doubt  of  it.  Therefore,  many  of  them  as  it  were, 
willingly  rush  on  upon  the  point  of  the  sword. 

The  Papists,  many  of  them  at  least,  make  no  doubt  of  the  truth 
of  those  foolish  notions  of  a  purgatory,  and  the  power  of  the 
priests  to  deliver  them  out  of  it,  and  give  them  eternal  life  ; 
and  therefore  will  not  spare  vast  sums  of  money  to  purchase 
deliverance  from  those  imaginary  torments.  How  confident  are 
many  heretics,  in  the  grossest  heresies ;  and  how  bold  are  many 
deists,  in  their  infidelity ! 

6.  The  desperateness  of  that  blindness  which  is  in  the  heart 
of  man,  appears,  in  that  no  nation  or  people  in  the  world  ever 
have  had  any  remedy  or  deliverance  from  such  gross  ignorance 
and  delusion,  from  themselves.  No  instance  can  be  mentioned 
of  any  people  whatsoever,  who  have  once  fallen  into  heathenish 
darkness,  or  any  other  gross  superstitions  and  ridiculous  opinions 
in  religion,  that  ever  had  any  remedy  by  any  wisdom  of  their  own  ; 
or  that  have,  of  themselves,  grown  wiser  by  the  improvement  of 
their  own  faculties,  and  by  instructing  one  another ;  or  that  ever 
had  any  remedy  at  all,  by  the  teaching  of  any  wise  men,  who 
did  not  professedly  act  as  moved  and  directed  of  God  ;  and  did 
not  declare,  that  they  had  their  instructions,  in  the  first  place, 
from  him. 


man's  natural  blindness  IN  RELIGION.  lo 

Thus  in  the  Heathen  world.  Before  Christ's  time,  the  whole 
world,  except  the  Jews,  lay  in  their  darkness  for  a  great  many 
hundred  years,  even  beyond  all  time  of  which  they  had  any 
certain  history  among  them.  And  there  was  no  remedy,  nor 
any  appearance  of  a  remedy  ;  they  continued,  ages  after  ages, 
waxing  worse  and  worse,  sinking  deeper  and  deeper.  Among 
all  the  many  nations  in  the  world,  no  one  ever  bethought  them- 
selves, and  emerged  out  of  their  brutish  darkness.  There  were 
indeed  some  nations  that  emerged  out  of  slavery,  cast  off  the  yoke 
of  theirenemies,  grew  great  and  conquered  great  part  of  the  world, 
but  they  never  conquered  the  blindness  of  their  own  hearts. 

There  were  some  nations  who  excelled  in  other  knowledge  ; 
as  the  Greeks  and  Romans.  They  excelled  in  policy,  and  in  the 
form  of  their  civil  government.  They  had  wise  political  rulers  ; 
they  had  excellent  laws  for  regulating  their  civil  state  ;  many  of 
which  have  been  imitated,  as  a  pattern,  by  many  christian 
nations  ever  since.  They  excelled  many  other  nations  in 
arts,  government  and  civility,  almost  as  much  as  men  in 
common  do  beasts.  Yet  they  never  could  deliver  themselves 
from  their  heathenism.  Though  they  were  so  wise  in  other 
things,  yet  in  matters  of  religion  they  were  very  absurd  and 
brutish.  For  even  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  in  their  most  flou- 
rishing state,  worshipped  innumerable  gods  ;  and  some  to  whom 
they  ascribed  great  vices ;  and  some  they  worshipped  with  most 
obscene  and  horrid  rites.  To  some  they  offered  human  sacrifi- 
ces. The  Romans  had  a  temple  dedicated  to  the  furies,  which 
they  worshipped.  And  they  had  a  multitude  of  childish  notions 
and  fables  about  their  gods. 

And  though  there  were  raised  up  some  wise  men  and  philoso- 
phers among  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  who  borrowed  some 
things  concerning  the  true  God  from  the  Jews  ;  yet  their  instruc- 
tions never  were  effectual  to  deliver  any  one  people,  or  even 
one  city  or  town,  from  their  barbarous  heathenism,  or  so  much 
as  to  get  any  one  society,  or  company  of  men,  to  unite  in  the 
public  worship  of  the  true  God.  And  these  philosophers  themselves 
had  many  grossly  absurd  opinions,  mingled  with  those  scraps  of 
truth  which  they  had  gathered  up. 

And  the  Jews,  when  fallen  away  to  idolatry,  as  they  often  did, 
never  recovered  of  themselves.  Never  any  remedy  appeared, 
unless  Ged  raised  up,  and  extraordinarily  moved,  some  person 
to  reprove  and  instruct  them. — And  in  this  age  of  knowledge,  an 
age  wherein  learning  is  carried  to  a  great  height,  even  many 
learned  men  seem  to  be  carried  away  with  the  gross  errors  and 
fooleries  of  the  popish  religion. 

Europe  is  a  part  of  the  world  the  most  famed  for  arts  and 
sciences  of  any ;  and  these  things  have  been  carried  to  a  much 
greater  height,  in  this  age  than  in  many  others  :  yet  many  learned 
men  in  Europe  at  this  day,  who  greatly  excel  in  hitman  arts  and 


l'l  man's  natural  blindness  in  religion. 

literature,'  are  still  under  popish  darkness.  A  deceived  heart 
has  turned  them  aside  ;  nor  do  they  seem  to  have  any  power  to 
deliver  their  souls  :  nor  does  it  come  into  their  minds,  that  there 
is  a  lie  in  iheir  right  hands. 

Many  men  in  France  and  in  other  countries,  who  are  indeed 
men  of  great  learning,  knowledge  and  abilities,  yet  seem  really 
to  think  that  the  church  of  Rome  is  the  only  true  church  of 
Christ  ;  and  are  zealous  to  uphold  and  propagate  it.  And 
though  now,  within  this  hundred  years,  human  learning  has  been 
very  much  promoted,  and  has  risen  to  a  greater  height  than  ever 
in  the  world  ;  and  has  greatly  increased,  not  only  in  our  nation, 
but  in  France  and  Italy,  and  other  popish  countries;  yet  there 
seems  to  be  no  such  effect  of  it,  as  any  considerable  turning 
from  popish  delusions  ;  but  the  church  of  Rome  has  rather  in- 
creased of  late,  than  otherwise. 

And  in  England,  a  land  wherein  learning  flourishes  as  much 
as  in  any  in  the  world,  and  which  is  perhaps  the  most  favoured 
with  light  of  any  ;  there  are  many  men  of  vast  learning,  and 
great  and  strong  reason,  who  have  embraced,  and  do  at  this  day, 
embrace  the  gross  errors  of  the  Arians  and  Deists.  Our  nation, 
in  all  its  light  and  learning,  is  full  of  infidels,  and  those  that  are 
further  from  Christianity,  than  the  very  Mahometans  themselves. 
Of  so  little  avail  is  human  strength,  or  human  reason  and  learning, 
as  a  remedy  against  the  extreme  blindness  of  the  human  mind. 
The  blindness  of  the  mind,  or  an  inclination  to  delusion  in  things 
of  religion,  is  so  strong,  that  it  will  overcome  the  greatest  learn- 
ing, and  the  strongest  natural  reason. 

Men,  if  let  alone,  will  not  help  one  another ;  nor  will  they 
help  themselves.  The  disease  always  proves  without  remedy, 
unless  God  delivers.  This  was  observed  of  old  :  "  and  none 
considereth  in  his  heart,  neither  is  there  knowledge  nor  under- 
standing to  say,  I  have  burnt  part  of  it  in  the  fire,  yea  also  I 
have  baked  bread  upon  the  coals  thereof :  I  have  roasted  flesh, 
and  eaten  of  it,  and  shall  I  make  the  residue  thereof  an  abomi- 
nation ?  Shall  1  fall  down  to  the  stock  of  a  tree  ?  He  feedeth  of 
ashes :  a  deceived  heart  hath  turned  him  aside,  and  he  cannot 
deliver  his  soul,  nor  say,  Ts  there  not  a  lie  in  my  right  hand  ?* 

If  God  lets  men  alone,  no  Itght  arises  :  but  the  darkness 
grows  thicker  and  thicker.  How  is  it  now,  at  this  very  day, 
among  all  the  nations  where  the  light  of  the  gospel  has  not 
come  ?  Many  of  whose  ancestors,  without  doubt,  have  been 
in  the  midnight  darkness  of  heathenism  for  above  three  thou- 
sand years :  and  not  one  people  have  delivered  themselves, 
who  have  not  had  the  light  of  the  gospel.  And  this  is  not 
owing  to  their  want  of  as  good  natural  abilities  as  we  have  ; 
nor  is  it  because  they  have  an  inclination  more  to  neglect  their 
natural  abilities;  or  make  a  worse  improvement  of  them  than  we. 

■'  T=ai.xliv.  19,  20. 


MAN'S  NATURAL   BLINDNESS  IN  RELIGION.  15 

7.  The  extreme  blindness  of  man's  heart,  in  matters  of  re- 
ligion, appears  by  men  falling  into  gross  delusions,  or  continuing 
in  them,  at  the  same  time  that  they  have  been  under  great  means 
of  instruction  from  God.  We  have  many  instances  of  this ;  as 
Rachel  in  Jacob's  family  ;  and  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness, 
&c.  These  last  had  great  means  of  instruction  ;  yet  they  set 
up  the  golden  calf,  &c.  And  after  Joshua's  time  they  persisted 
in  their  delusions  and  folly,  from  time  to  time,  even  uuder  the 
reproofs  of  the  prophets  ;  and  even  in  such  horrid  delusions,  so 
contrary  to  natural  affection,  as  offering  their  children  in  sacri- 
fice to  Moloch,  burning  them  alive,  in  a  most  cruel  manner. 

In  the  time  of  Christ  and  the  apostles,  the  Jews  had  great 
means  of  instruction,  and  most  of  the  nations  of  the  world  were 
put  under  great  advantages  to  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth  ;  yet  what  was  the  effect  ?  It  would  be  easier  to  pursue 
these  remarks  respecting  the  Papists  in  the  time  of  the  refor- 
mation, and  since — the  Arians  and  Deists  in  our  day,  &c — 
but  what  has  been  said  may  be  quite  sufficient,  if  the  reader  will 
but  indulge  reflection. 

8.  The  exceedingly  great  blindness  of  men,  in  things  of  religion, 
appears  in  the  endless  disputes  and  controversies,  that  there  have 
been,  and  are,  among  men,  about  those  things  which  concern 
religion. — Of  old,  the  wise  men  and  philosophers  among  the 
heathen,  were,  so  to  speak,  infinitely  divided  among  themselves. 
Varro,  who  was  one  of  them,  reckons  up  several  hundred 
opinions  about  that  one  point,  Wherein  man's  happiness  consist- 
ed ?  And  they  were  continually  in  disputes  one  with  another. 
But  the  effect  of  their  disputes  was  not  any  greater  union,  or  any 
better  agreement  in  their  opinions.  They  were  as  much  divi- 
ded after  they  had  disputed  many  ages,  as  they  were  at  first  : 
yea  much  more. 

So  there  have  long  been  disputes  in  the  Christian  world  about 
opinions  and  principles  in  religion.  There  is  a  vast  variety  of 
sects  and  opinions ;  and  disputes  have  been  carried  on,  age  after 
age,  with  great  warmth,  and  thousands  of  volumes  have  been 
written  one  against  another.  And  all  these  disputes  have 
not  terminated  the  differences,  buj  they  still  subsist  as  much  as 
ever  •,  yea,.they  increase  and  -multiply  more  and  more.  Instead 
of  ending  controversies  by  disputing,  one  dispute  only  lays  a 
foundation  for  another.  And  thus  the  world  goes  on  jangling 
and  contending,  daily  writing  and  printing  ;  being  as  it  were 
deluged  with  confroversial  books  ;  and  all  to  no  purpose. 

The  increase  of  human  learning  does  not  bring  these  contro- 
versies to  an  issue,  but  does  really  increase,  and  multiply  them. 
There  probably  never  was  a  time  in  our  nation  wherein  there 
was  such  a  vast  variety  of  opinions  in  matters  of  religion,  as  at 
this  day.  Every  now  and  then  a  new  scheme  of  things  is  broach- 
ed, and  various  and  contrary  opinions  are  mixed  and  jumbled, 


1G  man's  natural  blindness  in  religion. 

divided  and  subdivided ;    and  every  new  writer  is  willing  to 
have  the  credit  of  some  new  notion. 

And  after  this  manner  does  this  miserable  world  go  on  in 
endless  confusion :  like  a  great  multitude  of  fool-hardy  persons, 
who  go  on  in  the  dark,  stumbling  and  justling  one  against  another, 
without  perceiving  any  remedy  for  their  own,  or  affording  any 
for  their  neighbours'  calamity. — Thus  I  have  shown  how  the  ex- 
treme blindness  that  possesses  the  hearts  of  men  is  manifest  in 
what  appears  in  their  profession. 

Section  III. 

Mai's  extreme  Blindness  manifested  by  inward  Experience,  and 
especially  in  their  Practices  under  the  Gospel. 

I  come  now  to  show,  how  this  is  manifest  in  those  things 
that  are  found  by  inward  experience,  and  are  visible  in  men's 
practices  under  the  light  of  the  gospel. 

1.  This  appears  in  their  being  so  prone  to  be  deceived  so  many 
ways,  or  being  liable  to  such  a  multiplicity  of  deceits.  There 
are  thousands  of  delusions  in  things  which  concern  the  affairs  of 
religion,  that  men  commonly  are  led  away  with,  who  yet  live 
under  the  light  of  the  gospel. — They  are  many  ways  deceived 
about  God.  They  think  him  to  be  an  exceeding  a.  ^rse  kind 
of  being  from  what  he  is;  altogether  such  an  one  as  themselves.* 
They  are  deceived  about  his  holiness,  they  do  not  realize  it,  that 
he  is  such  a  holy  being  as  he  indeed  is,  or  that  he  hates  sin  with 
such  a  hatred  as  he  declares  he  does.  They  are  not  convinced 
of  his  truth,  or  that  he  certainly  will  fulfil  his  threatenings  or  his 
promises.  They  are  not  convinced  of  his  justice  in  punishing 
sin,  as  he  does.  They  have  very  wrong  notions  of  Christ. 
They  are  not  convinced  of  his  ability  to  save  them,  or  of  the 
sufficiency  of  his  sacrifice  and  righteousness  ;  nor  of  his  willing- 
ness to  receive  them. 

Men  are  commonly  subject  to  a  great  many  errors  about  their 
duty.  They  are  ready  to  bring  their  principles  to  agree  with 
their  practices,  instead  of  bringing  their  practices  to  their  prin- 
ciples, as  they  ought  to  do.  They  will  put  innumerable  false 
glosses  on  the  rules  of  God's  ward,  to  bend  them  to  a  compli- 
ance with  their  lusts ;  and  so  they  "  put  darkness  for  light,  and 
light  for  darkness  ;  bitter  for  sweet,  and  sweet  for  bitter." 

They  are  subject  to  deceits  and  delusions  about  the  things  of 
this  world.  '  They  imagine  that  there  is  happiness  and  satisfac- 
tion to  be  found  in  the  profits,  pleasures,  and  honours,  which 
are  to  be  had  here.  They  believe  all  the  deluding  flatteries 
and  promises  of  a  vain  world.  And  they  will  hold  that  deceit 
nnd  grand  delusion,   that  these  tlwigs  are  the  highest  [rood :  and 


MAW'S  NATURAL   BLINDNESS   IN  RELIGION. 


r 


will  act  accordingly;  will  choose  these  things  for  their  portion. 
And  they  will  hold  and  practise  upon  that  error,  that  these 
things  are  of  long  continuance,  and  are  to  be  depended  upon. 

They  are  greatly  deceived  about  the  things  of  another  world. 
They  undervalue  that  heavenly  glory,  which  is  promised  to  the 
saints ;  and  are  not  much  terrified  with  what  they  hear  of  the 
damnation  of  hell  ;  they  cannot  realize  it,  that  its  torments  are 
so  dreadful  as  they  hear ;  and  are  very  ready  to  imagine  that 
they  are  not  eternal,  but  will  sometime  or  other  have  an  end. 

They  are  deceived  about  the  state  of  good  men.  They  think 
they  are  not  happy,  but  live  a  melancholy  life.  And  they  are 
deceived  about  the  wicked.  They  envy  the  state  of  many  of 
them,  as  accounting  them  well  off.  "  They  call  the  proud 
happy,*  and  bless  the  covetous  whom  God  abhors. t"  And 
they  strive  a  great  deal  more  after  such  enjoyments  as  these 
have,  than  after  such  as  are  the  portion  of  the  godly. 

They  are  subject  to  a  thousand  deceits  and  delusions  about 
themselves.  They  think  themselves  wise,  when  they  are  fools. 
They  are  deceived  about  their  own  hearts ;  they  think  them 
much  better  than  they  really  are.  They  think  they  see  many 
good  things  in  themselves,  when  indeed  there  is  nothing  good 
there.  They  appear  lovely  in  their  own  eyes,  when  their  hearts 
are  like  the  inside  of  a  grave,  full  of  dead  men's  bones  and  rot- 
ten flesh,  crawling  worms,  and  all  uncleanness.  Or  rather  the 
inward  vault  of  hell,  that  is  an  habitation  ofdevils  and  every  foul 
spirit.  Those  things  in  their  hearts  are  highly  esteemed  by  them, 
which  are  an  abomination  in  the  sight  of  God. 

Men  are  very  prone  to  be  deceived  about  their  own  state  ;  to 
think  themselves  something  when  they  are  nothing  ;  and  to  sup- 
pose themselves  "  rich  and  increased  in  goods,  and  to  have  need 
of  nothing  ;  when  they  are  wretched,  and  miserable,  and  poor, 
and  blind  and  naked.  "  They  are  greatly  deceived  about  the 
principles  they  act  from.  They  think  they  are  sincere  in  that  in 
which  there  is  no  sincerity  ;  and  that  they  do  those  things  from 
love  to  God,  which  they  do  only  frcyn  love  to  themselves.  They 
call  mere  speculative  or  natural  knowledge,  spiritual  knowledge  ; 
and  put  conscience  for  graoeif  a  servile,  for  a  child-like  fear ; 
and  common  affections,  that  are  only  from  natural  principles, 
and  have  no  abiding  effect,  for  high  discoveries,  and  eminent  act- 
ings of  grace.  Yea,  it  is  common  with  men  to  call  their  vicious 
dispositions  by  the  name  of  some  virtue.  They  call  their  anger 
and  malice,  zeal  for  a  righteous  cause,  or  zeal  for  the  public 
good;  and  their  covetousness,  frugality. 

They  are  vastly  deceived  about  their  own  righteousness.  They 
think  their  affections  and  performances  lovely  to  God,  which 
indeed  are  hateful  to  him.     They  think  their  tears,  reformations 

*  Mai.  iii.  15.  t  Psal,  x,  3, 

Vol.  VIII.  3 


18 


MAN'S  NATURAL  BLINDNESS  IN  RELIGION. 


<;hd  prayers,  sufficient  to  make  atonement  for  their  sins  ;  when 
indeed  if  all  the  angels  in  heaven  should  offer  themselves  in  sa- 
crifice to  God,  it  would  not  be  sufficient  to  atone  for  one  of  their 
sins.  ^  They  think  their  prayers  and  works,  and  religious  doings, 
a  sufficient  price  to  purchase  God's  favour  and  eternal  glory  : 
when,  as  they  perform  them,  they  do  nothing  but  merit  hell. 

They  are  greatly  deceived  about  their  strength.  They  think 
they  are  able  to  mend  their  own  hearts,  and  work  some  good 
principles  in  themselves ;  when  they  can  do  no  more  towards  it 
then  a  dead  corpse  does  towards  raising  itself  to  life.  They 
vainly  flatter  themselves,  they  are  able  to  come  to  Christ,  when 
they  are  not.  They  are  greatly  deceived  about  the  stability 
of  their  own  hearts.  They  foolishly  think  their  own  intentions 
and  resolutions  of  what  good  they  will  do  hereafter,  to  be  depend- 
ed on ;  when  indeed  there  is  no  dependence  at  all  to  be  had 
on  them.  They  are  greatly  deceived  about  their  opportunities. 
They  think  that  the  long  continuance  of  their  opportunity  is  to 
be  depended  on,  and  that  to-morrow  is  to  be  boasted  of;  when 
indeed  there  is  the  utmost  uncertainty  of  it.  They  flatter  them- 
selves that  they  shall  have  a  better  opportunity  to  seek  salvation 
hereafter,  than  they  have  now ;  when  there  is  no  probability  of 
it,  but  a  very  great  improbability. 

They  are  greatly  deceived  about  their  own  actions  and  prac- 
tices. Their  own  faults  are  strangely  hid  from  their  eyes. 
They  live  in  ways  that  are  very  unbecoming  Christians,  but  yet 
seem  not  to  be  at  all  sensible  of  it.  Those  evil  ways  of  theirs, 
which  are  very  plain  to  others,  are  hid  from  them.  Yea,  those 
very  things,  which  they  themselves  account  great  faults  in  others, 
they  will  justify  themselves  in.  Those  things  for  which  they 
will  be  very  angry  with  others,  they  at  the  same  time  do  them- 
selves, and  oftentimes  in  a  much  higher  degree,  and  never  once 
think  of  it.  While  they  are  zealous  to  pull  the  mote  out 
of  their  brother's  eye,  they  know  not  that  a  beam  is  in  their  own 
eye. 

Those  sins  that  they  commit,  which  they  are  sensible  are  sins 
they  are  wofully  deceived  aboujt.  They  call  great  sins,  little 
ones  ;  and  in  their  own  imaginations,  find  out  many  excuses, 
which  make  the  guilt  very  small  ;  while  the  many  heinous  ag- 
gravations are  hid  from  their  eyes.  They  are  greatly  deceived 
about  themselves,  when  they  compare  themselves  with  others. 
They  esteem  themselves  better  than  their  neighbours,  who  are 
indeed  much  better  than  themselves.  They  are  greatly  deceiv- 
ed about  themselves,  when  they  compare  themselves  with  God. 
They  are  very  insensible  of  the  difference  there  is  between  God 
and  them,  and  act  in  many  things  as  if  they  thought  themselves 
his  equals ;  yea,  as  if  they  thought  themselves  above  him.  Thus 
manifold  are  the  deceits  and  delusions  that  men  fall  into. 


Vs   NATURAL    BfiINDNES$    IN  RELIGION.  19 

2.  The  desperate  blindness  that  is  natural  to  men,  appears  in 
their  being  so  ignorant  and  blind  in  things  that  are  so  clear  and 
plain.  Thus  if  we  consider  how  great  God  is,  and  how  dread- 
ful sin  against  him  must  be,  and  how  much  sin  we  are  guilty  of, 
and  of  what  importance  it  is  that  his  infinite  Majesty  should  be 
indicated  ;  how  plain  is  it,  that  man's  righteousness  is  in- 
sufficient !  And  yet  how  greatly  will  men  confide  in  it !  how 
will  they  ascribe  more  to  it,  than  can  be  ascribed  to  the 
righteousness  of  the  sinless  and  glorious  angels  of  heaven ! 
What  can  be  more  plain  in  itself,  than  that  eternal  things  are, 
of  infinitely  greater  importance  than  temporal  things  ?  And  yet 
how  hard  is  it  thoroughly  to  convince  men  of  it !  How  plain 
is  it,  that  eternal  misery  in  hell  is  infinitely  to  be  dreaded  ?  And 
yet  how  {ew  appear  to  be  thoroughly  convinced  of  this!  How 
plain  is  it,  that  life  is  uncertain  ?  and  yet  how  much  otherwise  do 
most  men  think !  How  plain  is  it,  that  it  is  the  highest  pru- 
dence in  matters  of  infinite  concern  to  improve  the  first  oppor- 
tunity, without  trusting  to  another?  but  yet  how  (ew  are  con- 
vinced of  this  ?  How  reasonable  is  it,  considering  that  God  is  a 
wise  and  just  Being,  to  suppose  that  there  shall  be  a  future 
state  of  rewards  and  punishments,  wherein  every  man  shall 
receive  according  to  his  works  ?  And  }ret,  how  does  this  seem 
like  a  dream  to  most  men. 

What  can  be  in  itself  more  plain  and  manifest,  and  easily  to 
be  known  by  us,  if  it  were  not  for  a  strange  blindness,  than  we 
are  to  ourselves,  who  are  always  with,  never  absent  from  our- 
selves;  always  in  our  own  view,  before  our  own  eyes?  Who 
have  opportunity  to  look  into  our  own  hearts,  and  see  all  that 
passes  there.  And  yet  what  is  there  that  men  are  more  ignorant 
of,  than  they  are  of  themselves  ?  There  are  many  vicious  prac- 
tices, the  unlawfulness  of  which  is  very  plain  ;  the  sins  are  gross, 
and  contrary  not  only  to  the  word  of  God,  but  to  the  light  of 
nature :  and  yet  men  will  often  plead,  there  is  no  harm  in  such 
sins  ;  such  as,  many  acts  of  gross  uncleanness ;  and  many  acts  of 
fraud,  injustice  and  deceitfulness ;  and  many  others  that  might  be 
mentioned. 

There  is  no  one  thing  whatsoever  more  plain  and  manifest, 
and  more  demonstrable,  than'  the  being  of  a  God.  It  is  manifest 
in  ourselves,  in  our  own"bodies  and  souls,  and  in  every  thing 
about  us  wherever  we  turn  our  eye,  whether  to  heaven,  or  to  the 
earth,  the  air  or  the  seas.  And  yet  how  prone  is  the  heart  of 
man  to  call  this  into  question  ?  So  inclined  is  the  heart  of  man 
to  blindness  and  delusion,  that  it  is  prone  to  even  atheism  itself. 

3.  The  great  blindness  of  the  heart  of  man  appears,  in  that  so 
little  a  thing  will  deceive  him,  and  confound  his  judgment.  A 
little  self-interest,  or  only  the  bait  of  some  short  gratification  of 
a  sensual  appetite,  or  a  little  stirring  of  passion  will  blind  men's 
eyes  and  make  them  argue  and  judge  most  strangely  and  per- 


20  man's  natural  blindness  in  religion! 

versely,  and  draw  the  most  absurd  conclusion  ;  such,  as  if  they 
were  indifferent,  they  would  see  to  be  most  unreasonable.  The 
devil  finds  easy  work  to  deceive  them  a  thousand  ways  ;  an  ar- 
gument of  the  great  weakness  and  blindness  of  our  minds.  As 
a  little  child,  weak  in  understanding,  is  very  easily  deceived. 

4.  The  woful  blindness  that  possesses  the  hearts  of  men  na- 
turally, appears  in  their  being  all  totally  ignorant  of  that  in  God, 
which  they  had  most  need  to  know  :  viz.  the  glory  and  excellency 
of  his  nature.  Though  our  faculties,  which  we  have  above  the 
Beast,  were  chiefly  given  us,  that  we  might  know  this  ;  and 
though  without  this  knowledge  all  other  will  signify  nothing  to  us ; 
and  our  faculties  are  as  capable  of  it,  as  of  any  other  knowledge 
whatsoever — and  which  is  as  plainly  and  abundantly  manifested 
as  any  thing  whatsoever,  innumerable  ways,  both  in  the  word 
and  works  of  God — yet  all  men  naturally  are  totally  ignorant 
of  this ;  as  ignorant  as  one  born  blind  is  of  colours.  Natural 
men  of  the  greatest  abilities  and  learning,  are  as  ignorant  of  it, 
as  the  weakest  and  the  most  unlearned  ;  yea,  as  ignorant  as 
the  very  stocks  and  stones ;  for  they  see,  and  can  see  nothing  at 
all  of  it. 

5.  It  appears,  in  that  they  are  so  blind  in  those  same  things  in 
religious  matters,  which  they  are  sufficiently  sensible  of  in  other 
matters.  In  temporal  things  they  are  very  sensible  that  it  is  a 
point  of  prudence  to  improve  the  first  opportunity  in  things  of 
great  importance.  But  in  matters  of  religion,  which  are  of  infi- 
nitely the  greatest  importance,  they  have  not  this  discernment. 
In  temporal  matters  they  are  sensible  that  it  is  a  great  folly  long 
to  delay  and  put  off,  when  life  is  in  danger,  and  all  depends  upon 
it.  But  in  the  concerns  of  their  souls,  they  are  insensible  of 
this  truth.  So  in  the  concerns  of  this  world,  they  are  sensible 
it  is  prudence  to  improve  times  of  special  advantage,  and  to  em- 
brace a  good  offer  when  made  them.  They  are  sensible  that 
things  of  long  continuance  are  of  greater  importance,  than  those 
of  short  duration  ;  yet  in  religious  concerns,  none  of  these  things 
are  sensibly  discerned.  In  temporal  things  they  are  sufficiently 
sensible,  that  it  is  a  point  of  prudence  to  lay  up  for  hereafter,  in 
summer  to  lay  up  for  winter,  and  to  lay  up  for  their  families,  after 
they  are  dead ;  but  men  do  not  generally  discern  the  prudence 
of  making  a  proper  provision  for  a  future  state. — In  matters  of 
importance  in  this  world,  they  are  sensible  of  the  wisdom  of 
taking  thorough  care  to  be  on  sure  grounds  ;  but  in  their  soul's 
concerns,  tbey  see  nothing  of  this.  Our  Saviour  observed  this 
to  be  the  case  with  the  Jews  when  he  was  upon  earth.  "Ye 
hypocrites,  ye  can  discern  the  face  of  the  sky,  and  of  the  earth : 
but  how  is  it  that  ye  do  not  discern  this  time  ?"* 

6.  The  desperate  blindness  that  naturally  possesses  the  hearts 

T  ukp.  xii.  56. 


MAN'S   NATURAL  BLINDNESS   IN   RELIGION.  21 

of  men  under  the  gospel,  appears  in  their  remaining  so  stupidly 
insensible  and  deceived,  under  so  great  means  of  instruction  and 
conviction.  If  they  were  brought  up  under  heathenish  darkness 
it  would  not  be  so  full  a  demonstration  of  it :  but  thus  they  re- 
main, though  under  the  clearest  light,  under  the  glorious  light  of 
the  gospel,  where  they  enjoy  God's  own  instructions  in  his  word, 
in  a  great  fulness  and  plainness,  and  have  the  evidence  and  truth 
of  things  set  before  them  from  time  to  time  in  the  plainest  man- 
ner. They  have  the  arguments  of  God's  being  and  perfection ; 
and  of  another  world.  They  are  told  how  eternal  things  are  of 
greater  importance  than  temporal ;  and  of  what  importance  it  is 
to  escape  eternal  misery.  How  much  it  is  worth  while  to  take 
pains  for  heavenly  glory  ;  and  how  vain  their  own  righteousness 
is  :  but  yet  to  what  little  purpose  ? 

And  they  have  not  only  great  means  of  instruction  in  God's 
word,  but  also  in  providence.  They  have  the  evidence  of  the 
shortness  and  uncertainty  of  life.  "  He  seeth  that  wise  men  die, 
likewise  the  fool  and  the  brutish  person  perish,  and  leave  their 
wealth  to  others."  Yet  "their  inward  thought  is,  that  their 
houses  shall  continue  for  ever,  and  their  dwelling  places  to  all 
generations  :  they  call  their  lands  after  their  own  names.  Never- 
theless man  being  in  honour,  abideth  not :  he  is  like  the  beasts 
that  perish.  This  their  way  is  their  folly  :  yet  their  posterity 
approve  their  sayings."  They  find  the  world  is  vain  and  unsatis- 
factory ;  they  find  the  great  instability  andtreachery  of  their  own 
hearts  ;  and  how  their  own  good  intentions  and  resolutions  are  not 
to  be  depended  on.  They  often  find  by  experience,  that  their  at- 
tempts to  make  them  better,  fail ;  but  alas !  with  what  small  effect. 

Such  abundant  evidence  is  there,  both  in  what  appears  in  the 
open  prof ession  of  men  ;  and  also  by  what  is  found  in  their  inward 
experience,  and  is  evident  in  their  practice,  of  the  extreme  and 
brutish  ignorance  and  blindness,  which  naturally  possess  their 
hearts. 

Section    IVt 

Practical  Inferences  and  Application  of  the  Subject. 

Having  shown  how  the  truth  of  the  doctrine  is  evident,  both 
by  what  appears  in  men's  open  profession,  and  by  those  things 
which  arefound  by  inward  experience,  and  are  manifest  by  what 
is  visible  in  men's  practice ;  I  proceed  to  improve  the  subject. 

I.  By  this  we  may  see  how  manifest  are  the  ruins  of  the  fall 
of  man.  It  is  observable  in  all  the  kinds  .of  God's  creatures  that 
we  behold,  that  they  have  those  properties  and  qualities,  which 
are  every  way  proportioned  to  their  end  ;  so  that  they  need  no 
more,  they  stand  in  need  of  no  greater  degree  of  perfection,  in 
order  well  to  answer  the  special  use  for  which  they  seem  to  be 


«KS  MAN'S  NATURAL  BLINDNESS  IN  RELIGION. 

designed.  The  brute  creatnres,  birds,  beasts,  fishes,  and  insects, 
though  there  be  innumerable  kinds  of  them,  yet  all  seem  to  have 
such  a  degree  of  perception  and  perfection  given  them,  as  best 
suits  their  place  in  the  creation,  their  manner  of  living,  and  the 
ends  for  which  they  were  made.  There  is  no  defect  visible  in 
them  ;  they  are  perfect  in  their  kind ;  there  seems  to  be  nothing 
wanting,  in  order  to  their  filling  up  their  allotted  place  in  the 
world.  And  there  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt  but  that  it  was 
so  at  first  with  mankind.  It  is  not  reasonable  to  suppose,  that 
God  would  make  many  thousands  of  kinds  of  creatures  in  this 
lower  world,  and  one  kind  the  highest  of  them  all,  to  be  the  head  of 
the  rest ;  and  that  all  the  rest  should  be  complete  in  their  kinds, 
every  way  endowed  with  such  qualifications  as  are  proportioned 
to  their  use  and  end :  and  only  this  most  noble  creature  of  all, 
left  exceeding  imperfect,  notoriously  destitute  of  what  he  princi- 
pally stands  in  need  of  to  answer  the  end  of  his  being.  The 
principal  faculty  by  which  God  has  distinguished  this  noble 
creature  from  the  rest,  is  his  understanding;  but  would  God  so 
distinguish  man  in  his  creation  from  other  creatures,  and  then 
seal  up  that  understanding  with  such  an  extreme  blindness,  as  to 
render  it  useless,  as  to  the  principal  ends  of  it ;  and  wholly  to 
disenable  him  from  answering  the  ends  of  an  intelligent  creature, 
and  to  make  his  understanding  rather  a  misery  than  a  blessing  to 
him;  and  rendering  him  much  more  mischievous  than  useful? 
Therefore,  if  the  scripture  had  not  told  us  so,  yet  we  might  safely 
conclude,  that  mankind  are  not  now,  as  they  were  made  at  first ; 
but  that  they  are  in  a  fallen  state  and  condition. 

II.  From  what  has  been  said,  plainly  appears  the  necessity  of 
divine  revelation.  The  deists  deny  the  scripture  to  be  the 
word  of  God,  and  hold  that  there  is  no  revealed  religion,  that 
God  has  given  mankind  no  other  rule  but  his  own  reason  ; 
which  is  sufficient,  without  any  word  or  revelation  from  heaven 
to  give  man  a  right  understanding  of  divine  things,  and  of 
his  duty.  But  how  is  it  proved  in  fact?  How  much  trial  has 
there  been,  whether  man's  reason,  without  a  revelation,  would  be 
sufficient  or  not :  the  whole  world,  excepting  one  nation,  had. 
the  trial  till  the  coming  of  Christ.  And.  was  not  this  long  enough 
for  trial,  whether  man's  reason  alone  was  sufficient  to  instruct 
him  ?  Those  nations,  who  all  that  time  lay  in  such  gross  dark- 
ness, and  in  such  a  deplorable  helpless  condition,  had  the  same 
natural  reason  that  the'deists  have.  And  during  this  time,  there 
was  not  only  one  man,  or  a  succession  of  single  persons  that  had 
the  trial,  whether  their  own  reason  would  be  sufficient  to  lead 
them  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  ;  but  all  nations,  who  all  had 
the  same  human  faculties  that  we  have.  If  human  reason  is 
really  sufficient,  and  there  be  no  need  of  any  thing  else,  why  has 
it  never  proved  so  ?  Why  has  it  never  happened,  that  so  much 
as  one  nation*  or  one  citv  or  town,  or  one  assemblv  of  men.  have 


man's  natural  blindness  in  religion.  23 

been  brought  to  tolerable  notions  of  divine  things,  unless  it  be 
by  the  revelation  contained  in  the  scriptures  ?  If  it  were  only 
one  nation  that  had  remained  in  such  darkness,  the  trial  might 
not  be  thought  so  great ;  because  one  particular  people  might 
be  under  some  disadvantages,  which  were  peculiar.  But  thus  it 
has  been  with  all  nations,  except  those  which  have  been  favour- 
ed with  the  scriptures,  and  in  all  ages.  Where  is  any  people 
who  to  this  day  have  ever  delivered  themselves  by  their  own 
reason,  or  have  been  delivered  without  light  fetched  from  the 
scriptures,  or  by  means  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  ? 

If  human  reason  is  sufficient  without  the  scripture,  is  it  not 
strange  that,  in  these  latter  ages — since  navigation  has  been  so 
improved,  and  America  and  many  other  parts  of  the  world  have 
been  discovered,  which  were  before  unknown — no  one  nation  has 
any  where  been  found  already  enlightened,  and  possessed  of  true 
notions  about  the  Divine  Being  and  his  perfections,  by  virtue  of 
that  human  reason  they  have  been  possessed  of  so  many  thou- 
sand years  ?  The  many  poor,  barbarous  nations  here,  in  Ame- 
rica, had  the  faculty  of  reason  to  do  what  they  pleased  with, 
before  the  Europeans  came  hither,  and  brought  over  the  light  of 
the  gospel.  If  human  reason  alone  was  sufficient,  it  is  strange, 
that  no  one  people  were  found,  in  any  corner  of  the  land,  who 
were  helped  by  it,  in  the  chief  concern  of  man. 

There  has  been  a  great  trial,  as  to  what  men's  reason  can  do 
without  divine  help,  in  those  endless  disputes  that  have  been 
maintained.  If  human  reason  alone  could  help  mankind,  it 
might  be  expected  that  these  disputes  would  have  helped  them, 
and  have  put  an  end  to  men's  darkness.  The  heathen  philoso- 
phers had  many  hundreds  of  years  to  try  their  skill  in  this  way  : 
but  all  without  effect.  That  divine  revelation,  which  the  church 
of  God  has  been  possessed  of,  has  been  in  the  world  "  as  a  light 
shining  in  a  dark  place."*  It  is  the  only  remedy  which  God  has 
provided  for  the  miserable*  brutish  blindness  of  mankind,  a  re- 
medy without  which  this  fallen  world  would  have  sunk  down 
for  ever  in  brutal  barbarism  without  any  remedy.  It  is  the  only 
means  that  the  true  God  has  made  successful  in  his  Providence, 
to  give  the  nations  of  the  world  the  knowledge  of  himself;  and 
to  bring  them  off  from  the  worship  of  false  gods. 

If  human  reason  be  the  only  proper  means,  the  means,  that 
God  has  designed  for  enlightening  mankind,  is  it  not  very  strange, 
that  it  has  not  been  sufficient,  nor  has  answered  this  end  in  any 
one  instance.  All  the  right  speculative  knowledge  of  the  true 
God,  which  the  deists  themselves  have,  has  been  derived  from 
divine  revelation.  How  vain  is  it  to  dispute  against  fact,  and 
the  experience  of  so  many  thousand  years  ?  And  to  pretend 
that  human  reason  is  sufficient  without  divine  revelation,  when 

*  2  Peter  i,  IP, 


24  MAN'S  NATURAL  BLINDNESS  IN  REL1U10A. 

so  many  thousand  years  experience,  among  so  many  hundreds 
of  nations,  of  different  tempers,  circumstances  and  interests,  has 
proved  the  contrary  ?  One  would  think  all  should  acknowledge 
that  so  long  a  time  is  sufficient  for  a  trial ;  especially  consider- 
ing the  miseries  that  the  poor  nations  of  the  world  have  been 
under  all  this  while,  for  want  of  light:  the  innumerable  temporal 
calamities  and  miseries — such  as  sacrificing  children,  and  many 
other  cruelties  to  others,  and  even  to  themselves — besides  that 
eternal  perdition,  which  we  may  reasonably  suppose  to  be  the 
consequence  of  such  darkness. 

III.  This  doctrine  should  make  us  sensible,  how  great  a  mercy 
it  is  to  mankind,  that  God  has  sent  his  own  Son  into  the  world, 
to  be  the  light  of  the  world. — The  subject  shows  what  great  need 
we  stand  in  of  some  teacher  to  be  sent  from  God.  And  even 
some  of  the  wiser  men  among  the  heathen  saw  the  need  of  this. 
They  saw  that  they  disputed  and  jangled  among  themselves 
without  coming  to  a  satisfying  discovery  of  the  truth  ;  and  hence 
they  saw,  and  spoke  of  the  need  there  was  of  a  teacher  sent 
from  heaven.  And  it  is  a  wonderful  instance  of  divine  mercy 
that  God  has  so  beheld  us  in  our  low  estate,  as  to  provide  such 
a  glorious  remedy.  He  has  not  merely  sent  some  created  angel 
to  instruct  us,  but  his  own  Son,  who  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  same  nature  and  essence  with  him  ;  and  therefore 
infinitely  better  acquainted  with  him,  and  more  sufficient  to 
teach  a  blind  world.  He  has  sent  him  to  be  the  light  of  the 
world,  as  he  says  of  himself,  "  I  am  come  a  light  into  the 
world."*  When  he  came,  he  brought  glorious  light.  It  was 
like  the  day-spring  from  on  high,  visiting  a  dark  world,  as  Za- 
charias  observes. t  After  Christ  came,  then  the  glorious  gospel 
began  to  spread  abroad,  delivering  those  "  that  had  sitten  in 
darkness,  and  in  the  region  of  the  shadow  of  death." 

What  reason  have  we  to  rejoice,  and  praise  God,  that  he  has 
made  such  excellent  provision  for  us ;  and  has  set  so  glorious  a 
sun  in  our  firmament,  such  a  "Sun  of  righteousness,"  after  we 
had  extinguished  the  light  j^hich  at  first  enlightened  us ;  and  had, 
as  it  were,  brought  the  world  into  that  state,  in  which  it  was 
when  "without  form,  and  void,"  and  darkness  was  on  the  face  of 
it  J. — The  glory  of  that  light  which  God  has  sent  into  the  world, 
is  fully  answerable  to  the  grossness  of  that  darkness  which  filled 
it.  For  Christ  who  came  to  enlighten  us,  is  truth  and  light  itself 
and  the  fountain  of  all  light.  "He  is  the  light,  and  in  him  is  no 
darkness  at  all."§ 

IV.  Hence  we  may  learn,  what  must  be  the  thing  which  will 
bring  to  pass  those  glorious  days  of  light,  which  are  spoken  of  in 
God's  word. — Though  mankind  be  fallen  into  suchdarkness,and 

John  xii.  46.  t  Luke  i.  77,  78,  79.  $  See  Jer.  iv.  Kj  2? 

ft  1  John  i.  5. 


man's  natural  blindness  in  religion.  2o 

the  world  be  mostly  in  the  kingdom  of  darkness ;  yet  the  scrip- 
ture often  speaks  of  a  glorious  day,  wherein  light  shall  fill  the 
earth.  "For  behold  the  darkness  shall  cover  the  earth,  and 
gross  darkness  the  people  ;  but  the  Lord  shall  arise  upon  thee, 
and  his  glory  shall  be  seen  upon  thee.  And  the  Gentiles  shall 
come  to  thy  light,  and  kings  to  the  brightness  of  thy  rising."* 
"And  he  will  destroy  in  this  mountain,  the  face  of  the  covering 
cast  overall  people,  and  the  veil  that  is  spread  over  all  nations."! 
"The  knowledge  of  God  shall  fill  the  earth,  as  the  waters  cover 
the  sea. "| 

By  what  we  have  heard,  we  may  on  good  grounds  conclude, 
that  whenever  this  is  accomplished,  it  will  not  be  effected  by  human 
learning,  or  by  the  skill  or  wisdom  of  great  men.  What  has  been 
before  observed  of  this  learned  age,  is  a  presumptive  evidence  of 
it;  wherein  spiritual  darkness  increases  with  the  increase  of 
learning.  God  will  again  make  foolish  the  wisdom  of  this  world  ; 
and  will,  as  it  were,  say  in  his  providence,  "  Where  is  the  wise  ! 
where  is  the  scribe  !  where  is  the  disputer  of  this  world !" 

When  this  shall  be  accomplished,  it  will  be  by  a  remarkable 
pouring  out  of  Goofs  own  Spirit,  with  the  plain  preaching  of  the 
gospel  of  his  Son;  the  preaching  of  the  spiritual,  mysterious  doc- 
trines of  Christ  crucified,  which  to  the  learned  men  of  this  world 
are  foolishness  ;  those  doctrines,  which  are  the  stumbling  block  of 
this  learned  age.  "Not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my 
Spirit,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts."  It  will  not  be  by  the  enticing 
words  of  man's  wisdom  ;  but  by  the  demonstration  of  the  Spirit, 
and  of  power.  Not  by  the  wisdom  of  this  world,  nor  by  the 
princes  of  this  world,  that  come  to  nought  :  but  by  the  gospel, 
that  contains  the  wisdom  of  God  in  a  mystery,  even  the  hidden 
wisdom,  which  none  of  the  princes  of  this  world,  who  have  no- 
thing to  enlighten  them  but  their  own  learning,  know  any- 
thing of. 

The  Spirit  of  God,  who  searches  all  things,  even  the  deep  things 
of  God,  must  reveal  it.  For  let  natural  men  be  never  so  worldly 
wise  and  learned,  they  receive  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit :  they 
are  foolishness  to  them  ;  nor  can  ^iey  know  them,  because  they 
are  spiritually  discerned.  ^This  great  effect,  when  it  is  accom- 
plished, will  be  a  glorious  effect  indeed  :  and  it  will  be  accom- 
plished in  such  a  manner,  as  most  remarkably  to  show  it  to  be  the 
work  of  God,  and  his  only.  It  will  be  a  more  glorious  work  of 
God  than  that  which  we  read  of  in  the  beginning  of  Genesis. 
And  the  earth  was  without  form  and  void,  and  darkness  zvas  upon 
the  face  of  the  deep.  And  the  Spirit  of  God  moved  upon  the  face 
of  the  waters  :  and  God  said,  Let  there  be  light,  and  there  was 
light.\\ 

*  Isai.  lx.  2,  3.         t  Isai.  xxv.  7.  %  Isai.  xi.  9.        ||  Gen.  i.  2,  % 

Vol.  VIII.  4 


20  MAN'S  NATURAL  BLINDNESS  IN  RELIGION, 

V.  Hence  we  may  learn  the  misery  of  all  such  persons,  as  me 
under  the  power  of  that  darkness  which  naturally  possesses  their 
hearts.     There  are  two  degrees  of  this  misery. 

1 .  That  of  which  all  who  are  in  a  natural  condition  are  the  sub- 
jects. The  doctrine  shows,  that  all  such  as  are  in  a  natural  con- 
dition, are  in  a  miserable  condition  :  for  they  are  in  an  extremely 
dark  and  blind  condition.  It  is  uncomfortable  living  in  darkness. 
What  a  sorrowful  state  would  we  all  be  in,  if  the  sun  should  no 
more  rise  upon  us,  and  the  moon  were  to  withdraw  her  shining, 
and  the  stars  to  be  put  out,  and  we  were  to  spend  the  rest  of  our 
time  in  darkness  ?  The  world  would  soon  perish,  in  such  dark- 
ness. It  was  a  great  plague  in  Egypt,  when  they  had  a  total 
darkness  for  three  days.  They  who  are  deprived  of  sight  are 
deprived  of  the  most  noble  of  the  senses  ;  they  have  no  benefit 
of  external  light,  one  of  the  most  excellent  and  needful  of  all  the 
things  which  God  has  made  in  the  visible  creation.  But  they 
who  are  without  spiritual  sight  and  light,  are  destitude  of  that 
which  is  far  more  excellent  and  necessary* 

That  natural  men  are  not  sensible  of  their  blindness,  and  the 
misery  they  are  under  by  reason  of  it,  is  no  argument  that  they 
are  not  miserable.  For  it  is  very  much  the  nature  of  this  cala- 
mity to  be  hid  from  itself,  or  from  those  who  are  under  it. 
Fools  are  not  sensible  of  their  folly.  Solomon  says,  "  The  fool 
is  wiser  in  his  own  conceit,  than  seven  men  that  can  render  a 
reason."*  The  most  barbarous  and  brutish  heathens  are  not 
sensible  of  their  own  darkness  ;  are  not  sensible  but  that  they 
enjoy  as  great  light,  and  have  as  good  understanding  of  things, 
as  the  most  enlightened  nations  in  the  world. 

2.  Another  degree  of  this  misery,  is  of  those  who  are  judi- 
cially given  up  of  God,  to  the  blindness  of  their  own  minds. 
The  scripture  teaches  us  that  there  are  some  such.  What  then  : 
Israel  hath  not  obtained  that  which  he  seekethfor,  but  the  election 
hath  obtained  it,  ayid  the  rest  were  blinded.t  But  their  minds 
were  blinded,  for  until  this  day  remaineth  the  same  veil  untaken 
azoay.\  And  he  said,  go  and  tell  this  people,  hear  ye  indeed,  but 
understand  not  ;  and  see  ye  indeed,  but  perceive  not.  Make  the 
heart  of  this  people  fat,  and  their  ears  heavy,  and  shut  their  eyes  : 
lest  they  see  with  their  eyes,  and  hear  zoith  their  ears,  and  under- 
stand with  their  hearts,  and  convert  and  be  healed.^  This  judg- 
ment, when  inflicted,  is  commonly  for  the  contempt  and  abuse 
of  light  which  has  been  offered,  for  the  commission  of  presump- 
tuous sins,  and  for  being  obstinate  in  sin,  and  resisting  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  many  gracious  calls  and  counsels,  warnings  and 
reproofs. 

Who  the  particular  persons  are,  that  are  thus  judicially  given 
up  of  God  to  the  blindness  of  their  minds,  is  not  known  to  men, 

*  Vrw.  xxvi.  16.  Rom.  xi.  7.        t  2  Cor.  iii.  14.         §  Isai.  vi.  6.  ICh 


MAN'S  NATURAL  BLINDNESS  IN   RELIGION.  '27 

But  we  have  no  reason  to  suppose  that  there  are  not  multitudes 
of  them  ;  and  most  in  places  of  the  greatest  light.  There  is  no 
manner  of  reason  to  suppose,  that  this  judgment,  which  is 
spoken  of  in  scripture,  is  in  a  great  measure  peculiar  to  those  old 
times.  As  there  were  many  who  fell  under  it  in  the  times  of 
the  prophets  of  old,  and  o{  Christ  and  his  apostles  ;  so  doubt- 
less there  are  now  also.  And  though  the  persons  are  not  known, 
yet  doubtless  there  may  be  more  reason  to  fear  it  concerning 
some  than  others.  All  who  are  under  the  power  of  the  blind- 
ness of  their  own  minds,  are  miserable  ;  but  such  as  are  given  up 
to  this  blindness,  are  especially  miserable  ;  for  they  are  reservedf 
and  sealed  over  to  the  blackness  of  darkness  for  ever. 


Section  V. 

Address  to  Sinners. 

The  consideration  of  what  has  been  said  of  the  desperate  blind- 
ness which  possesses  the  hearts  of  us  all  naturally,  may  well  be 
terrifying  to  such  as  are  yet  in  a  Christless  condition,  in  this  place 
of  light ;  where  the  gospel  has  been  so  long  enjoyed,  and  where 
<jrod  has  in  times  past  so  wonderfully  poured  out  his  Spirit. 

And  let  such  persons,  for  their  awakening,  consider  the  follow- 
ing things. 

£  1.  That  they  are  blinded  by  the  god  of  this  world.  Their 
blindness  is  from  hell.  This  darkness  which  natural  men  are 
under,  is  from  the  prince  of  darkness.  This  the  apostle  says 
expressly  of  those  who  remain  in  unbelief  and  blindness  under 
the  gospel.  Brit  if  our  gospel  be  hid,  it  is  hid  from  them  that 
are  lost  /  in  whom  the  God  of  this  world  hath  blinded  the  minds 
of  them  that  believe  not.*  They  belong  to  the  kingdom  of  dark- 
ness. In  that  darkness  which  reigns  in  their  souls,  the  devil  reigns, 
and  he  holds  his  dominion  there. 

2.  Consider  how  God  in  his  word  manifests  his  abhorence  and 
wrath  towards  those  who  remain  so  sottishly  blind  and  ignorant,  in 
the  midst  of  light.  How  doth  God  speak  of  them  !  Have  all 
the  zoorkers  of  iniquity  no  knowledge?]  Forty,  years  long  was  I 
grieved  with  this  generation,  and  said,  it  is  a  people  that  do  err  in 
their  heart,  and  they  have  not  known  my  ways.  Unto  whom  I 
sware  in  my  wrath,  that  they  should  not  enter  into  my  rest.%  The 
ox  knoweth  his  owner,  and  the  ass  his  masters  crib :  but  Israel 
doth  not  know,  my  people  doth  not  consider.  Ah  sinful  nation  ! 
— they  have  provoked  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  unto  anger.  §  It  is 
a  people  of  no  understanding  ;  therefore  he  that  made  them  will 

*  2  Cor.  iv.  3,  4.      t  Psal.  xiv,  4.    $  Psal.  xiv.  10, 1 1 .      5  Isai.  i.  3,  4, 


28  man's  natural  blindness  in  religion. 

not  have  mercy  on  them,  and  he  that  formed  them  will  show  the/u 
no  favour.*  My  people  is  foolish,  they  have  not  knownme,they 
are  sottish  children,  and  they  have  no  understanding  :  they  are 
wise  to  do  evil,  but  to  do  good  they  have  no  knowledge.}  Declare 
this  in  the  house  oj  Jacob,  and  publish  it  in  the  house  of  Judah, 
saying,  hear  now  this,  O  foolish  people,  and  without  understanding, 
which  have  eyes  and  see  not,  which  have  ears  and  hear  not.  Fear 
ye  not   me,  saith  the  Lord  ;  will  ye  not  tremble  at  my  prcsence?% 

3.  Consider  how  much  wilfulness  there  is  in  your  ignorance. 
Sinners  are  ready  wholly  to  excuse  themselves  in  their  blindness ; 
whereas,  as  observed  already,  the  blindness  that  naturally  posses- 
ses the  hearts  of  men,  is  not  a  merely  negative  thing;  but  they 
are  blinded  by  the  deceitfulness  of  sin.§  There  is  a  perverseness 
in  their  blindness.  There  is  not  a  mere  absence  of  light,  but  a 
malignant  opposition  to  the  light ;  as  God  says,  they  know  not, 
neither  will  they  understand,  they  walk  on  in  darkness.\\  Christ 
observes,  that  every  one  that  doeth  evil,  hateth  the  light,  neither 
cometh  to  the  light.  And  that  this  is  their  condemnation  that 
light  is  come  into  the  world,  yet  men  loved  darkness  rather  than 
light.%  And  1  may  appeal  to  your  own  consciences,  whether 
you  have  not  wilfully  rejected  the  many  instructions  you  have 
had  :  and  refused  to  hearken  ?  Whether  you  have  not  neglected 
your  bible  ?  Whether  you  have  not  been  a  very  negligent  hearer 
of  the  word  preached,  and  neglected  other  proper  means  of 
knowledge?  Whether  you  have  not  neglected  to  cry  to  God  for 
that  wisdom  which  you  need  ?  Yea,  have  you  not  resisted  the 
means  of  knowledge  1  Have  you  not  resisted  and  quenched  the 
motions  of  the  spirit,  which  at  times  you  have  had  ?  And  taken 
a  course  to  make  yourself  more  and  more  stupid,  by  stifling  the 
convictions  of  your  own  conscience,  and  doing  contrary  to  the 
light  thereof;  whereby  you  have  done  those  things  that  have 
tended  to  sear  your  conscience,  and  make  yourself  more  and 
more  senseless  and  sottish  1 

4.  Consider  what  is  the  course  that  God  will  take  to  teach 
those  who  will  not  be  taught  by  the  instructions  of  his  word. 
He  will  teach  them  by  briers  and  thorns,  and  by  the  flames  of 
hell.  Though  natural  men  will  remain  to  all  eternity  ignorant 
of  the  excellency  and  loveliness  of  God's  nature,  and  so  will  have 
no  spiritual  knowledge ;  yet  God  in  another  world  will 
make  them  thoroughly  to  understand  many  things,  which  sense- 
less unawakened  sinners  are  sottishly  ignorant  of  in  this  world. 
Their  eyes  in  many  respects  shall  be  thoroughly  opened  in  hell. 
Their  judgments  will  be  rectified.  They  shall  be  of  the  same 
judgment  with  the  godly.  They  shall  be  convinced  of  the  reality 
»f  those  things  which  they  would  not  be  convinced  of  here;  as 

» Isai,  xxvii,  10.      t  Jer.  iv.  22.      %  Jer.  v.  20,  21,  22.      $  Heb.  iii.  If?. 
||  Psal.  Ixxii,  5.     IT  John  iii.  19.  20. 


MAN'S  NATURAL  BLINDNESS  IX  RELIGION. 


29 


the  being  of  God ;  his  power,  holiness,  and  justice ;  that  the 
scriptures  are  the  word  of  God;  that  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God  ; 
and  that  time  is  short  and  uncertain.  They  will  be  convinced  of 
the  vanity  of  the  world  ;  of  the  blessed  opportunity  they  had  in 
the  world  ;  and  how  much  it  is  men's  wissdom  to  improve  their 
time.  We  read  of  the  rich  man,  who  was  so  sottishly  blind  in 
this  world,  that  in  hell  he  lift  up  his  eyes,  and  saw  Abraham  afar 
off, and  Lazarus  in  his  bosom.*  With  many  men,  alas!  the  first 
time  they  open  their  eyes  is  in  hell. 

God  will  make  all  men  to  know  the  truth  of  those  great  things 
which  he  speaks  of  in  his  word,  one  way  or  another  ;-for  he  will 
vindicate  his  own  truth.  He  has  undertaken  to  convince  all 
men.  They  who  will  not  be  convinced  in  this  world,  by  the 
gentle  and  gracious  methods  which  God  uses  with  them  now, 
shall  be  convinced  hereafter  by  severe  means.  If  they  will  not 
be  convinced  for  salvation  they  shall  be  convinced  by  damnation. 
God  will  make  them  know  that  he  is  the  Lord.  And  he  will 
make  them  know  that  he  bears  rule.  Consume  them  in  wrath, 
that  they  may  not  be  ;  and  let  them  know  that  God  ruleth  in  Ja- 
cob, unto  the  ends  of  the  earth.]  Let  them  be  confounded  and 
troubled  for  ever:  yea,  let  them  be  put  to  shame  and  perish. 
That  men  may  know  that  thou,  whose  name  is  Jehovah,  art  the  most 
high  over  all  the  earth.  I 

What  great  care  we  had  need  all  have,  that  we  be  not  deceived 
in  matters  of  religion.  If  our  hearts  are  all  naturally  possessed 
with  such  an  extreme  brutish  ignorance  and  blindness  in  things  of 
religion,  and  we  are  exceedingly  prone  to  delusion  :  then  surely 
great  care  ought  to  be  taken  to  avoid  it.  For  that  we  are  natu- 
rally prone  to  delusion,  shows  our  danger :  but  the  greater  our 
danger  of  any  calamity  is,  the  greater  had  our  watchfulness 
need  to  be. — Let  us  therefore  be  hence  warned  to  take  heed 
that  we  be  not  deceived  about  our  duty  ;  about  our  own  hearts ; 
about  our  ways  ;  about  our  state  ;  and  about  our  opportunities. 
Thousands  are  deceived  in  these  things,  and  thousands  perish 
by  that  means.  Multitudes  fall  on  our  right  hand  and  on  our 
left,  and  are  ruined  eternally  by  their  delusion  in  these  things. 

How  foolish  a  thing  it  is  for  men  to  lean  to  their  own  under- 
standing, and  trust  their  own  hearts.  If  we  are  so  blind,  then 
our  own  wisdom  is  not  to  be  depended  on  ;  and  that  advice  of 
the  wise  man  is  most  reasonable;  trust  in  the  Lord  with  all  thine 
heart,  and  lean  not  to  thine  own  understanding. §  And  he  that 
trusteth  in  his  own  heart,  is  a  fool. || — They  therefore  are  fools, 
who  trust  to  their  own  wisdom,  and  will  question  the  mysterious 
doctrines  of  religion  ;  because  they  cannot  see  through  them, 
and  will  not  trust  to  the  infinite  wisdom  of  God. 

*  Luke  xvi.  23.     +  Psalm  lix.  13.     %  Psalm  lxxxiii.  17,  18.    &  Prov.  iii.  5. 
||  Prov.  xxviii.  26, 


'3.0  MAN'S  NATURAL   BLINDNESS  IN  RELIGION 

Let  us  therefore  become  fools  5  be  sensible  of  our  own  na- 
tural blindness  and  folly.  There  is  a  treasure  of  wisdom  con- 
tained in  that  one  sentence  ;  If  any  man  among  yon  seemeth  to 
be  wise  in  this  world,  let  him  become  a  fool,  that  he  may  be  wise* 
Seeing  our  own  ignorance  and  blindness,  is  the  first  step  towards 
having  true  knowledge.  If  any  man  think  that  he  know eth  any 
thing,   he  knoweth  nothing  yet  as  he  ought  to  know.} 

Let  us  ask  wisdom  of  God.  If  we  are  so  blind  in  ourselves,  then 
knowledge  is  not  to  be  sought  for  out  of  our  own  stock,  but  must 
be  sought  from  some  other  source.  And  we  have  no  where  else 
to  go  for  it,  but  to  the  fountain  of  light  and  wisdom.  True  wis- 
dom is  a  precious  jewel ;  and  none  of  our  fellow  creatures  can 
give  it  us,  nor  can  we  buy  it  with  any  price  we  have  to  give.  It 
is  the  sovereign  gift  of  God.  The  way  to  obtain  it,  is  to  go  to 
him,  sensible  of  our  weakness  and  blindness,  and  misery  on  that 
account.     If  any  man  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God. I 

*  t  Cor.  iij,  18.  1 1  Cor.  viii.  2.  t  Jas.i.  5. 


SMRMOtf  II* 


MEN 
NATURALLY  GOD'S  ENEMIES- 


Romans  v.  10. 

For  if  when  iue  were  enemies,  we  were  reconciled  to  God  by  the 
death  of  his  Son. 

The  apostle,  from  the  beginning  of  the  epistle,  to  the  beginning 
of  this  chapter,  had  insisted  on  the  doctrine  of  justification  by 
faith  alone.  In  this  chapter  he  goes  on  to  consider  the  benefits 
that  are  consequent  on  justification,  viz.  Peace  with  God,  pre- 
sent happiness,  and  hope  of  glory.  Peace  with  God  is  men- 
tioned in  the  first  verse  ;  Therefore  being  justified  by  faith,  we 
have  peace  with  God,  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  In  the 
following  verses  he  speaks  of  present  blessedness,  and  hope  of 
glory.  By  whom  also  we  have  access  by  faith  unto  this  grace, 
wherein  we  stand,  and  rejoice  in  hope  of  the  glory  of  God, 
— And  concerning  this  benefit,  the  hope  of  glory,  the  apostle 
particularly  takes  notice  of  two  things,  viz.  the  blessed  nature 
of  this  hope,  and  the  sure  ground  of  it. 

1.  He  insists  on  the  blessed  nature  of  this  hope,  in  that  it 
enables  us  to  glory  in  tribulations.  This  excellent  nature  of 
true  Christian  hope  is  described  in  the  following  words,  (ver. 
3 — 5.)  And  not  only  so,  but  we  glory  in  tribulations  also,  knowing 
that  tribulation  worketh  patience  ;  and  patience  experience,  and 
experience  hope  ;  and  hope  maketh  not  ashamed,  because  the  love 
of  God  is  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  is 
given  unto  us.  As  if  he  had  said,  Through  hope  of  a  blessed 
reward,  that  will  abundantly  more  than  make  up  for  all  tribida- 
tion,  we  are  enabled  to  bear  tribulation  with  patience  ;  patiently 
bearing,  and  patiently  waiting  for  the  reward.     And  patience 


32 


MEN    NATURALLY    GOD  S    ENEAUiiS. 


works  experience;  (or  when  we  thus  bear  tribulation  with  patient 
waiting  for  the  reward,  this  brings  experience  of  the  earnest  of 
the  reward,  viz.  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit,  in  our  feeling  the  love 
of  God  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  So  that 
our  hope  does  not  make  us  ashamed :  it  is  not  disappointed  ;  for 
in  the  midst  of  our  tribulation,  we  experience  those  blessed 
incomes  of  the  Spirit  in  our  souls,  that  make  even  a  time  of  tribu- 
lation sweet  to  us ;  and  is  such  an  earnest  as  abundantly  con- 
firms our  hope;  and  so  experience  works  hope. 

2.  The  apostle  takes  notice  of  the  sure  ground  there  is  for 
this  hope  ;  or  the  abundant  evidence  we  have,  that  we  shall 
obtain  the  glory  hoped  for,  in  that  peace  we  have  with  God,  by 
our  justification  through  Christ's  blood.  For  while  we  were 
without  strength,  in  due  time  Christ  died  for  us  ;  even  while  we 
were  ungodly  and  sinners,  enemies  to  God  and  Christ.  (See 
ver.  6 — 10.)  The  apostle's  argument  is  exceeding  clear  and 
strong.  If  God  has  done  already  so  great  a  thing  for  us,  as  to 
give  us  Christ  to  die  and  shed  his  precious  blood  for  us, 
which  was  vastly  the  greatest  thing,  we  need  not  doubt  but  that 
he  will  bestow  life  upon  us.  It  is  but  a  small  thing  for  God  ac- 
tually to  bestow  eternal  life,  after  it  is  purchased ;  to  what  it  is 
for  him  to  give  his  own  Son  to  die,  in  order  to  purchase  it. 
The  giving  Christ  to  purchase  it,  was  virtually  all:  it  included 
the  whole  grace  of  God  in  salvation.  When  Christ  had  pur- 
chased salvation  at  such  a  dear  rate,  all  the  difficulty  was  got 
through,  all  was  virtually  over  and  done.  It  is  a  small  thing,  in 
comparison,  for  God  to  bestow  salvation,  after  it  has  been  thus' 
purchased  at  a  full  price.  Sinners  who  are  justified  by  the  death 
of  Christ,  are  already  virtually  saved;  the  thing  is,  as  it  were, 
done  :  what  remains,  is  no  more  than  the  necessary  consequence 
of  what  is  done.  Christ  when  he  died  made  an  end  of  sin  ;  and 
when  he  rose  from  the  dead,  he  did  virtually  rise  with  the  elect, 
he  brought  them  up  from  death  with  him,  and  ascended  into 
heaven  with  them.  And  therefore,  when  this  is  already  done, 
and  we  are  thus  reconciled  te  God  through  the  death  of  his  Son, 
we  need  not  fear  but  that  we  shall  be  saved  by  his  life.  The 
love  of  God  appears  much  more  in  his  giving  his  Son  to  die  for 
sinners,  than  in  giving  eternal  life  after  Christ's  death.. 

The  giving  of  Christ  to  die  for  us  is  here  spoken  of  as  a  much 
greater  thing,  than  the  actual  bestowment  of  life ;  because  this  is 
fill  that  has  any  difficulty  in  it.— When  God  did  this  for  us,  he 
did  it  for  us,  as  sinners  and  enemies.  But  in  actually  bestowing 
salvation  on  us  after  we  are  justified,  we  are  not  looked  upon  as 
sinners,  but  as  perfectly  righteous  persons :  he  beholds  no  iniquity 
in  us.  We  are  no  more  enemies,  but  reconciled.  When  God 
gave  Christ  to  die  for  the  elect,  he  looked  on  them  as  they  are 
in  themselves  ;  but  in  actually  bestowing  eternal  life,  he  looks  on 
them  as  they  are  in  Christ. 


dfEjS  NATURALLY   UOD  S  ENKMIEd.  3d 

There  are  three  epithets  used  in  the  text  and  context,  as  ap- 
pertaining to  sinners  as  they  are  in  themselves,  verse  6 — 8. 

They  are  without  strength,  they  cannot  help  themselves.- — 
They  are  ungodly  or  sinners, — and  they  are  enemies :  as  in  the 
text. — Natural  men  are  God's  enemies. 

God,  though  the  creator  of  all  things,  yet  has  some  enemies 
in  the  world : — Men  in  general  will  own,  that  they  are  sinners. 
There  are  few,  if  any,  whose  consciences  are  so  blinded  as  not 
to  be  sensible  they  have  been  guilty  of  sin.  And  most  sinners 
will  own  that  they  have  bad  hearts.  They  will  own  that  they  do 
not  love  God,  so  much  as  they  should  do  ;  that  they  are  not  so 
thankful  as  they  ought  to  be  for  mercies  ;  and  that  in  many  things 
they  fail.  And  yet  few  of  them  are  sensible  that  they  are  Goctfs 
enemies.  They  do  not  see  how  they  can  be  truly  so  called  ; 
for  they  are  not  sensible  that  they  wish  God  any  hurt,  or  endea- 
vour to  do  him  any. 

But  we  see  that  the  scripture  speaks  of  them  as  enemies  to 
God.  So  in  our  text,  and  elsewhere;  And  you  that  were  some- 
time alienated,  and  enemies  in  your  minds  by  -wicked  works.  Col. 
i.  21.  The  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God.  Rom.  vii.  7. — And 
that  all  natural  or  unregenerate  men  are  indeed  such,  is  what  I 
shall  endeavour  now  particularly  to  show.  Which  I  propose  to 
do  in  the  following  method.  Particularly  in  what  respects  they 
are  enemies  to  God. — To  how  great  a  degree  they  are  enemies 
— and  why  they  are  enemies.  Then  I  shall  answer  some  objec- 
tions. 

Section  I. 

In  what  respects  Natural  Men  are  God's  Enemies. 

1.  Their  enmity  appears  in  their  judgments,  their  natural  re- 
lish, their  wills,  affections,  and  practice.  They  have  a  very 
mean  esteem  of  God.  Men  are  ready  to  entertain  a  good  esteem 
of  those  with  whom  they  are  friends  :  they  are  apt  to  think  highly 
of  their  qualities,  to  give  them  their  due  praises  ;  and  if  there  be 
defects,  to  cover  them.  But  of  those  to  whom  they  are  enemies 
they  are  disposed  to  have  mean  thoughts  ;  they  are  apt  to  enter- 
tain a  dishonourable  opinion  of  them ;  they  will  be  ready 
to  look  contemptibly  upon  any  thing  that  is  praise-worthy  in 
them. 

So  it  is  with  natural  men  towards  God.  They  entertain  very 
low  and  contemptible  thoughts  of  God.  Whatever  honour  and 
respect  they  may  pretend,  and  make  a  show  of  towards  God,  if 
their  practice  be  examined,  it  will  show,  that  they  certainly 
look  upon  him  as  a  Being,  that  is  but  little  to  be  regarded.  The 
language  of  their  hearts  is,  Who  is  the  Lord,  that  I  should  obey 
his  voice?  Exod.  v.  2.  What  is  the  Almighty,  that  roe  should 
Vol,  VIII.  .5 


34  MEN  NATURALLY  GOD'S  ENEMIES. 

serve  him  P  and  zohat  profit  should  toe  have  if  we  pray  unto  hint  ? 
Job  xxi.  15.  They  count  him  worthy  neither  to  be  loved  nor 
feared.  They  dare  not  behave  with  that  slight  and  disregard  to- 
wards one  of  their  fellow-creatures,  when  a  little  raised  above 
them  in  power  and  authority,  as  they  dare,  and  do  towards  God. 
They  value  one  of  their  equals,  much  more  than  God,  and  are  ten 
times  more  afraid  of  offending  such,  than  of  displeasing  the  God 
that  made  them.  They  cast  such  exceeding  contempt  on  God, 
as  to  prefer  every  vile  lust  before  him.  And  every  worldly  en- 
joyment is  set  higher  in  their  esteem,  than  Qod.  A  morsel  of 
meat,  or  a  few  pence  of  worldly  gain,  is  preferred  before  him. 
God  is  set  last  and  lowest  in  the  esteem  of  natural  men. 

2.  They  are  enemies  in  the  natural  relish  of  their  souls. 
They  have  an  inbred  distaste  and  disrelish  of  God's  perfections. 
God  is  not  such  a  being  as  they  would  have.  Though  they  are 
ignorant  of  God  ;  yet  from  what  they  hear  of  him,  and  from  what 
is  manifest  by  the  light  of  nature,  they  do  not  like  him.  By  his 
being  endowed  with  such  attributes  as  he  is,  they  have  an  aver- 
sion to  him.  They  hear  God  is  an  infinitely  holy,  pure,  and 
righteous  Being,  and  they  do  not  like  him  upon  this  account ; 
they  have  no  relish  of  such  qualifications  :  they  take  no  delight 
in  contemplating  them.  It  would  be  a  mere  task,  a  bondage  to 
a  natural  man,  tobe  obliged  to  set  himself  to  contemplate  those 
attributes  of  God.  They  see  no  manner  of  beauty  or  loveliness, 
nor  taste  any  sweetness  in  them.  And  on  account  of  their  distaste 
of  these  perfections,  they  dislike  all  his  other  attributes.  They 
have  greater  aversion  to  him  because  he  is  omniscient  and  knows 
all  things  ;  and  because  his  omniscience  is  an  holy  omniscience. 
They  are  not  pleased  that  he  is  omnipotent,  and  can  do  what- 
ever he  pleases  ;  because  it  is  a  holy  omnipotence.  They  are 
enemies  even  to  his  mercy,  because  it  is  a  holy  mercy.  They 
do  not  like  his  immutability  because  by  this  he  never  will  be 
otherwise  than  he  is,  an  infinitely  holy  God. 

It  is  from  this  disrelish  that  natural  men  have  of  the  attributes 
of  God,  that  they  do  not  love  to  have  much  to  do  with  God.  The 
natural  tendency  of  the  heart  of,  man  is  to  fly  from  God,  and 
keep  at  a  distance  from  him,  as  far  off  as  possible. — A  natural 
man  is  averse  to  communion  with  God,  and  is  naturally  disin- 
clined to  those  exercises  of  religion,  wherein  he  has  immediately 
to  do  with  him.  It  is  said  of  wicked  men,  Psal.  x.  4,  God  is  not 
in  all  their  thoughts.  It  is  evident,  that  the  mind  of  man  is  na- 
turally averse  to  thinking  about  God  ,  and  hence  if  any  thoughts 
of  him  be  suggested  to  the  mind,  they  soon  go  away  ;  such  thoughts 
are  not  apt  to  rest  in  the  minds  of  natural  men.  If  any  thing  is 
said  to  them  of  God,  they  are  apt  to  forget  it :  it  is  like  seed  that 
falls  upon  the  hard  path,  the  fowls  of  the  air  soon  take  it  away; 
or  like  seed  that  falls  upon  a  rock.  Other  things  will  stick ;  but 
divine  tilings  rebound  :  and  if  they  were  cast  into  the  mind,  they 


MEN  NATURALLY  GODS  ENEMIES.  oO 

meet  with  that  there  which  soon  thrusts  them  out  again; 
they  meet  with  no  suitable  entertainment,  but  are  soon  chased 
away. 

Hence  also  it  is,  that  natural  men  are  with  difficulty  persuaded 
to  be  constant  in  the  duty  of  secret  prayer.  They  would  not 
be  so  averse  to  spending  a  quarter  of  anhour,  night  and  morning, 
in  some  bodily  labour;  but  it  is  because  they  are  averse  to  work, 
wherein  they  have  so  immediately  to  do  with  God  ;  and  they 
naturally  love  to  keep  at  a  distance  from  him. 

3.  Their  wills  are  contrary  to  his  will.  God's  will  and  theirs  are 
exceeding  cross  the  one  to  the  other.  God  wills  those  things  that 
they  hate,  and  are  most  averse  to  ;  and  they  will  those  things 
that  God  hates.  Hence  they  oppose  God  in  their  wills ;  there 
is  a  dreadful,  violent,  and  obstinate  opposition  of  the  will  of  na- 
tural men,  to  the  will  of  God. 

They  are  very  opposite  to  the  commands  of  God.  It  is  from 
the  enmity  of  the  will,  (Rom.  vii.  7,)  that  the  carnal  mind  is  not 
subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can  be.  Hence  natural 
men  are  enemies  to  God's  government.  They  are  not  loyal 
subjects,  but  enemies  to  God,  considered  as  Lord  of  the  world. 
They  are  entire  enemies  to  God's  authority. 

4.  They  are  enemies  to  God  in  their  affections.  There  is  in 
every  natural  man  a  seed  of  malice  against  God.  And  it  often 
dreadfully  breaks  forth.  Though  it  may  in  great  measure  lie 
hid  in  secure  times,  when  God  lets  men  alone,  and  they  meet 
with  no  great  disturbance  of  body  or  mind  ;  yet,  if  God  does  but 
touch  men  in  their  consciences,  by  manifesting  to  them  a  little 
of  his  wrath  for  their  sins,  this  oftentimes  brings  out  the  princi- 
ple o^malice  against  him.  This  is  exercised  in  dreadful  heart- 
risings,  inward  wranglings  and  quarrellings,  and  blasphemous 
thoughts  :  wherein  the  heart  is  like  a  viper,  hissing  and  spitting 
poison  at  God.  And  however  free  from  it  the  heart  may  seem 
to  be,  when  let  alone  and  secure,  yet  a  very  little  thing  will  set 
it  in  a  rage.  Temptations  will  show  what  is  in  the  heart.  The 
alteration  of  a  man's  circumstances  will  often  discover  the  heart. 
Pharaoh  had  no  more  natural  enmity  against  God  than  other 
men  ;  and  if  other  natural  men  had  been  in  Pharaoh's  circum- 
stances, the  same  corruptions  would  have  put  forth  themselves 
in  as  dreadful  a  manner.  The  Scribes  and  Pharisees  had  natu- 
rally no  more  malice  in  their  hearts  against  Christ  than  other 
men  ;  and  other  natural  men  would,  in  their  case,  and  having 
as  little  restraint,  exercise  as  much  malice  against  Christ  as  they 
did.  When  wicked  men  come  to  be  cast  into  hell,  then  their 
malice  against  God  will  appear.  Then  their  hearts  will  appear 
as  full  of  malice,  as  hell  is  full  of  fire.  But  when  wicked  men 
come  to  be  in  hell  there  will  be  no  new  corruptions  put  into  their 
heart;  but  only  old  ones  will  then  break  forth  without  restraint. 
That  is  all  the  difference  between  a  wicked  man  on  earth  awl  a 


36  MEN  NATURALLY  GOD'S   ENEMIES. 

wicked  man  in  hell,  that  in  hell  there  will  be  more  to  stir  up  the 
exercise  of  corruption,  and  less  to  restrain  it  than  on  earth:  but 
there  will  be  no  new  corruption  put  in.  A  wicked  man  will 
have  no  principle  of  corruption  in  hell,  but  what  he  carried  to 
hell  with  him.  There  are  now  the  seeds  of  all  the  malice  that 
will  be  exercised  then.  The  malice  of  damned  spirits  is  but  a 
branch  of  the  root,  that  is  in  the  hearts  of  natural  men  now.  A 
natural  man  has  a  heart,  like  the  heart  of  a  devil ;  only  corrup- 
tion is  more  under  restraint  in  man  than  in  devils. 

5.  They  are  enemies  in  their  practice.  They  walk  contrary 
to  him.  In  their  enmity  against  God,  they  are  exceeding  active. 
They  are  engaged  in  war  against  God.  Indeed  they  cannot  in- 
jure God,  he  is  so  much  above  them  ;  but  yet  they  do  what  they 
can.  They  oppose  themselves  to  his  honour  and  glory :  they 
oppose  themselves  to  the  interest  of  his  kingdom  in  the  world  : 
they  oppose  themselves  to  the  will  and  command  of  God :  and 
oppose  him  in  his  government.  They  oppose  God  in  his 
works,  and  in  his  declared  designs ;  while  he  is  doing  one  work, 
they  are  doing  the  contrary.  God  seeks  one  thing,  and  they 
seek  directly  the  contrary.  They  list  under  Satan's  banner,  and 
are  his  willing  soldiers  in  opposing  the  kingdom  of  God. 

Section.  II. 

'The  Degree  of  Men's  Natural  Enmity  to  God. 

I  now  proceed  to  say  something  with  respect  to  the  degree  of 
this  enmity ;  tending  in  some  measure  to  show,  how  great  ene- 
mies to  God  are  natural  men. 

1.  They  have  no  love  to  God-,  their  enmity  is  mere  enmity 
without  any  mixture  of  love.  A  natural  man  is  wholly  destitute 
of  any  principle  of  love  to  God,  and  therefore  never  had  the  least 
exercise  of  this  love.  Some  natural  men  have  better  tempers 
than  others  ;  and  some  are  better  educated  than  others  ;  and 
some  live  a  great  deal  more  soberly  than  others :  but  one  has  no 
more  love  to  God  than  another  ;  for  none  have  the  least  spark 
of  that.  The  heart  of  a  natural  man  is  as  destitute  of  love 
to  God,  as  a  dead,  stiff,  cold  corpse  is  of  vital  heat.  John  v.  43. 
Iknozo  you,  that  ye  have  not  the  love  of  God  in  you. 

2.  Every  faculty  and  principle  of  action  is  wholly  under  the 
dominion'  of  enmity  against  God.  The  nature  of  man  is  wholly 
infected  with  this  enmity  against  God.  He  is  tainted  with  it 
throughout,  in  all  his  faculties  and  principles.  And  not  only 
so,  but  every  faculty  is  entirely  and  perfectly  subdued  under 
it,  and  enslaved  to  it.  This  enmity  against  God  has  the  ab- 
solute possession  of  man.  The  apostle  Paul,  speaking  of  what 
he  was  naturallv.  says,  Rom.  vii.  14.  /  am  carnal,  sold  under 
sin , 


MEN  NATURALLY  GOD5S  ENEMIES.  37 

The  understanding  is  under  the  reigning  power  of  this  en- 
mity against  God,  so  that  it  is  entirely  darkened  and  blinded 
with  regard  to  the  glory  and  excellency  of  God.  The  will  is 
wholly  under  the  reigning  power  of  it.  All  the  affections  are 
governed  by  enmity  against  God  :  there  is  not  one  affection, 
nor  one  desire  that  a  natural  man  has,  or  that  he  is  ever  stirred 
up  to  act  from,  but  what  contains  in  it  enmity  against  God.  A 
natural  man  is  as  full  of  enmity  against  God,  as  any  viper,  or 
any  venomous  beast  is  full  of  poison. 

3.  The  power  of  the  enmity  of  natural  men  against  God,  is 
so  great  that  it  is  insuperable  by  any  finite  power.  It  has  too 
great  and  strong  a  possession  of  the  heart,  to  be  overcome  by 
any  created  power.  Indeed,  a  natural  man  never  sincerely 
strives  to  root  out  this  enmity  against  God  ;  his  endeavours  are 
hypocritical :  he  delights  in  his  enmity,  and  chooses  it.  Neither 
can  others  do  it,  though  they  sincerely,  and  to  their  utmost, 
endeavour  to  overcome  this  enmity.  If  godly  friends  and 
neighbours  labour  to  persuade  them  to  cast  away  their  enmity, 
and  become  friends  to  God,  they  cannot  persuade  them  to  it. 
Though  ministers  use  never  so  many  arguments  and  entreaties, 
and  set  forth  the  loveliness  of  God  ;  tell  them  of  the  goodness 
of  God  to  them,  hold  forth  God's  own  gracious  invitations, 
and  intreat  them  never  so  earnestly  to  cast  off  their  opposition, 
and  be  reconciled  ;  yet  they  cannot  overcome  it ;  still  they 
will  be  as  bad  enemies  to  God  as  ever  they  were. — The  tongue 
of  men  or  of  angels  cannot  persuade  them  to  relinquish  their 
opposition  to  God.  Miracles  will  not  do  it. — How  many 
miracles  did  the  children  of  Israel  ^ee  in  the  wilderness  !  yet 
their  enmity  against  God  remained  ;  as  appeared  by  their  often 
murmuring.  And  how  often  did  Christ  use  miracles  to  this 
end  without  effect,  but  the  Jews  obstinately  stood  out.  Matt. 
xxiii.  37.  "  O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  thou  that  killest  the  pro- 
phets, and  stonest  them  which  are  sent  unto  thee,  how  often 
would  I  have  gathered  thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen 
gathereth  her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not.''' 
And  how  great  did  the  enmity  of  these  people  appear  to  be 
after  all ;  how  spiteful  and  venomous  were  their  hearts  towards 
Christ,  as  appears  by  their  cruel  treatment  of  him,  in  his  last 
sufferings  ! 

4.  They  are  mortal  enemies  to  God ;  i.  e.  they  have  that 
enmity  in  their  hearts,  that  strikes  at  the  life  of  God.  A  man 
may  be  no  friend  to  another,  and  may  have  an  ill  spirit  towards 
him  ;  and  yet  not  be  his  mortal  enemy  :  his  enmity  will  be  satis- 
fied with  something  short  of  the  death  of  the  person.  But  it  is 
not  so  with  natural  men,  with  respect  to  God  :  they  are  mor- 
tal enemies.  Their  imbecility  is  no  argument  that  this  is  not 
the  tendencv  of  the  principle. 


5SEN  NATURALLY  GOD'S   ENEMIES. 

Natural  men  are  enemies  to  the  dominion  of  God  ;  and  their 
nature  shows  their  good  will  to  dethrone  him  if  they  could  I 
Yea,  they  are  enemies  to  the  being  of  God,  and  would  be  glad 
if  there  was  no  God.  And  therefore  it  necessarily  follows,  that 
they  would  cause  that  there  should  be  none,  if  they  could. 
Psalm  xiv.  1.  "The  fool  hath  said  in  his  heart,  There  is  no 
God/'  This  implies  not  only  an  aptness  to  question  the  being 
of  God  ;  but  thrtt  he  inclines  it  should  be  so.  His  heart  says, 
i.  e.  his  inclination  says.  The  words  in  the  original  are,  "The 
fool  hath  said  in  his  heart,  no  God.1'  That  is,  I  would  have 
none,  I  do  not  desire  any,  I  wish  there  was  none  ;  that  would 
suit  my  inclination  best.  Let  the  world  be  emptied  of  a 
God,  he  stands  in  my  way.  And  hence  he  is  an  Atheist  in  his 
heart. 

The  viper's  poison  is  deadly  poison  •,  and  when  he  bites  he 
seeks  the  precious  life.  And  men  are  in  this  respect  a  genera- 
tion of  vipers.  Their  poison,  which  is  enmity  against  God, 
seeks  the  life  of  God.  Matt.  iii.  7.  iC  O  generation  of  vipers." 
— Psalm  lviii.  3,  4.  "  The  wicked  are  estranged  from  the  womb 
— Their  poison  is  like  the  poison  of  a  serpent."  Deut.  xxxii. 
32.  33.  "  For  their  vine  is  the  vine  of  Sodom,  and  of  the  fields 
of  Gomorrah  :  their  grapes  are  the  grapes  of  gall,  their  clusters 
are  bitter.  Their  vine  is  the  poison  of  dragons,  and  the  cruel  ve- 
nom of  asps."  The  divine  nature  beiug  immortal,  and  infinite- 
ly out  of  our  reach,  there  is  no  other  trial  possible,  whether  the 
enmity  that  is  naturally  in  the  heart  against  God,  be  mortal  or 
no,  but  only  for  God  to  take  on  him  the  human  nature,  and 
become  man  ;  so  as  to  come  within  man's  reach.  There  can 
be  no  other  experiment.  And  what  has  been  the  event  ?  Why, 
when  once  God  became  man,  and  came  down  to  dwell  here, 
among  such  vipers  as  fallen  men,  they  hated  and  persecuted  him: 
and  never  desisted  till  they  had  imbrued  their  hands  in  his 
blood.  There  was  a  multitude  of  them  that  appeared  combined 
in  this  design.  Nothing  would  do,  but  he  must  be  put  to  death. 
All  cry  out,  Crucify  him,  crucify  him,  Away  with  him.  They 
had  rather  Barabbas  who  had  greatly  deserved  death,  should 
live,  than  he  should  not  die.  Nothing  would  restrain  them  from 
it;  even  all  his  preaching,  and  all  his  miracles:  but  they  would 
kill  him.  And  it  was  not  the  ordinary  kind  of  execution  that 
would  satisfy  them,  but  it  must  be  the  most  cruel,  and  the  most 
ignominious  they  possibly  could  invent.  And  they  aggravated 
it  as  much  as  they  could,  by  mocking  him,  and  spitting  on  him, 
and  scourging  him.  This  shows  what  the  nature  and  tendency 
of  man's  enmity  against  God  is  ;  here  it  appeared  in  its  true 
colours. 

5.  Natural  men  are  greater  enemies  to  God,  than  they  are  to 
anv  other  being  whatsoever.     Natural  men  may  be  very  great 


MEN    NATURALLY     GOD'S    ENEMIES-  39 

enemies  to  their  fellow-creatures  ;  but  not  so  great  as  they  are 
to  God.  There  is  no  other  being  that  so  much  stands  in  sinners^ 
way,  in  those  things  that  they  chiefly  set  their  hearts  upon,  as 
God.  Men  are  wont  to  hate  their  enemies  in  proportion  to  two 
things,  viz.  their  opposition  to  what  they  look  upon  to  be  their 
interest, — and  their  power  and  ability.  A  great  and  powerful 
enemy,  will  be  more  hated,  than  one  who  is  weak  and  impotent. 
But  none  is  so  powerful  as  God. 

Man's  enmity  to  others  may  be  got  over :  time  may  wear  it 
out,  and  they  may  be  reconciled.  But  natural  men,  without  a 
mighty  work  of  God  to  change  their  hearts,  will  never  get  over 
their  enmity  against  God.  They  are  greater  enemies  to  God, 
than  they  are  to  the  devil.  Yea,  they  treat  the  devil  as  their 
friend  and  master,  and  join  with  him  against  God. — John  viii. 
44.  "  Ye  are  of  your  father  the  devil,  and  the  lusts  of  your 
father  ye  will  do  ;  he  was  a  murderer  from  the  beginning." 


Section  III. 
On  what  Account  are  Men  Enemies  to  God  ? 

The  general  reason  is,  that  God  is  opposite  to  them  in  the 
worship  of  their  idols.  The  apostacy  of  man  summarily  con- 
sists in  departing  from  the  true  God,  to  idols  ;  forsaking  his 
Creator,  and  setting  up  other  things  in  his  room.  When  God 
at  first  created  man,  he  was  united  to  his  Creator  ;  the  God 
that  made  him  was  his  God.  The  true  God  was  the  object  of 
his  highest  respect,  and  had  the  possession  of  his  heart.  Love 
to  God  was  the  principle  in  his  heart,  that  ruled  over  all  other 
principles  ;  and  every  thing  in  the  soul  was  wholly  in  subjection 
to  it.  But  when  man  fell,  he  departed  from  the  true  God,  and 
the  union  that  was  between  his  heart  and  his  Creator  was  broken  : 
he  wholly  lost  his  principle  of  love  to  God.  And  henceforward 
man  clave  to  other  gods.  He  gave  that  respect  to  the  creature, 
which  is  due  to  the  Creator. — When  God  ceased  to  be  the  ob- 
ject of  his  supreme  love  and  respect,  other  things  of  course  be- 
came the  objects  of  it. 

Man  will  necessarily  have  something  that  he  respects  as  his 
god.  If  man  do  not  give  his  highest  respect  to  the  God  that 
made  him,  there  will  be  something  else  that  has  the  possession 
of  it.  Men  will  either  worship  the  true  God,  or  some  idol  :  it 
is  impossible  it  should  be  otherwise ;  something  will  have  the 
heart  of  man.  And  that  which  a  man  gives  his  heart  to,  may 
be  called  his  god;  and  therefore  when  man,  by  the  fall,  extin- 
guished all  love  to  the  true  God,  he  set  up  the  creature  in  his 
room.     For  having  lost  his  esteem  and  love  of  the  true  God. 


40  MEN  NATURALLY  GOD'S  ENEMIEa. 

and  set  up  other  gods  in  his  room,  and  in  opposition  to  him ; 
and  God  still  demanding  their  worship,  and  opposing  them,  en- 
mity necessarily  follows. 

That  which  a  man  chooses  for  his  god,  he  sets  his  heart* 
mainly  upon.  And  nothing  will  so  soon  excite  enmity,  as  oppo- 
sition in  that  which  is  dearest.  A  man  will  be  the  greatest 
enemy  to  him  who  opposes  him  in  what  he  chooses  for  his  god: 
he  will  look  on  none  as  standing  so  much  in  his  way,  as  he  that 
would  deprive  him  of  his  god.  Judg.  xviii.  24.  "  Ye  have 
taken  away  my  gods ;  and  what  have  1  more  ?"  A  man  in  this 
respect,  cannot  serve  two  masters,  that  stand  in  competition 
for  his  service.  And  not  only,  if  he  serves  one,  he  cannot  serve 
the  other  ;  but  if  he  cleaves  to  one,  he  will  necessarily  hate  the 
other.  Matt,  vi.24.  "  No  man  can  serve  two  masters  ;  for  either 
he  will  hate  the  one,  and  love  the  other,  or  else  he  will  hold  to 
the  one,  and  despise  the  other.  Ye  cannot  serve  God  and 
mammon."  And  this  is  the  very  reason  that  men  hate  God. 
In  this  case  it  is,  as  when  two  kings  set  up  in  one  kiugdom,  in  op- 
position one  to  the  other;  and  they  both  challenge  the  same 
throne,  and  are  competitors  for  the  same  crown:  they  who  are 
loyal,  hearty  subjects  to  the  one,  will  necessarily  be  enemies  to 
the  other.  As  that  which  is  a  man's  god,  is  the  object  of  his 
highest  love  ;  so  that  God  who  chiefly  opposes  him  in  it,  must 
be  the  object  of  his  greatest  hatred. 

The  gods  which  a  natural  man  worships,  instead  of  the  God 
that  made  him,  are  himself  and  the  world.  He  has  withdrawn 
his  esteem  and  honour  from  God,  and  proudly  exalts  himself. 
As  Satan  was  not  willing  to  be  in  subjection,  and  therefore  rebel- 
led, and  set  up  himself;  so  a  natural  man,  in  the  proud  and 
high  thoughts  he  has  of  himself,  sets  up  himself  upon  God's 
throne.  He  gives  his  heart  to  the  world,  worldly  riches,  worldly 
pleasures,  and  worldly  honours  ;  they  have  the  possession  of  that 
regard  which  is  due  to  God.  The  apostle  sums  up  all  the  idol- 
atry of  wicked  men  in  their  love  of  the  world.  1  John  ii.  15,16. 
"  Love  not  the  world,  neither  the  things  that  are  in  the  world. 
If  any  man  love  the  world,  the  love  of  the  Father  is  not  in  him. 
For  all  that  is  in  the  world,  the  lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the 
eye,  and  the  pride  of  life,  is  not  of  the  Father,  but  is  of  the  world.'' 
And  the  apostle  James  observes,  that  a  man  must  necessarily 
be  the  enemy  of  the  true  God,  if  he  be  a  friend  of  the  world. 
"  Whosoever  therefore  will  be  a  friend  of  the  world,  is  the 
enemy  of  God."     Jam.  iv.4. 

All  the  sin  that  men  commit,  is  what  they  do  in  the  service 
of  their  idols;  there  is  no  one  act  of  sin,  but  what  is  an  act  of 
service  to  some  false  god.  And  therefore  wherein  soever  God 
opposes  sin  in  them,  he  is  opposite  to  their  worship  of  their 
idols  ;  on  which  account  they  are  his  enemies.  God  oppose? 
them  in  their  service  of  their  idols,  in  the  following  respects. 


MEM     .NATURALLY     «OD  a    ENEMIES. 


41 


i.  He  manifests  his  utter  abhorrence  of  their  attachment  to 
their  idols.  Their  idols  are  what  they  love  above  all  things  : 
they  would  by  no  means  part  with  them.  This  wickedness  is 
sweet  unto  them,  Job  xx.  1 2.  If  you  take  them  away,  what 
have  they  more?  If  they  lose  their  idols,  they  lose  their  all. — 
To  rend  away  their  idols  from  them,  would  be  more  grievous  to 
them,  than  to  rend  body  and  soul  asunder ;  it  is  like  rending 
their  heart  in  twain.  They  love  their  idolatry  :  but  God  does 
not  approve  of  it,  but  exceedingly  hates  it :  he  will  by  no  means 
be  reconciled  to  it ;  and  therefore  they  hate  him.  God  declares 
an  infinite  hatred  of  every  act  they  do  in  the  service  of  their 
false  gods.  He  declares  himself  to  be  a  holy  and  a  jealous  God  ; 
a  God  who  is  very  jealous  of  his  own  honour,  and  that  greatly 
abhors  giving  that  honour  to  another. 

2.  He  utterly  forbids  their  cleaving  to  those  idols,  and  all  the 
service  that  they  do  them.  He  not  only  shows  that  he  dislikes 
it,  but  he  utterly  forbids  it ;  and  demands  that  they  should  wor- 
ship him ;  serve  him  only,  and  give  their  hearts  wholly  to  him  ; 
without  tolerating  any  competitor.  He  allows  them  to  serve 
their  idols  in  no  degree;  but  requires  them  to  cast  them  away 
utterly,  and  pay  no  more  worship  to  them,  at  any  time.  He 
requires  afnal  parting  with  their  idols.  Not  only  that  they 
should  refrain  from  them  for  awhile,  but  cast  them  away  for 
ever  ;  and  never  gratify  their  idolatrous  respect  to  them  any 
more.  This  is  so  exceeding  contrary  to  them,  and  what  they 
are  so  averse  to,  that  they  are  enemies  to  God  for  it.  They 
cannot  endure  God's  commands,  because  they  forbid  all  that  in 
which  their  hearts  are  so  engaged.  And  as  they  hate  God's 
commands,  so  they  hate  him  whose  commands  they  are. 

3.  He  threatens  them  with  everlasting  damnation  for  their 
service  of  their  idols.  He  threatens  them  for  their  past  idolatry. 
He  threatens  them  with  his  eternal  wrath,  for  their  having  de- 
parted from  him,  and  their  having  chosen  to  themselves  other 
gods.  He  threatens  them  for  that  disposition  they  have  in  their 
hearts  to  cleave  to  other  gods  :  he  threatens  the  least  degrees  of 
that  respect  which  they  have  in  their  hearts  to  their  idols.  He 
manifests  that  he  will  not  tolerate  any  regard  to  them,  but  has 
lixed  eternal  death  as  the  wages  of  every  degree  of  it.  And  he 
will  not  release  them  from  their  guilt;  he  holds  them  to  their 
obligations  ;  and  he  will  accept  of  no  atonement  that  they  can 
make.  He  will  not  forgive  them  for  whatever  they  do  in  reli- 
gion ;  whatever  pains  they  take ;  whatever  tears  they  shed. 
He  will  accept  of  no  money  or  price  that  they  have  to  offer. 

And  he  threatens  every  future  act  of  their  idolatry.  He  not 
only  forbids  them  ever  to  be  guilty  of  the  least  act,  but  forbids 
them  on  pain  of  eternal  damnation.  So  strictly  docs  God  pro- 
hibit them  from  the  service  of  their  beloved  idols !  He  threatens 
them  with  everlasting  wrath  for  all  exercises  of  inordinate  love 

Vol.  VI fl„  6 


-12  MEN    NATLRALLY    Oul/s    ENEMIES. 

of  worldly  profit ;  for  all  manifestations  of  inordinate  regard  to 
worldly  pleasures,  or  worldly  honours.  He  threatens  them  with 
everlasting  torments  for  their  self-exaltation.  He  requires  them 
to  deny  and  renounce  themselves,  and  to  abase  themselves  at 
his  feet,  on  pain  of  bearing  his  wrath  to  all  eternity. 

The  strictness  of  God's  law  is  a  principal  cause  of  man's  en- 
mity against  God.  If  God  were  one  that  did  not  so  much 
hate  sin ;  if  he  would  allow  them  in  the  gratification  of  their 
lusts,  in  some  degree ;  and  his  threatenings  were  not  so  awful 
against  all  criminal  indulgence  ;  if  his  threatenings  were  not 
so  absolute  ;  if  his  displeasure  could  be  appeased  by  a  few  tears, 
a  little  reformation,  or  the  like ;  they  would  not  be  so  great 
enemies,  nor  hate  him  so  much  as  they  do.  But  God  shows 
himself  to  bean  implacable  enemy  to  their  idols,  and  has  threat- 
ened everlasting  wrath,  infinite  calamity,  for  all  that  they  do 
in  the  service  of  their  lusts  ;  and  this  makes  them  irreconcilable 
enemies  to  him. 

For  this  reason,  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  were  such  bitter 
enemies  to  Christ ;  because  he  showed  himself  to  be  such  an 
enemy  to  their  pride,  conceit  of  their  own  wisdom,  self-righ- 
teousness, and  inordinate  affection  of  their  own  honour,  which 
was  their  god.  Natural  men  are  enemies  to  God,  because  he 
is  so  opposite  to  them,  in  that  in  which  they  place  their  all.  If 
you  go  to  take  away  that  which  is  very  dear  to  a  man,  nothing 
will  provoke  him  more.  God  is  infinitely  opposite  to  that  in 
which  natural  men  place  all  their  delight,  and  all  their  happi- 
ness. He  is  an  enemy  to  that  which  natural  men  value  as  their 
greatest  honour  and  highest  dignity ;  and  to  which  they  wholly 
trust,  viz.  their  own  righteousness. 

Hence  natural  men  are  greater  enemies  to  God,  than  they 
are  to  any  other  being.  Some  of  their  fellow-creatures  may 
stand  very  much  in  their  way,  with  regard  to  some  things  on 
which  they  set  their  hearts  ;  but  God  opposes  them  with  respect 
to  all  their  idols,  and  his  opposition  to  them  is  infinitely  great. 
None  of  our  fellow-creatures  ever  oppose  us  in  any  of  our  inte- 
rests so  much  as  God  opposes  wicked  men  in  their  idolatry. 
His  infinite  opposition  is  manifested  by  his  threatening  an  infi- 
nite punishment,  viz.  his  dreadful  wrath  to  all  eternity,  misery 
without  end.  Hence  we  need  not  wonder  that  natural  men 
are  enemies  to  God. 

Section  IV- 

The    Objection,   that  Men   are   not   conscious    of  this   Enmity, 

answered. 

Natural  men  do  not  generally  conceive  themselves  to  be  so 
bad  ;  they  have  not  this  notion  of  themselves,  that  they  are  ene- 
mies to  God.     And  therefore,  when  they  hear  such  doctrine  as 


MEN  NATURALLY  GOD'S  ENEMIES.  43 

this  taught  them,  they  stand  ready  to  make  objections.  Some 
may  be  ready  to  say,  "  I  do  not  know,  I  am  not  sensible,  that  I 
hate  God,  and  have  a  mortal  enmity  against  him.  1  feel  no  such 
thing  in  myself,  and  if  I  have  such  enmity,  why  do  not  I  feel  it  ? 
If  I  am  a  mortal  enemy,  why  should  not  I  know  it  better  than 
any  body  else  ?  How  can  others  see  what  is  in  my  heart,  bet- 
ter than  I  myself?  If  I  hate  one  of  my  fellow-creatures,  I  can  feel 
it  inwardly  working."     To  such  an  objection  I  would  answer. 

1.  If  you  do  but  observe  yourself,  and  search  your  own  heart, 
unless  you  are  strangely  blinded,  you  may  be  sensible  of  those 
things,  wherein  enmity  does  fundamentally  consist.  Particularly, 
you  may  be  sensible  that  you  have  at  least  had  a  low  and  con- 
temptible estimation  of  God  :  and  that,  in  your  esteem,  you  set 
the  trifles  and  vanities  of  this  world  far  above  him  ;  so  as  to  regard 
the  enjoyment  of  these  things  far  above  the  enjoyment  of  God, 
and  to  value  these  things  better  than  his  love. — And  you  may  be 
sensible  that  you  despise  the  authority  of  God  and  value  his  com- 
mands and  his  honour  but  very  little.  Or  if  by  some  means  you 
have  blinded  yourself  so  as  to  think  you  do  regard  them  now,doubt- 
less  you  can  look  back  and  see  that  you  have  not  regarded  them. 
You  may  be  sensible  that  you  have  had  a  disrelish  and  aversion 
towards  God  ;  an  opposition  to  thinking  of  him  ;  so  that  it  would 
have  been  a  very  uncomfortable  task  to  have  been  confined  to 
that  exercise  for  any  time.  The  vanities  of  the  world,  at  the 
same  time,  have  been  very  pleasing  to  you  ;  and  you  have  been 
all  swallowed  up  in  them,  while  you  have  been  averse  to  the 
things  of  religion.  If  you  look  into  your  heart,  it  is  there  plain 
to  be  seen,  that  there  is  an  enmity  in  your  will,  that  it  is  contrary 
to  God's  will,  for  you  have  been  opposing  the  will  of  God  all  your 
life  long. — These  things  are  plain ;  it  is  nothing  but  some  great 
delusion  that  can  hide  them  from  you.  These  are  the  founda- 
tion of  all  enmity  ;  and  if  these  things  be  in  you,  all  the  rest  that 
we  have  spoken  of  will  follow  of  co*ps*e. 

2.  One  reason  why  you  have  not  more  sensibly  felt  the  exer- 
cises of  malice  against  God,  is,  that  your  enmity  is  now  exercised 
partly  in  your  unbelief  of  God's  being;  and  this  prevents  its  ap- 
pearing in  other  ways.  Man  has  naturally  a  principle  of  Atheism 
in  him  :  an  indisposition  to  realize  God's  being,  and  a  disposition 
to  doubt  of  it.  The  being  of  God  does  not  ordinarily  seem  real 
to  natural  men.  All  the  discoveries  that  there  are  of  God's  be- 
ing in  his  works,  will  not  overcome  the  principle  of  Atheism  in 
the  heart.  And  though  they  seem  in  some  measure  to  be  ration- 
ally convinced,  yet  it  does  not  appear  real;  the  conviction  is 
faint,  there  is  no  strong  conviction  impressed  on  the  mind,  that 
there  is  a  God  :  and  oftentimes  they  are  ready  to  think  that  there 
is  none.  Now  this  will  prevent  the  exercise  of  this  enmity,  which 
otherwise  would  be  felt;  particularly,  it  may  be*an  occasion  of 
there  not  being  sensible  exercises  of  hatred. 


44  MEN    NATURALLY  GOD\S    ENEMIES. 

It  may  in  some  measure  be  thus  illustrated  :  If  you  had  a 
rooted  malice  against  another  man,  a  principle  that  had  been 
long  established  there,  and  if  you  should  hear  that  he  was  dead, 
the  sensible  workings  of  your  malice  would  not  be  felt,  as  when 
you  realized  it  that  he  was  alive.  But  if  you  should  afterward 
hear  the  news  contradicted,  and  perceive  that  your  enemy  was 
still-alive;  you  would  feel  the  same  workings  of  hatred  that 
yon  did  before.  And  thus  you  are  not  realizing  the  fact,  that 
God  has  a  being,  may  prevent  those  sensible  workings  of 
hatred,  that  otherwise  you  would  have.  If  wicked  men  in  this 
world  were  sensible  of  the  reality  of  God's  being,  as  the  wicked 
are  in  another,  they  would  feel  more  of  that  hatred,  which  men 
in  another  world  do.  The  exercise  of  corruption  in  one  way, 
may,  and  often  does  prevent  it  working  in  other  ways.  As 
covetousness  may  prevent  the  exercise  of  pride,  so  Atheism  may 
prevent  malice  ;  and  yet  it  may  be  no  argument  of  there  being 
any  less  enmity  in  the  heart;  for  it  is  the  same  enmity,  working 
in  another  way.  The  same  enmity  that  in  this  world  works  by 
Atheism,  will  in  another  world,  where  there  will  be  no  room  for 
Atheism,  work  by  malice  and  blasphemy.  The  same  mortal 
enmity  which,  if  you  saw  there  was  a  God,  might  make  you  to 
wish  there  were  none,  may  now  dispose  and  incline  you  to  think 
there  is  none.  Men  are  very  often  apt  to  think  things  arc,  as 
they  would  have  them  to  be.  The  same  principle  disposes 
you  to  think  God  has  no  existence,  which,  if  you  knew  he  had. 
would  dispose  you,  if  it  were  possible,  to  dispossess  him  of  it. 

If  you  think  that  there  is  a  God,  yet  you  do  not  realize  it, 
that  he  is  such  a  God,  as  he  really  is.  You  do  not  realize  it. 
that  he  is  so  holy  as  he  is;  that  he  has  such  a  hatred  of  sin  as 
indeed  he  has  ;  that  he  is  so  just  a  God  as  he  is,  who  will  by  no 
means  clear  the  guilty.  But  that  in  the  Psalms  is  applicable  to 
you  :  These  things  hast  thou  clone,  and  I  kept  silence  :  thou 
thoughtcst  that  I  was  altogether  such  an  one  as  thyself.  Psalm  i. 
21.  So  that  your  Atheism  appears  in  this,  as  well  as  in  think- 
ing there  is  no  God.  So  that  your  objection  arises  from  this, 
that  you  do  not  find  such  a  sensible  hatred  against  that  God 
which  you  have  formed  to  suit  yourself;  a  God  that  you  like  bet- 
ter than  the  true  God.  But  this  is  no  argument  that  you  have 
not  bitter  enmity  against  the  true  God,  for  it  was  your  enmity 
against  the  true  God,  and  your  not  liking  him,  that  has  put  you 
upon  forming  up  another  in  your  imagination,  that  you  like  bet- 
ter. It  is  your  enmity  against  those  attributes  of  God's  holiness 
and  justice,  and  the  like,  that  has  put  you  upon  conceiting  ano- 
ther, who  is  not  so  holy  as  he  is,  and  does  not  hate  sin  so  much, 
and  will  not  be  so  strictly  just  in  punishing  it ;  and  whose  wrath 
against  sin  is  not  so  terrible. 

But  if  you  were  sensible  of  the  vanity  of  your  own  conceits, 
and  that  God  was  not  such  an  one  as  you  have  imagined  ;  but 
that  he  is.  as  he  is  indeed,  an  infinitelv  holy,  just,  sin  hating  and 


MEN  NATURALLY  GOd's  ENEMIES.  45 

siii  revenging  God,  who  will  not  tolerate  nor  endure  the  wor- 
ship of  idols,  you  would  be  much  more  liable  to  feel  the  sensible 
exercises  of  enmity  against  him,  than  you  are  now.  And  this 
experience  confirms.  For  we  see  that  when  men  come  to  be 
under  convictions,  and  to  be  made  sensible  that  God  is  not  as 
they  have  heretofore  imagined;  but  that  he  is  such  a  jealous, 
sin  hating  God,  and  whose  wrath  against  sin  is  so  dreadful,  they 
are  much  more  apt  to  have  sensible  exercises  of  enmity  against 
him  than  before. 

4.  Your  having  always  been  taught  that  God  is  infinitely 
above  you,  and  out  of  your  reach,  has  prevented  your  enmity 
being  exercised  in  those  ways,  that  otherwise  it  would  have  been. 
And  hence  your  enmity  has  not  been  exercised  in  revengeful 
thoughts ;  because  revenge  has  never  found  any  room  here  ;  it 
has  never  found  any  handle  to  take  hold  of;  there  has  been  no 
conception  of  any  such  thing,  and  hence  it  has  lain  still.  A  ser- 
pent will  not  bite,  or  spit  poison  at  that  which  it  sees  at  a  great 
distance  ;  which  if  it  saw  near  would  do  it  immediately.  Op- 
portunity often  shows  what  men  are,  whether  friends  or  enemies. 
Opportunity  to  do  puts  men  in  mind  of  doing  ;  wakens  up  such 
principles  as  lay  dormant  before.  Opportunity  stirs  up  desire 
to  doj  where  there  was  before  a  disposition,  that  without  oppor- 
tunity, would  have  lain  still.  If  a  man  has  had  an  old  grudge 
against  another,  and  has  a  fair  opportunity  to  be  revenged,  this 
will  revive  his  malice,  and  waken  up  a  desire  of  revenge. 

If  a  great  and  sovereign  prince  injures  a  poor  man,  and 
what  he  does  is  looked  upon  as  very  cruel,  that  will  not 
ordinarily  stir  up  passionate  revenge,  because  he  is  so  much 
above  him,  and  out  of  his  reach.  Many  a  man  has  appeared 
calm  and  meek,  when  he  has  had  no  power  in  his  hands,  and 
has  not  appeared,  either  to  himself  or  others,  to  have  any  dispo- 
sition to  cruel  acts ;  yet  afterward  when  he  came  to  have  op- 
portunity by  unexpected  advancement,  or  otherwise,  has  ap- 
peared like  a  ravenous  wolf,  or  devouring  lion.  So  it  was  with 
Hazael.  "And  Hazael  said,  Why  weepeth  my  lord?  And  he 
answered,  Because  I  know  the  evil  that  thou  wilt  do  unto  the 
children  of  Israel :  their  strong  holds  wilt  thou  set  on  fire,  and 
their  young  men  wilt  thou  slay  with  the  sword,  and  wilt  dash 
their  children,  and  rip  up  their  women  with  child.  And  Haza- 
el said,  But  what,  is  thy  servant  a  dog,  that  he  should  do  this 
great  thing?  And  Elisha  answered,  The  Lord  hath  showed  me 
that  thou  shalt  be  king  over  Syria."  2  Kings  viii.  12,  13.  Ha- 
zael was  then  a  servant;  he  had  no  power  in  his  hands  to  do  as 
he  pleased  ;  and  so  his  cruel  disposition  had  lain  hid,  and  he  did 
not  himself  imagine  that  it  was  there:  but  afterward,  when  he 
became  king  of  Syria,  and  was  absolute,  having  none  to  con- 
trol him ;  then  it  broke  out  and  appeared,  and  he  did  as  the 
prophet  had  foretold.     He  committed  those  verv  acts  of  crueltv, 


46  MEN  NATURALLY  GOd's  ENEMIES. 

that  he  thought  it  was  not  in  his  heart  to  do.  It  was  want  of  op- 
portunity (hat  made  the  difference.  It  was  all  in  his  heart  be- 
fore ;  he  was  such  a  dog  then  as  to  do  this  thing,  but  only  had 
not  opportunity.  And  therefore  when  he  seems  surprised  that 
the  prophet  should  say  so  of  him,  all  the  reason  the  prophet 
gives  is,  "  The  Lord  hath  showed  me  that  thou  shalt  be  king 
over  Syria." 

Some  natural  men  are  such  "  dogs1'  as  to  do  things,  if  they  had 
opportunity,  which  they  do  not  imagine  it  is  in  their  hearts  to  do. 
You  object  against  your  having  a  mortal  hatred  against  God; 
that  you  never  felt  any  desire  to  dethrone  him.  But  one  reason 
has  been,  that  it  has  always  been  conceived  so  impossible  by 
you.  But  if  the  throne  of  God  were  within  your  reach,  and  you 
knew  it, it  would  not  be  safe  one  hour.  Who  knows  what  thoughts 
would  presently  arise  in  your  heart  by  such  an  opportunity,  and 
what  disposition  would  be  raised  up  in  your  heart  ?  Who  would 
trust  your  heart,  that  there  would  not  presently  be  such  thoughts 
as  these,  though  they  are  enough  to  make  one  tremble  to  men- 
tion them?  "  Now  1  have  opportunity  to  set  myself  at  liberty — 
that  I  need  not  be  kept  in  continual  slavery  by  the  strict  law  of 
God — Then  I  may  take  my  liberty  to  walk  in  that  way  I  like 
best,  and  need  not  be  continually  in  such  slavish  fear  of  God's 
displeasure.  And  God  has  not  done  well  by  me  in  many  instances. 
He  has  done  most  unjustly  by  me,  in  holding  me  bound  to  des- 
truction for  unbelief,  and  other  things  which  I  cannot  help — He 
has  shown  mercy  to  others,  and  not  to  me.  I  have  now  an  op- 
portunity to  deliver  myself,  and  there  can  be  no  danger  of  my 
being  hurt  for  it.  There  will  be  nothing  for  us  to  be  terrified 
about,  and  so  keep  us  in  slavery. 

Who  would  trust  your  heart,  that  such  thoughts  would  not 
arise  ?  or  others  much  more  horrid  and  too  dreadful  to  be  men- 
tioned !  And  therefore  I  forbear.  Those  natural  men  are  fool- 
ishly insensible  of  what  is  in  their  own  hearts,  who  think  there 
would  be  no  danger  of  any  such  workings  of  heart,  if  they  knew 
they  had  opportunity. 

5.  You  little  consider,  how  much  your  having  no  more  of 
the  sensible  exercises  of  hatred  to  God,  is  owing  to  a  being 
restrained  by  fear.  You  have  always  been  taught  what  a  dread- 
ful thing  it  is  to  hate  God,  and  how  terrible  his  displeasure; 
that  God  sees  the  heart  and  knows  all  the  thoughts  ;  and  that 
you  are  in  his  hands,  and  he  can  make  you  as  miserable  as  he 
pleases,  and  as  soon  as  he  pleases.  And  these  things  have  re- 
strained you  :  and  the  fear  that  has  risen  from  them,  has  kept 
you  from  appearing  what  you  are  ;  it  has  kept  down  your  enmity 
and  made  that  serpent  afraid  to  show  its  head,  as  otherwise  it 
would  do.  If  a  wrathful  man  were  wholly  under  the  power  of 
an  enemy,  he  would  be  afraid  to  exercise  his  hatred  in  outward 
acts,  unless  it  were  with  great  disguise.      And  if  it  be  supposed 


>1E.N    NA'l'UUALLY    GODS    ENEMIES.  4  * 

that  such  an  enemy,  in  whose  power  he  was,  could  see  his  heart, 
and  know  all  his  thoughts ;  and  apprehended  that  he  would 
put  him  to  a  terrible  death,  if  he  saw  the  workings  of  malice 
there,  how  greatly  would  this  restrain !  He  would  be  afraid  so 
much  as  to  believe  himself,  that  he  hated  his  enemy:  but  there 
would  be  all  manner  of  disguise  and  hyprocrisy,  and  feigning 
even  of  thoughts  and  affections. 

Thus  your  enmity  has  been  kept  under  restraint;  and  thus 
it  has  been  from  your  infancy.  You  have  grown  up  in  it,  so  that 
it  is  become  an  habitual  restraint.  You  dare  not  so  much  as 
think  that  you  hate  God.  If  you  do  exercise  hatred,  you  have 
a  disguise  for  it,  whereby  you  endeavour  even  to  hide  it  from 
your  own  conscience  ;  and  so  have  all  along  deceived  yourself. 
Your  deceit  is  very  old  and  habitual  :  There  has  been  only 
restraint;  not  mortification.  There  has  been  an  enmity  against 
God  in  its  full  strength.  It  has  been  only  restrained,  like  an 
enemy  that  durst  not  rise  up  and  show  himself. 

6.  One  reason  why  you  have  not  felt  more  sensible  hatred  to 
God  may  be,  because  you  have  not  had  much  trial  of  what  is  in 
your  heart.  It  may  be  God  has  hitherto,  in  a  great  measure,  let 
you  alone.  The  enmity  that  is  in  men's  hearts  against  God,  is 
like  a  serpent,  which,  if  it  be  let  alone,  lies  still  :  but  if  any 
body  disturbs  it ;  will  soon  hiss,  and  be  enraged,  and  show  its 
serpentine  spiteful  nature. 

Notwithstanding  the  good  opinion  you  have  of  yourself  yet  a 
little  trial  would  show  you  to  be  a  viper,  and  your  heart  would 
be  set  all  on  rage  against  God.  One  thing  that  restrains  you 
now  is  your  hope.  You  hope  to  receive  many  things  from  God. 
Your  own  interest  is  concerned.  So  that  both  hope  and  fear 
operate  together,  to  restrain  your  enmity  from  sensible  exer- 
cises. But  if  once  hope  were  gone,  you  would  soon  show  what 
you  were  :   you  would  feel  your  enmity  against  God  in  a  rage. 

7.  If  you  pretend  that  you  do  not  feel  enmity  against  God, 
and  yet  act  as  an  enemy,  you  may  certainly  conclude  that  it  is 
not  because  you  are  no  enemy ;  but  because  you  do  not  know 
your  own  heart.  Actions  are  the  best  interpreters  of  the  dispo- 
sition :  they  show,  better  than  any  thing  else,  what  the  heart  is. 
It  must  be  because  you  do  not  observe  your  own  behaviour, 
that  you  question  whether  you  are  an  enemy  to  God. 

What  other  account  can  you  give  of  your  own  carriage,  but 
only  your  being  God's  enemy?  What  other  account  can  be 
given  of  your  opposing  God  in  your  ways  ;  walking  so  exceeding 
contrary  to  him,  contrary  to  his  counsels,  contrary  to  his  com- 
mands, and  contrary  to  his  glory  ?  What  other  account  can  be 
given  of  your  casting  so  much  contempt  upon  God  ;  your  setting 
him  so  low ;  your  acting  so  much  against  his  authority,  and 
against  his  kingdom  and  interest  in  the  world  ?  What  other  ac- 
count can  be  given  of  your  so  setting  your  will  in  opposition  to 


IS  MEN    NATURALLY    Gl")D; 


UEN    NATURALLY    GOB'S    ENEMIES- 


God's  will,  and  that  so  obstinately,  for  so  long  a  time,  against  so 
many  warnings  as  you  have  had  ?  What  other  account  can  be 
given  of  your  joining  so  much  with  Satan,  in  the  opposition  he 
is  making  to  the  kingdom  of  God  in  the  world  ?  And  that  you 
will  join  with  him  against  God,  though  it  be  so  much  against 
your  own  interest,  and  though  you  expose  yourself  by  it  to  ever- 
lasting misery  ? 

Such  like  behaviour  in  one  man  towards  another,  would  be 
sufficient  evidence  of  enmity.  If  he  should  be  seen  to  behave 
thus,  and  that  it  was  his  constant  manner,  none  would  want  bet- 
ter evidence  that  he  was  an  enemy  to  his  neighbour.  If  you 
yourself  had  a  servant  that  carried  it  towards  you,  as  you  do  to- 
wards God,  you  would  not  think  there  was  need  of  any  greater 
evidence  of  his  being  your  enemy.  Suppose  your  servant  should 
manifest  much  contempt  of  you  ;  and  disregard  your  commands 
as  much  as  you  do  the  commands  of  God ;  should  go  directly 
contrary,  and  in  many  ways  act  the  very  reverse  of  your  com- 
mands ;  should  seem  to  set  himself  in  ways  that  were  contrary  to 
your  will  obstinately  and  incorrigibly,  without  any  amendment 
from  your  repeated  calls,  warnings,  and  threatenings  ;  and  should 
act  so  cross  to  you  day  and  night,  as  you  do  to  God  :  would  he 
not  be  justly  deemed  your  enemy?  Suppose,  further,  when  you 
sought  one  thing,  he  would  seek  the  contrary  ;  when  you  did 
any  work,  he  would,  as  much  as  in  him  lay,  undo  and  destroy 
that  work  ;  and  suppose  he  should  continually  drive  at  such 
ends,  as  tended  to  overthrow  the  ends  you  aimed  at  :  when  you 
sought  to  bring  to  pass  any  design,  he  would  endeavour  to  over- 
throw your  design  ;  and  set  himself  as  much  against  your  interest 
as  you  do  yourself  against  God's  honour.  And  suppose  you 
should  moreover  see  him,  from  time  to  time,  with  those  who 
were  your  declared  mortal  enemies ;  making  them  his  counsel 
lors,  and  hearkening  to  their  counsels,  as  much  as  you  do  to 
Satan's  temptations :  should  you  not  think  you  had  sufficient 
evidence  that  he  was  your  enemy  ; — Therefore  consider  seri- 
ously your  own  ways,  and  weigh  your  own  behaviour.  How 
canst  thou  say,  I  am  not  polluted  ? — see  thy  way.  in  the  valley. 
know  what  thou  hast  done.    Jer.  ii,  23. 


Section  V, 

The  Objections,    that  they   show  respect  to  God,   and  expei 
some  Religions  Affections,  answered. 

Natural  men  may  be  ready  to  object,  the  respect  they  show 
to  God,  from  time  to  time.  This  makes  many  to  think  that 
they  are  far  from  being  such  enemies  to  God.  They  pray 
to  him  in  secret  and  attend  on  public  worship,  and  take  a  great 


MEN  NATURALLY  GOD  S  ENEMIES. 


49 


•ieai  of  pains  to  do  it  in  a  decent  manner.  It  seems  to  them  that 
they  show  God  a  great  deal  of  respect :  they  use  many  very 
respectful  terms  in  their  prayer:  they  are  respectful  in  their 
manner  of  speaking,  their  voice,  gestures,  and  the  like. — But  to 
this  I  answer,  That  all  this  is  done  in  mere  hypocrisy.  All  this 
seeming  respect  is  feigned,  there  is  no  sincerity  in  it:  there  is 
external  respect,  but  none  in  the  heart  :  there  is  a  show,  and 
nothing  else.  You  only  cover  your  enmity  with  a  painted  veil. 
You  put  on  the  disguise  of  a  friend,  but  in  your  heart  you  are  a 
mortal  enemy.  There  is  external  honour,  but  inward  con- 
tempt ;  there  is  a  show  of  friendship  and  regard,  but  inward 
hatred.  You  do  but  deceive  yourself  with  your  show  of  re- 
spect ;  and  endeavour  to  deceive  God  :  not  considering  that  God 
looks  not  on  the  outward  appearance,  but  on  the  heart. — Here 
consider  particularly, 

1.  That  much  of  that  seeming  respect  which  natural  men 
show  to  God,  is  owing  to  their  education.  They  have  been 
taught  from  their  infancy  that  they  ought  to  show  great  respect 
to  God.  They  have  been  taught  to  use  respectful  language, 
when  speaking  about  God,  and  to  behave  with  solemnity,  when 
attending  on  those  exercises  of  religion,  wherein  they  have  to 
do  with  him.  From  their  childhood,  they  have  seen  that  this 
is  "the  manner  of  others,  when  they  pray  to  God;  to  use  reve- 
rential expressions  and  a  reverential  behaviour  before  him. 

Those  who  are  brought  up  in  places  where  they  have  com- 
monly from  their  infancy,  heard  men  take  the  name  of  God  in 
vain,  and  swear  and  curse,  and  blaspheme  ;  they  learn  to  do  the 
«a«me;  and  it  becomes  habitual  to  them.  And  it  is  the  same 
way,  and  no  other,  that  you  have  learned  to  behave  respectfully 
towards  God  ;  not  that  you  have  any  more  respect  to  God  than 
they  ;  but  they  have  been  brought  up  one  way,  and  you  another. 
In  some  parts  of  the  world,  men  are  brought  up  in  the  worship 
of  idols  of  silver,  and  gold,  and  wood,  and  stone,  made  in  the 
shape  of  men  and  beasts.  They  say  of  them,  Let  the  men  that 
sacrifice  kiss  the  calf.  Hos.  xiii.  2.  In  some  parts  of  the  world, 
they  are  brought  up  to  worship  serpents,  and  are  taught  from 
their  infancy  to  show  great  respect  to  them.  And  in  some 
places  they  are  brought  up  in  worshipping  the  devil,  who  ap- 
pears to  them  in  a  bodily  shape;  and  to  behave  with  a  show  of 
great  reverence  and  honour  towards  him.  And  what  respect 
you  show  to  God  has  no  better  foundation  ;  it  comes  the  same 
way,  and  is  worth  no  more. 

2.  That  show  of  respect  which  you  make  is  forced.  You 
come  to  God,  and  make  a  great  show  of  respect  to  him,  and  use 
very  respectful  terms,  with  a  reverential  tone  and  manner  of 
speaking  ;  and  your  countenance  is  grave  and  solemn  :  you  put 
on  an  humble  aspect;  and  use  humble,  respectful  postures,  out 
of  fear.     You  are  afraid  that  God  will  execute  his  wrath  upon 

Vol.  VII.  7 


50  MEN    NATURALLY    GOD'S    ENEMIES. 

you,  and  so  you  feign  a  great  deal  of  respect,  that  he  may  nor. 
be  angry  with  you.  Through  the  greatness  of  thy  power  shall 
thine  enemies  submit  themselves  unto  thee.  Ps.  lxvi.  3.  In  the 
original  it  is,  Shalt  thine  enemies  lie  to  thee.  It  is  rendered 
therefore  in  the  margin,  shall  yield  feigned  obedience  unto  thee. 
All  that  you  do  in  religion  is  forced  and  feigned.  Through  the 
the  greatness  of  God's  power,  you  yield  feigned  obedience.  You 
are  in  God's  power,  and  he  is  able  to  destroy  you  ;  and  so  you 
feign  a  great  deal  of  respect  to  him,  that  he  might  not  destroy 
you.  As  one  might  do  towards  an  enemy  that  had  taken  him 
captive,  though  he  at  the  same  time  would  gladly  make  his  es- 
cape, if  he  could,  by  taking  away  the  life  of  him  who  had  taken 
him  captive. 

3-  It  is  not  real  respect  that  moves  you  to  behave  so  towards 
God  :  you  do  it  because  you  hope  you  shall  get  by  it.  It  is  re- 
spect to  yourself,  and  not  respect  to  God,  that  moves  you. 
You  hope  to  move  God  by  it  to  bestow  the  rewards  of  his 
children.  You  are  like  the  Jews  who  followed  Christ,  and  called 
him  Rabbi,  and  would  make  him  a  king.  Not  that  they  ho- 
noured him  so  much  in  their  hearts,  as  to  think  him  worthy  of  the 
honour  of  a  king ;  or  that  they  had  the  respect  of  sincere  sub- 
jects ;  but  they  did  it  for  the  sake  of  the  loaves.  Jesus  per- 
ceived that  they  woidd  come  and  make  him  a  king.  And  when 
they  had  found  him  on  the  other  side  of  the  sea,  they  said  unto 
him,  Rabbi,  how  earnest  thou  hither?  Jesus  answered  and  said 
unto  them,  Verily,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  Ye  seek  me,  not  because 
you  saw  the  miracles,  but  because  ye  did  eat  of  the  loaves,  and' 
were  filed.     John  vi.  15,  25,  26. 

These  things  do  not  argue  but  that  you  are  implacable  ene- 
mies to  God.  If  you  examine  your  prayers  and  other  duties, 
your  own  consciences  will  tell  you,  that  the  seeming  respect 
which  you  have  shown  to  God  in  them,  has  been  only  in  hypo- 
crisy. Oftentimes  you  have  set  forth  in  your  prayers,  that 
God  was  a  great,  a  glorious,  and  an  infinitely  holy  God,  as  if  you 
greatly  honoured  him  on  the  account  of  these  attributes  ;  and, 
at  the  same  lime,  you  had  no  sense  in  your  heart  of  the  great- 
ness and  glory  of  God,  or  of  any  excellency  in  his  holiness. 
Your  own  consciences  will  tell  you,  that  you  have  often  pre- 
tended to  be  thankful ;  you  have  told  God,  that  you  thanked 
him  you  was  alive,  and  thanked  him  for  various  mercies,  when 
you  have  not  found  the  least  jot  of  thankfulness  in  your  heart. 
And  so  you  have  told  God  of  your  own  unworthiness,  and  set 
forth  what  a  vile  creature  you  was  ;  when  you  have  had  no 
humble  sense  of  your  own  unworthiness. 

If  these  forementioned  restraints  were  thrown  off,  you  would 
soon  throw  off  all  your  show  of  respect.  Take  away  fear,  and 
a  regard  to  your  own  interest)  and  there  would  soon  be  an  end 
to  all  those  appearances  of  love,  honour,  and  reverence,  which 
now  you  make.     All  these  things  are  not  at  all  inconsisten 


MEN  NATURALLY  GOD'S    ENEMfES.  -31 

with  the  most  implacable  enmity.  The  devil  himself  made  a 
show  of  respect  to  Christ,  when  he  was  afraid  that  he  was  going 
to  torment  him  ;  and  when  he  hoped  to  persuade  Christ  to  spare 
him  longer.  When  he  sazu  Jesus,  he  cried  out  and  fell  down  be- 
fore him,  and  with  a  loud  voice  said,  What  have  I  to  do  with 
thee,  Jesus,  thou  Son  of  God,  most  high?  I  beseech  thee,  torment 
me  not.  Luke  viii.  28. 

Some  may  perhaps  object  against  this  doctrine  of  their  being 
God's  enemies,  the  religious  affections  they  have  sometimes  ex- 
perienced. They  may  be  ready  to  say,  That  when  they  have 
come  before  God  in  prayer,  they  have  not  only  used  respectful 
terms  and  gestures,  but  they  have  prayed  with  affection  ;  their 
prayers  have  been  attended  with  tears,  which  they  are  ready  to 
think  showed  something  in  the  heart. — But  to  this  it  is  answered, 
that  these  affections  have  risen  from  other  causes,  and  not  from 
any  true  respect  to  God. 

1.  They  have  risen  from  self-love,  and  not  love  to  God. 
If  you  have  wept  before  God,  from  the  consideration  of  your 
own  pitiful  case  ;  that  has  been  because  you  loved  yourself,  and 
not  because  you  had  any  respect  to  God.  And  if  your  tears 
have  been  from  sorrow  for  your  sins;  you  have  mourned  for 
your  sins,  because  you  have  sinned  against  yourself,  and  not  be- 
cause you  have  sinned  against  God.  When  ye  fasted  and 
mourned,  did  ye  at  all  fast  unto  me,  even  unto  Me?   Zech.  vii.  5. 

2.  Pride,  and  a  good  thought  of  themselves,  very  commonly 
has  a  great  hand  in  the  affections  of  natural  men.  They  have  a 
good  opinion  of  what  they  are  doing  when  they  are  praying  ; 
and  the  reflection  on  that  affects  them  :  they  are  affected  with 
their  own  goodness.  Men's  self-righteousness  often  occasions 
tears.  A  high  opinion  of  themselves  before  God,  and  an  ima- 
gination of  their  being  persons  of  great  account  with  him,  has 
affected  them  in  their  transactions  with  God.  There  is  com- 
monly abundance  of  pride  in  the  midst  of  tears  ;  and  often  pride 
is  in  a  great  measure  the  source  of  them.  And  then  they  are 
so  far  from  being  an  argument  that  you  are  not  an  enemy  to 
God,  that  on  the  contrary,  they  are  an  argument,  that  you  are. 
In  your  very  tears,  you  arc,,  in  a  vain  conceit  of  yourself,  ex- 
alting yourself  against  God. 

3.  The  affections  of  natural  men  often  arise  from  wrong  no- 
tions they  have  of  God.  They  conceive  of  God  after  the  man- 
ner they  do  of  men,  as  though  he  were  a  being  liable  to  be 
wrought  upon  in  his  affections.  They  conceive  of  him  as  one 
whose  heart  could  be  drawn,  whose  affections  can  be  overcome, 
by  what  he  sees  in  them.  They  conceive  of  him  as  being 
taken  with  them  and  their  performances  ;  and  this  works  on  their 
affections  ;  and  thus  one  tear  draws  another,  and  their  affections 
increase  by  reflection.  And  oftentimes  they  conceive  of  God  as 
one  that  loves  them,  and  is  a  friend  to  them  ;  and  such  a  mis- 


52  MEN  NATURALLY   GOI)'a  ENEMIES. 

take  may  work  much  on  their  affections.  But  such  affections 
that  arise  towards  God,  as  they  conceit  him  to  be,  is  no  argu- 
ment that  they  have  not  the  same  implacable  hatred  towards 
God,  considered  as  he  really  is.  There  is  no  concluding  that 
men  are  not  enemies,  because  they  are  affected  and  shed  tears 
in  their  prayers,  and  the  like.  Saul  was  very  much  affected 
when  David  expostulated  with  him  about  pursuing  after  him, 
and  seeking  to  kill  him.  David's  words  wrought  exceedingly 
upon  Saul's  affections.  And  it  came  to  pass  when  David  had 
made  an  end  of  speaking  these  words  unto  Said,  that  Saul  said, 
*s  this  thy  voice,  my  son  David?  and  Saul  lift  up  his  voice  and 
zoept.  I  Sam.  xxiv.  16.  chap.  xxvi.  1,  &c.  He  was  so  affected 
that  he  wept  aloud,  and  called  David  his  son,  though  he  was 
but  just  before  seeking  his  life.  But  this  affection  of  Saul  was 
no  argument  that  he  did  not  still  continue  in  his  enmity  against 
David.  He  was  David's  mortal  enemy  before,  and  sought  his 
life  ;  and  so  he  did  afterward.  It  was  but  a  pang  ;  his  enmity 
was  not  mortified  or  done  away.  The  next  news  we  hear  of 
Saul  is,  that  he  was  pursuing  David,  and  seeking  his  life  again. 

Section  VI. 

Restraining  Grace  a  great  Privilege. 

If  natural  men  are  God's  enemies  ;  then  hence  we  may  learn, 
how  much  we  are  indebted  to  God  for  his  restraining  grace. 
If  all  natural  men  are  God's  enemies,  what  would  they  do,  if 
they  were  not  restrained  ?  For  what  has  one  that  is  an  enemy 
in  his  disposition,  to  restrain  him  from  acting  against  him  to  . 
whom  he  is  an  enemy  ?  Hatred  will  not  restrain  a  man  from 
acting  any  thing  against  him  that  is  hated.  Nothing  is  too  bad 
for  hatred,  if  it  be  mere  hatred  and  no  love.  Hatred  shows  no 
kindness  either  in  doing,  or  forbearing  ;  it  will  never  make  a 
man  forbear  to  act  against  God;  for  the  very  nature  of  hatred 
is  to  seek  evil.  But  wicked  men,  as  has  been  shown,  are  mere 
enemies  to  God;  they  have  hatred,  without  any  love  at  all. 
And  hence  natural  men  have  nothing  within  them,  in  their  own 
nature,  to  restrain  them  from  any  thing  that  is  bad  ;  and  there- 
fore their  restraint  must  not  be  owing  to  nature,  but  to  restrain- 
ing grace.  And  therefore  whatever  wickedness  we  have  been 
kept  from,  it  is  not  because  we  have  not  been  bad  enough  to 
commit  it ;  but  it  is  God  has  restrained  us,  and  kept  us  back 
from  sin.  There  can  be  no  worse  principle,  than  a  principle 
of  hatred  to  God.  And  there  can  be  no  principle  that  will  go 
further  in  wickedness  that  this,  if  it  be  neither  mortified  nor  re- 
strained. But  it  is  not  mortified  in  natural  men ;  and  therefore 
all  that  keeps  them  from  any  degree  of  wickedness,  is  restrained. 
If  we  have  seen  others  do  things  that  we  never  did ;  and  if  they 
have  done  worse  than  we,  this  is  owing  to  restraining  grace.    If 


MEN  NATURALLY  GOD  S  ENEMIES.  OO 

we  have  not  done  as  bad  as  Pharaoh,  it  is  owing  to  divine 
restraints.  If  we  have  not  done  as  bad  as  Judas,  or  as  the 
scribes  and  Pharisees,  or  as  bad  as  Herod,  or  Simon  Magus^it  is 
because  God  has  restrained  our  corruption.  If  we  have  ever 
heard  or  read  of  any  that  have  done  worse  than  we ;  if  we 
have  not  gone  the  length  in  sinning,  that  the  most  wicked  pirates 
or  carnal  persecutors  have  gone,  this  is  owing  to  restraining 
grace.  For  we  are  all  naturally  the  enemies  of  God  as  much 
as  they.  If  we  have  not  committed  the  unpardonable  sin,  it  is 
owing  to  restraining  grace.  There  is  no  worse  principle  in 
exercise  in  that  sin,  than  enmity  against  God.  There  is  the  en- 
tire fountain,  and  all  the  foundation  of  the  sin  against  the  Ho- 
ly Ghost,  in  that  enmity  against  God  that  naturally  reigns 
in  us. 

It  is  not  we  that  restrain  ourselves  from  the  commission  of  the 
greatest  imaginable  wickedness;  for  enmity  against  God  reigns 
in  us  and  over  us  ;  we  are  under  its  power  and  dominion,  and 
are  sold  under  it.  We  do  not  restrain  that  which  reigns  over 
us.  A  slave,  as  long  as  he  continues  a  mere  slave,  cannot  con- 
trol his  master.  "  He  that  committeth  sin,  is  the  servant  of  sin." 
John  viii.  34.  So  that  the  restraint  of  this  our  cruel  tyrant,  is 
owing  to  God,  and  not  to  us.  What  does  a  poor,  impotent  sub- 
ject do  to  restrain  the  absolute  Lord,  that  has  him  wholly  under 
his  power  ?  How  much  will  it  appear  that  the  world  is  indebt- 
ed to  the  restraining  grace  of  God,  if  we  consider  that  the 
world  is  full  of  enemies  to  God.  The  world  is  full  of  inhabit- 
ants ;  and  almost  all  are  God's  enemies,  his  implacable  and 
mortal  enemies.  What  therefore  would  they  not  do ;  what 
work  would  they  not  make;  if  God  did  not  restrain  them? 

God's  work  in  the  restraint  that  he  exercises  over  a  wicked 
world,  is  a  glorious  work.  God's  holding  the  reins  upon  the 
corruptions  of  a  wicked  world,  and  setting  bounds  to  their  wick- 
edness, is  a  more  glorious  work,  than  his  ruling  the  raying  of  the 
sea,  and  setting  bounds  to  its  proud  waves,  and  saying,  Hitherto 
shalt  thou  come,  and  no  further.  In  hell,  God  lets  the  wicked- 
ness of  wicked  spirits  have  the  reins,  to  rage  without  restraint ; 
and  it  would  be  in  a  great  measure  upon  earth  as  it  is  in  hell, 
did  not  God  restrain  the  wickedness  of  the  world.  But  in  order 
to  the  better  understanding  how  it  is  owing  to  the  restraining 
grace  of  God,  that  we  are  kept  and  withheld  from  the  highest 
acts  of  sin,  I  would  here  observe  several  things. 

1.  Whenever  men  are  withheld  from  sinning  by  the  common 
influence  of  God's  Spirit,  they  are  withheld  by  restraining 
grace.  If  sinners  are  awakened,  and  are  made  sensible  of  the 
great  guilt  that  sin  brings,  and  that  it  exposes  to  a  dreadful  pu- 
nishment ;  under  such  circumstances  they  dare  not  allow  them- 
selves in  wilful  sin  ;  God  restrains  them  by  the  convictions  of 
his  Spirit ;  and  therein  their  being  kept  from  sin.  is  owing  to 


54  MEN  NATURALLY  GOD'S  ENEMIES. 

restraining  grace.  And  unawakened  sinners  that  live  under  the 
gospel,  who  are  in  a  great  measure  secure,  commonly  have  some 
degrees  of  the  influence  of  God's  Spirit,  with  his  ordinances  in- 
fluencing natural  conscience.  And  though  they  be  not  sufficient 
thoroughly  to  rouse  them  out  of  security,  or  make  them  reform  ; 
yet  they  keep  them  from  going  such  lengths  in  sin,  as  otherwise 
they  might  do.  And  this  is  restraining  grace.  They  are  in- 
deed very  stupid  and  sottish;  yet  they  would  be  a  great  deal 
more  so,  if  God  should  let  them  wholly  alone. 

2.  All  the  restraints  that  men  are  under  from  the  word  and 
ordinances,  is  from  grace.  The  word  and  ordinances  of  God 
might  have  some  degree  of  influence  on  men's  natural  principles 
of  self-love,  to  restrain  them  from  sin,  without  any  degree  of  the 
influence  of  God's  Spirit  ;  but  this  would  be  the  restraining 
grace  of  God  ;  for  God's  goodness  and  mercy  to  a  sinful  world 
appears  in  his  giving  his  word  to  be  a  restraint  on  the  wicked- 
ness of  the  world.  When  men  are  restrained  by  fear  of  those 
punishments  that  the  word  of  God  threatens ;  or  by  the  warn- 
ings, the  offers,  and  promises  of  it;  when  the  word  of  God 
works  upon  hope,  or  fear,  or  natural  conscience,  to  restrain 
men  from  sin,  this  is  the  restraining  grace  of  God,  and  is  owing 
to  his  mercy.  It  is  an  instance  of  God's  mercy  that  he  has 
revealed  hell,  to  restrain  men's  wickedness;  and  that  he  has 
revealed  a  way  of  salvation,  and  a  possibility  of  eternal  life. 
This,  which  has  great  influence  on  men  to  keep  them  from  sin, 
is  the  restraining  grace  of  God. 

3.  When  men  are  restrained  from  sin,  by  the  light  of  nature, 
this  also  is  of  grace.  If  men  are  destitute  of  the  light  of  God's 
word,  yet  the  light  of  natural  conscience  teaches  that  sin  brings 
guilt  and  exposes  to  punishment.  The  light  of  nature  teaches 
that  there  is  a  God  who  governs  the  world,  and  will  reward  the 
good  and  punish  the  evil.  God  is  the  author  of  the  light  of  na- 
ture, as  well  as  the  light  of  revelation.  He  in  mercy  to  mankind 
makes  known  many  things  by  natural  light  to  work  upon  men's 
fear  and  self-love,  in  order  to  restrain  their  corruptions. 

4.  When  God  restrains  men's  corruptions  by  his  providence. 
this  is  from  grace.  And  that  whether  it  be  his  general  provi- 
dence in  ordering  the  state  of  mankind  ;  or  his  providential  dis- 
posals towards  them  in  particular. 

(1.)  God  greatly  restrains  the  corruption  of  the  world,  by  or- 
dering the  state  of  mankind.  He  hath  set  them  here  in  a  mortal 
state,  and  in  a  state  of  probation  for  eternity ;  and  that  is  a  great 
restraint  to  corruption.  God  hath  so  ordered  the  state  of  man- 
kind, that  ordinarily  many  kinds  of  sin  and  wickedness  are  dis- 
graceful, and  what  tend  to  the  hurt  of  a  man's  character  and  re- 
putation amongst  his  fellow-men  ;  and  that  is  a  great  restraint. 
He  hath  so  disposed  the  world,  that  many  kinds  of  wickedness 
are  many  wavs  very  contrary  to  men's  temporal  interest :  and 


MEN  NATURALLY  dOITS  ENEMIES.  •->•  ' 

mankind  are  led  to  prohibit  many  kinds  of  wickedness  by  human 
laws;  and  that  is  a  great  restraint.  God  hath  set  up  a  church 
in  the  world,  made  up  of  those  who,  if  they  are  answerable  to 
their  profession,  have  the  fear  and  love  of  God  in  their  hearts; 
and  they,  by  holding  forth  revealed  light,  by  keeping  up  the 
ordinances  of  God,  and  by  warning  others,  are  a  great  restraint 
to  the  wickedness  of  the  world. 

In  all  these  things,  the  restraining  grace  of  God  appears.  It 
is  God's  mercy  to  mankind,  that  he  has  so  ordered  their  state', 
that  they  should  have  so  many  things,  by  fear  and  a  regard  to 
their  own  interest,  to  restrain  their  corruptions.  It  is  God"s 
mercy  to  the  world,  that  the  state  of  mankind  here  differs  from 
the  state  of  the  damned  in  hell  ;  where  men  will  have  none  of 
these  things  to  restrain  them.  The  wisdom  of  God,  as  well  as 
the  attributes  of  his  grace,  greatly  appear  in  thus  disposing  things 
for  the  restraining  of  the  wickedness  of  men. 

(2.)  God  greatly  restrains  the  corruptions  of  men  by  his  provi- 
dence towards  particular  persons  ;  by  placing  men  in  such  cir- 
cumstances as  to  lay  them  under  restraints.  And  to  this  it  is  of- 
ten owing  that  some  natural  men  never  go  such  lengths  in  sin- 
ning, or  are  never  guilty  of  such  atrocious  wickedness  as  some 
others,  that  Providence  has  placed  them  in  different  circum- 
stances. If  it  were  not  for  this,  many  thousands  of  natural 
men,  who  now  live  sober  and  orderly,  would  do  as  Pharaoh  did. 
The  reason  why  they  do  not,  is,  that  providence  has  placed  them 
in  different  circumstances.  If  they  were  in  the  same  circum- 
stances as  Pharaoh  was  in,  they  would  do  as  he  did.  And  so,  if 
in  the  same  circumstances  as  Manasseh,  as  Judas,  or  Nero.  But 
Providence  restrains  their  corruptions,  by  putting  them  in  such 
circumstances,  as  not  to  open  such  a  door  or  outlet  for  their  cor- 
ruption, as  he  did  to  them.  So  some  do  not  perpetrate  such 
horrid  things,  they  do  not  live  such  horribly  vicious  lives  as  some 
others,  because  Providence  has  restrained  them,  by  ordering 
that  they  should  have  a  better  education  than  others.  Provi- 
dence has  ordered  that  they  should  be  the  children  of  pious  pa- 
rents, it  may  be,  or  should  live  where  they  should  enjoy  many 
means  of  grace ;  and  so  Providence  has  laid  them  under  re- 
straints. Now  this  is  restraining  grace  ;  or  the  attribute  of  God's 
grace  exercised  in  thus  restraining  persons. 

And  oftentimes  God  restrains  men's  corruptions  by  particular 
events  of  providence.  By  particular  afflictions  they  are  brought 
under,  or  by  particular  occurrences,  whereby  God  does,  as  it 
were,  block  up  men's  way  in  their  course  of  sin,  or  in  some 
wickedness  that  they  had  devised,  and  that  otherwise  they  would 
perpetrate.  Or  something  happens  unexpected  to  hold  men 
back  from  that  which  they  were  about  to  commit.  Thus  God 
restrained  David  by  his  providence  from  shedding  blood,  as  he 
intended  to  do.  "  Now,  therefore,  my  Lord,  as  the  Lord  liveth. 


oG  MEN  NATURALLY  GOd's  ENEMIES* 

and  as  thy  soul  liveth,  seeing  the  Lord  hath  withholden  thee  from 
coming  to  shed  blood,  and  from  avenging  thyself  with  thine  own 
hand  ?"  (1  Sam.  xxv.  26.)  God  withheld  him  from  it  in  no  other- 
wise, than  by  ordering  it  so  in  his  providence  that  Abigail  should 
come  and  by  her  wisdom  should  cool,  pacify,  and  persuade  him 
to  alter  his  purpose.     See  ver.  32,  33,  34, 

5.  Godly  persons  are  greatly  indebted  to  restraining  grace, 
in  keeping  them  from  dreadful  acts  of  sin.  So  it  was  in  that  in- 
stance of  David,  just  mentioned.  Even  godly  persons,  when 
God  has  left,  and  has  not  restrained  them,  have  fallen  into 
dreadful  acts  of  sin.  So  did  David,  in  the  case  of  Uriah,  and 
Lot,  and  Peter.  And  when  other  godly  persons  are  kept  from 
falling  into  such  sins,  or  much  worse  sins  than  these,  it  is  owing 
to  the  restraining  grace  of  God.  Merely  having  a  principle  of 
grace  in  their  hearts,  or  merely  their  being  godly  persons,  with- 
out God's  presence  to  restrain  them,  will  not  keep  them  from 
great  acts  of  sin.  That  the  godly  do  not  fall  into  the  most  hor- 
rid sins  that  can  be  conceived  of,  is  owing  not  so  much  to  any 
inconsistence  between  their  falling  into  such  sins,  and  the  having 
a  principle  of  grace  in  the  heart,  as  it  is  owing  to  the  covenant 
mercy  of  God,  whereby  he  has  promised  never  to  leave  nor  for- 
sake his  people,  and  that  he  will  not  suffer  them  to  be  tempted 
above  what  they  are  able  ;  but  with  the  temptation  will  make  a 
way  for  them  to  escape.  If  saving  grace  restrains  men  from 
great  acts  of  sin,  this  is  owing  to  God  who  gives  such  exercise  of 
grace  at  that  time  when  the  temptation  comes  that  they  are  re- 
strained. 

Let  not  the  godly  therefore  be  insensible  of  their  obligations 
to  the  restraining  grace  of  God.  Though  they  cannot  be  said 
to  be  enemies  to  God,  because  a  principle  of  enmity  does  not 
reign  ;  yet  they  have  the  very  same  principle  and  seed  of  en- 
mity in  them,  though  it  be  mortified.  Though  it  be  not  in  reign- 
ing power,  yet  it  has  great  strength  ;  and  is  too  strong  for  them, 
without  God's  almighty  power  to  help  them  against  it.  Though 
they  be  not  enemies  to  God,  because  they  have  a  principle  of 
love ;  yet  their  old  man,  the  body  of  sin  and  death  that  yet  re- 
mains in  them,  is  a  mortal  enemy  to  God.  Corruption  in  the 
godly,  is  not  better  than  it  is  in  the  wicked  ;  but  is  of  as  bad  a 
nature  every  whit,  as  that  which  is  in  a  mortal  enemy  to  God. 
And  though  it  be  not  in  reigning  power  ;  yet  it  would  dreadfully 
rage  were  it  not  for  God's  restraining  grace. 

God  gives  his  restraining  grace  to  both  natural  and  godly 
men  ;  but  there  is  this  difference ;  he  gives  his  restraining  grace 
to  his  children  in  the  way  of  covenant  mercy  :  it  is  part  of  the 
mercy  promised  in  his  covenant.  God  is  faithful,  and  will  not 
leave  them  to  sin  in  the  like  manner  as  wicked  men  do  ;  other- 
wise they  would  do  every  whit  as  bad. — Let  not  therefore  the 
godly  attribute  it  to  themselves,  or  merely  to  their  own  goodness. 


MEN    NATURALLY    GOD^S    ENEMIES.  57 

that  they  are  not  guilty  of  such  horrid  crimes  as  they  hear  of  in 
others  :  let  them  consider  it  is  not  owing  to  them,  but  to  God's  re 
straints. — Thus  all,  both  godly  and  ungodly,  may  learn  from  this 
doctrine,  their  great  obligations  to  the  restraining  grace  of  God. 

Section  VII. 

Why  natural  Men  are  not  willing  to  come  to  Christ,  and  their 
dreadful  condition. 

Hence  we  may  learn  the  reason  why  natural  m  en  will  not 
come  to  Christ :  they  do  not  come  because  they  will  not  come. 
Ye  will  not  come  to  me,  that  ye  might  have  life,  John  v.  40. 
When  we  say  that  natural  men  are  not  willing  to  come  to  Christ, 
it  is  not  meant  that  they  are  not  willing  to  be  delivered  from 
hell;  for  without  doubt,  no  natural  man  is  willing  to  go  to  hell. 
Nor  is  it  meant,  that  they  are  not  willing  that  Christ  should  keep 
them  from  going  to  hell.  Without  doubt  natural  men  under 
awakenings  often  greatly  desire  this.  But  this  does  not  argue 
that  they  are  willing  to  come  to  Christ :  for,  notwithstanding 
their  desire  to  be  delivered  from  hell,  their  hearts  do  not  close 
with  Christ,  but  are  averse  to  him.  They  see  nothing  in  Christ 
wherefore  they  should  desire  him  ;  no  beauty  nor  comeliness  to 
draw  their  hearts  to  him.  And  they  are  not  willing  to  take 
Christ  as  he  is  :  they  would  fain  divide  him.  There  are  some 
things  in  him  that  they  like,  and  others  that  they  greatly  dislike  ; 
but  consider  him  as  he  is,  and  as  he  is  offered  to  them  in  the  gospel, 
and  they  are  not  willing  to  accept  of  Christ ;  for  in  doing  so,  they 
must  of  necessity  part  with  all  their  sins ;  they  must  sell  the  world, 
and  part  with  their  own  righteousness.  But  they  had  rather, 
for  the  present,  run  the  venture  of  going  to  hell,  than  do  that. 

When  men  are  truly  willing  to  come  to  Christ,  they  are 
freely  willing.  It  is  not  what  they  are  forced  and  driven  to  by 
threatenings  •,  but  they  are  willing  to  come,  and  choose  to  come 
without  being  driven.  But  natural  men  have  no  such  free  will- 
ingness ;  but  on  the  contrary  have  an  aversion.  And  the  ground 
of  it  is  that  which  we  have  heard,  viz.  That  they  are  enemies 
to  God.  Their  having  such  a  reigning  enmity  against  God, 
makes  them  obstinately  refuse  to  come  to  Christ.  If  a  man  is 
an  enemy  to  God,  he  will  necessarily  be  an  enemy  to  Christ  too  ; 
for  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God  ;  he  is  infinitely  near  to  God,  yea 
has  the  nature  of  God,  as  well  as  the  nature  of  man.  He  is  a 
saviour  appointed  of  God  ;  he  anointed  him,  and  sent  him  into 
the  world.  And  in  performing  the  work  of  redemption,  he 
wrought  the  works  of  God ;  always  did  those  things  that  pleased 
him ;  and  fell  that  he  does  as  a  saviour,  is  to  his  glory.  And  one 
great  thing  he  aimed  at  in  redemption,  was  to  deliver  them  from 
their  idols,  and  bring  them  to  God.     The  case  being  so.  and  sin- 

Vol.  VII.  8 


58  MEN    NATURALLY  GOD'a   ENEMIES. 

ners  being  enemies  to  God,  they  will  necessarily  be  opposite 
to  coming  to  Christ ;  for  Christ  is  of  God,  and  as  a  saviour  seeks 
them  to  bring  them  to  God  only ;  but  natural  men  are  not  of 
God,  but  are  averse  to  him. 

Hence  we  see,  how  dreadful  is  the  condition  of  natural  men. 
Their  state  is  a  state  of  enmity  with  God.  If  we  consider  what 
God  is,  and  what  men  are,  it  will  be  easy  for  us  to  conclude 
that  such  men  as  are  God's  enemies,  must  be  miserable.  Con- 
sider, ye  that  are  enemies  to  God,  how  great  he  is.  He  is  the 
eternal  God  who  fills  heaven  and  earth,  and  whom  the  heaven 
of  heavens  cannot  contain.  He  is  the  God  that  made  you  ;  in 
whose  hand  your  breath  is,  and  whose  are  all  your  ways ;  the 
God  in  whom  you  live,  and  move,  and  have  your  being;  who 
has  your  soul  and  body  in  his  hands  every  moment. 

You  would  look  on  yourself  as  in  very  unhappy  circum- 
stances, if  your  neighbours  were  all  your  enemies,  and  none  of 
your  fellow-creatures  were  your  friends.  If  every  body  were  set 
against  you,  and  all  despised  and  hated  you,  you  would  be  ready 
to  think,  you  had  better  be  out  of  the  world  than  in  it.  But  if 
it  be  such  a  calamity  to  have  enmity  maintained  between  you 
and  your  fellow-creatures,  what  is  it,  when  you  and  the  almighty 
God  are  enemies  ?  What  avails  either  the  friendship  or  en- 
mity of  your  neighbours,  poor  worms  of  the  dust,  in  comparison 
of  the  friendship  or  enmity  of  the  great  God  of  heaven  and  earth  ? 
Consider, 

I.  If  you  continue  in  your  enmity  a  little  longer,  there  will  be 
a  mutual  enmity  between  God  and  you  to  all  eternity.  God 
will  appear  to  be  your  dreadful  and  irreconcilable  enemy.  If 
you  should  die  an  enemy  to  God,  there  will  be  no  such  thing  as 
any  reconciliation  after  dealh.  God  will  then  appear  to  you  in 
hatred,  without  any  love,  any  pity,  and  any  mercy  at  all.  As 
you  hate  God,  he  will  hate  you.  And  that  will  be  verified  of 
you, — My  soul  loathed  them,  and  their  soul  abhorred  me,  Zech. 
xi.  8.  And  then  God  will  be  your  enemy  for  ever.  If  you  be 
not  reconciled  so  as  to  become  his  friend  in  this  life,  God  never 
will  become  your  friend  after  death.  If  you  continue  an  enemy 
to  God  till  death,  God  will  continue  an  enemy  to  you  to  all  eter- 
nity. You  will  have  no  mediator  offered  you :  there  will  be  no 
day's  man  betwixt  you.  So  that  it  becomes  you  to  consider 
what  it  will  be  to  have  God  your  enemy  to  all  eternity,  without 
any  possibility  of  being  reconciled. 

Consider,  what  will  it  be  to  have  this  enmity  to  be  mutual, 
and  maintained  for  ever  on  both  sides.  For  as  God  will  for 
ever  continue  an  enemy  to  you,  so  you  will  for  ever  continue  an 
enemy  to  God.  If  you  continue  God's  enemy  until  death,  you  will 
always  be  his  enemy.  And  after  death  your  enmity  will  have 
no  restraint,  but  it  will  break  out  and  rage  without  control.  When 
you  come  to  be  a  firebrand  of  hell,  yon  will  be  so  in  two  respects. 


MEN  NATURALLY  (iOD'S  ENEMIES.  59 

fiz.  As  you  will  be  full  of  the  fire  of  God's  wrath  ;  and  as  you 
will  be  all  on  a  blaze  with  spite  and  malice  towards  God.  You 
will  be  as  full  of  the  fire  of  malice,  as  you  will  with  the  fire  of  di- 
vine vengeance,  and  both  will  make  you  full  of  torment.  Then 
you  will  appear  as  you  are,  a  viper  indeed.  You  are  now  under 
great  disguise;  a  wolf  in  sheep's  clothing:  but  then  your  mask 
will  be  pulled  off;  youshall  loose  your  garments,  and  walk  naked, 
Rev.  xvi.  15.  Then  will  you  vent  your  rage  and  malice  in  fear- 
ful blasphemies.  That  same  tongue,  to  cool  which  you  will 
wish  for  a  drop  of  water,  will  be  eternally  employed  in  cursing 
and  blaspheming  God  and  Christ.  And  that  not  from  any  new 
corruption  being  put  into  your  heart ;  but  only  from  God's  with- 
drawing his  hand  from  restraining  your  old  corruption.  And 
what  a  miserable  way  will  this  be  of  spending  your  eternity. 

2.  Consider,  what  will  be  the  consequence  of  a  mutual  enmity 
between  God  and  you,  if  it  be  continued.  Though  hitherto  you 
have  met  with  no  very  great  changes,  yet  they  will  come.  After 
a  little  while,  dying  time  will  come  ;  and  then  what  will  be  the 
consequence  of  this  enmity  ?  God,  whose  enemy  you  are,  has 
the  frame  of  your  body  in  his  hands.  Your  times  are  in  his  hand  ; 
and  he  it  is  that  appoints  your  bounds.  And  when  he  sends 
death  to  arrest  you,  to  change  your  countenance,  to  dissolve  your 
frame,  and  to  take  you  away  from  all  your  earthly  friends,  and 
from  all  that  is  dear  and  pleasant  to  you  in  the  world;  what  will 
be  the  issue  ?  Will  not  you  then  stand  in  need  of  God's  help  ? 
Would  not  he  be  the  best  friend  in  such  a  case,  worth  more  than 
ten  thousand  earthly  friends?  If  God  be  your  enemy  then,  to 
whom  will  you  betake  yourself  for  a  friend  ?  When  you  launch 
forth  into  the  boundlessgulf  of  eternity,  then  you  will  need  some 
friend  to  take  care  of  you  ;  but  if  God  be  your  enemy,  where  will 
you  betake  yourself?  Your  soul  must  go  naked  into  another  world 
in  eternal  separation  from  all  worldly  things  :  and  your  soul  will 
not  be  in  its  own  power  to  defend,  or  dispose  of  itself.  Will  you 
not  then  need  to  have  God  for  a  friend,  into  whose  hands  you 
may  commend  your  spirit?  But  how  dreadful  will  it  be,  to  have 
God  your  enemy ! 

The  time  is  coming  when  the  frame  of  this  world  shall  be 
dissolved.  Christ  shall  descend  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  in  the 
glory  of  his  Father;  and  you,  with  all  the  rest  of  mankind, 
must  stand  before  his  judgment-seat.  Then  what  will  be  the 
consequence  of  this  mutual  enmity  between  God  and  you !  If 
God  be  your  enemy,  who  will  stand  your  friend  ?  Now,  it  may 
be,  it  does  not  appear  to  be  very  terrible  to  you  to  have  God  for 
your  enemy  ;  but  when  such  changes  as  these  are  brought  to  pa«s, 
it  will  greatly  alter  the  appearance  of  things.  Then  God's  favour 
will  appear  to  you  of  infinite  worth.  They,  and  they  only,  will 
then  appear  happy,  who  have  the  love  of  God:  and  then  you  will 
know  that  God's  enemies  are  miserable. — But  underpins  head 
consider  more  particularly  several  things. 


()0  MEN  NATURALLY  GOD's  ENEMU 

(1.)  What  God  can  do  to  his  enemies.  Or  rather,  what  can 
he  not  do  ?  How  miserable  can  he  who  is  almighty  make  his 
enemies  ?  Consider,  you  that  are  enemies  to  God,  whether  or 
no  you  shall  be  able  to  make  your  part  good  with  him.  Do  we 
provoke  the  Lord  to  jealousy  ?  Are  we  stronger  than  he  ?  1  Cor. 
x.22  .  Have  you  such  a  conceit  of  your  own  strength,  as  that 
you  think  to  try  it  out  with  God  ?  Do  you  intend  to  run  the 
risk  of  an  encounter  with  him?  Do  you  imagine  that  your  hands 
can  be  strong,  or  your  heart  can  endure  ?  Do  you  think  you 
shall  be  well  able  to  defend  yourself,  or  to  escape  out  of  his 
hand  ?  Do  you  think  that  you  shall  be  able  to  uphold  your 
spirits,  when  God  acts  as  an  enemy  towards  you?  If  so,  then 
gird  up  your  loins,  and  see  what  the  event  will  be.  Therefore 
thus  will  I  do  unto  thee — and  because  I  will  do  this  unto  thee, 
prepare  to  meet  thy  God. — Amos  iv.  12.  Is  it  not  in  vain  to 
set  the  briers  and  thorns  in  battle  array  against  devouring 
flames  ;  which  though  they  seem  to  be  armed  with  natural  wea- 
pons, yet  the  fire  will  pass  through  them,  and  burn  them  to- 
gether ?  See  Isa.  xxvii.  4. 

And  if  you  endeavour  to  support  yourself  under  God's  wrrath, 
cannot  God  lay  you  under  such  misery,  as  to  cause  your  spirit 
quite  to  fail ;  so  that  you  shall  find  no  strength  to  resist  him,  or 
to  uphold  yourself?  Why  should  a  worm  think  of  supporting 
himself  against  an  omnipotent  adversary  ?  Consider,  God  has 
made  your  soul :  and  he  can  fill  it  with  misery  ;  he  made  your 
body,  and  can  bring  what  torments  he  will  upon  it.  God  who 
made  you,  has  given  you  a  capacity  to  bear  torment  ;  and  he 
has  that  capacity  in  his  hands.  How  dreadful  must  it  be  to  fall 
into  the  hands  of  such  an  enemy!  Surely,  It  is  a  fearful  thing 
to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  living  God.  Heb.  x.  31. 

(2.)  If  God  be  your  enemy,  you  may  rationally  conclude  that 
he  will  act  as  such  in  his  dealings  with  you.  We  have  already 
observed  that  you  have  enmity  without  any  love  or  true  respect. 
So  if  you  continue  to  be  so,  God  will  appear  to  be  your  mere 
enemy;  and  will  be  so  for  ever,  without  being  reconciled. 
But  if  it  be  so,  he  will  doubtless  act  as  such.  If  he  eternally 
hates  you,  he  will  act  in  his  dealings  with  you,  as  one  that  hates 
you  without  any  love  or  pity.  The  proper  tendency  and  aim 
of  hatred,  is  the  misery  of  the  object  hated ;  so  that  you  may 
expect  God  will  make  you  miserable,  and  that  you  will  not  be 
spared. — Now,  God  does  not  act  as  your  mere  enemy:  if  he 
corrects  you,  it  is  in  measure.  He  now  exercises  abundance 
of  mercy  to  you.  He  threatens  you  now:  but  it  is  in  a  way  of 
warning,  and  so  in  a  merciful  way.  He  now  calls,  invites,  and 
strives  with  you,  and  waits  to  be  gracious  to  you.  But  here- 
after there  will  be  an  end  to  all  these  things  :  in  another  world 
God  will  cease  to  show  you  mercy. 

(3.)  If  you  will  continue  God's  enemy,  you  may  rationally 
conclude  that  God  will  deal  with  you  so  as  to  make  it  appear 


MEN    NATURALLY    GOD*S    ENEMIES.  01 

how  dreadful  it  is  to  have  God  for  an  enemy.  It  is  very  dread- 
ful to  have  a  mighty  prince  for  an  enemy.  The  wrath  of  a  king 
is  as  the  roaring  of  a  lion,  Prov.  xix.  12.  But  if  the  wrath  of  a 
man,  a  fellow-worm,  be  so  terrible,  what  is  the  wrath  of  God ! 
And  God  will  doubtless  show  it  to  be  immensely  more  dreadful. 
If  you  will  be  an  enemy,  God  will  act  so  as  to  glorify  those  at- 
tributes which  he  exercises  as  an  enemy  ;  which  are,  his  majesty, 
his  power,  and  justice.  His  great  majesty,  his  awful  justice,  and 
mighty  power,  shall  be  showed  upon  you.  What  if  God,  xoilling 
to  show  wrath,  and  to  make  his  power  known,  endured  with  much 
long-suffering  the  vessels  of  wrath  fitted  to  destruction,  Rom. 
ix.  22. 

(4.)  Consider,  What  God  has  said  he  will  do  to  his  enemies. 
He  has  declared  that  they  shall  not  escape  ;  but  that  he  will 
surely  punish  them.  Thine  hand  shall  find  out  all  thine  enemies, 
thy  right  hand  shall  find  out  all  those  that  hate  thee.  Psalm  xxi.  8. 
And  repayeth  them  that  hate  him  to  their  face,  to  destroy  them  : 
he  will  not  be  slack  to  him  that  hateth  him,  he  will  repay  him  to  his 
face.  Deut.  vii.10.  The  Lord  shall  wound  the  head  of  his  ene- 
mies, and  the  hairy  scalp  of  such  an  one  as  goeth  on  still  in  his 
trespasses.     Psalm  lxviii.  21. 

Yea,  God  hath  sworn  that  he  will  be  avenged  on  them  ;  and 
that  in  a  most  awful  and  dreadful  manner.  For  I  lift  up  my 
hand  to  heaven,  and  say,  I  live  for  ever.  If  I  zohet  my  glitter- 
ing sword,  and  mine  hand  take  hold  on  judgment ;  I  will  render 
vengeance  to  mine  enemies,  and  I  will  reward  them  that  hate  me. 
I  will  make  mine  arrows  drunk  with  blood,  {and  my  sword  shall 
devour  flesh,)  and  that  with  the  blood  of  the  slain — -from  the  be- 
ginning of  revenges  on  the  enemy.  Deut.  xxxii.  40,  41,42.  The 
terribleness  of  the  threatened  destruction  is  here  variously  set 
forth.  God  "whets  his  glittering  sword,"  as  one  that  prepares 
himself  to  do  some  grea't  execution.  "His  hands  take  hold  on 
judgment,"  to  signify  that  he  will  surely  reward  them  as  they 
deserve.  "  He  will  render  vengeance  to  his  enemies,  and  re- 
ward them  that  hate  him."  i.  e.  He  will  render  their  full 
reward.  "  I  will  make  mine  arrows  drunk  with  blood."  This 
signifies  the  greatness  of  the  destruction.  It  shall  not  be  a  little 
of  their  blood  that  shall  satisfy  ;  but  his  arrows  shall  be  glutted 
with  their  blood.  "  And  his  sword  shall  devour  flesh.1'  That 
is,  it  shall  make  dreadful  waste  of  it.  This  is  the  terrible  man- 
ner in  which  God  will  one  day  rise  up  and  execute  vengeance 
on  his  enemies ! 

Again,  the  completeness  of  their  destruction  is  represented  in 
the  following  words:  The  wicked  shall  perish,  the  enemies  of  the 
Lord  shall  be  as  the  fat  of  lambs,  they  shall  consume  :  into  smoke 
shall  they  consume  away.  Psalm  xxxvii.  20.  The  fat  of  lambs, 
when  it  is  burnt  in  the  fire,  burns  all  up  ;  there  is  not  so  much 
as  a  cinder  left;  it  all  consumes  into  smoke.     This  represents 


02  MEN  NATURALLY  GOD'S  ENEMIES 

the  perfect  destruction  of  God's  enemies  in  his  wrath.  So  God 
hath  promised  Christ ;  that  he  would  make  his  enemies  his  foot- 
stool, Psalm  ex.  1.  i.  e.  He  would  pour  the  greatest  contempt 
upon  them,  and  as  it  were  tread  them  under  foot.  Consider, 
that  all  these  things  will  be  executed  on  you,  if  you  continue 
God's  enemies. 


Section  VIII. 
God  may  justly  withhold  Mercy. 

lr  natural  men  are  God's  enemies,  hence  we  may  learn,  how 
justly  God  may  refuse  to  show  you  mercy.  For  is  God  obliged 
to  show  mercy  to  his  enemies  ?  Is  God  bound  to  set  his  love  on 
them  that  have  no  love  to  him ;  but  hate  him  with  perfect 
hatred  ?  Is  he  bound  to  come  and  dwell  with  them  that  have  an 
aversion  to  him,  and  choose  to  keep  at  a  distance  from  him,  and 
fly  from  him  as  one  that  is  hateful  to  them?  Even  should  you 
desire  the  salvation  of  your  soul,  is  God  bound  to  comply  with 
your  desires,  when  you  always  resist  and  oppose  his  will?  Is 
God  bound  to  put  honour  upon  you,  and  to  advance  you  to  such 
dignity  as  to  be  a  child  of  the  King  of  kings,  and  the  heir  of  glory, 
while  at  the  same  time  you  set  him  too  low  to  have  even  the 
lowest  place  in  your  heart? 

This  doctrine  affords  a  strong  argument  for  the  absolute  sove- 
reignty of  God,  with  respect  to  the  salvation  of  sinners.  If  God 
is  pleased  to  show  mercy  to  his  haters,  it  is  certainly  fit  that  he 
should  do  it  in  a  sovereign  way,  without  acting  as  any  way 
obliged.  God  will  show  mercy  to  his  mortal  enemies ;  but  then 
he  will  not  be  bound,  he  will  have  his  liberty  to  choose  the  ob- 
jects of  his  mercy  •,  to  show  mercy  to  what  enemy  he  pleases,  and 
to  punish  and  destroy  which  of  his  haters  he  pleases.  And  cer- 
tainly this  is  a  fit  and  reasonable  thing.  It  is  fit  that  God  should 
distribute  saving  blessings  in  this  way,  and  in  no  other,  viz.  in  a 
sovereign  and  arbitrary  way.  And  that  ever  any  body  thought 
of  or  devised  any  other  way  for  God  to  show  mercy,  than  to 
have  mercy  on  whom  he  would  have  mercy,  must  arise  from 
ignorance  of  their  own  hearts,  whereby  they  were  insensible 
what  enemies  they  naturally  are  to  God.  But  consider  here  the 
following  things  : 

1.  How  causelessly  you  are  enemies  to  God.  You  have  no 
manner  of  reason  for  it,  either  from  what  God  is,  or  from  what 
he  has  done-  You  have  no  reason  for  this  from  what  he  is.  For 
he  is  an  infinitely  lovely  and  gloiious  Being;  the  fountain  of  all 
excellency,  all  that  is  amiable  and  lovely  in  the  universe,  is  ori- 
ginally and  eminently  in  him.     Nothing  can  possibly  be  con 


MEN  NATURALLY  GODS  ENEMIES 


'S  ENEMIES.  03 


ceived  of  that  could  be  lovely  in  God,  that  is  not  in  him,  and  that 
in  the  greatest  possible  degree. 

And  you  have  no  reason  for  this  from  what  God  has  done.  For 
he  has  been  a  good  and  bountiful  God  to  you.  He  has  exer- 
cised abundance  of  kindness  to  you;  has  carried  you  from  the 
womb,  preserved  your  life,  taken  care  of  you,  and  provided  for 
you,  all  your  life  long.  He  has  exercised  great  patience  and  long 
suffering  towards  you.  If  it  had  not  been  for  the  kindness  of 
God  to  you,  what  would  have  become  of  you  ?  What  would  have 
become  of  your  body  ?  And  what,  before  this  time,  would  have 
become  of  your  soul  ?  And  you  are  now,  every  day,  and  hour, 
maintained  by  the  goodness  and  bounty  of  God.  Every  new 
breath  you  draw,  is  a  new  gift  of  his  to  you.  How  causelessly 
then  are  you  such  dreadful  enemies  to  God  !  And  how  justly 
might  he  for  it  eternally  deprive  you  of  all  mercy,  seeing  you  do 
thus  requite  God  for  his  mercy  and  kindness  to  you! 

2.  Consider,  how  you  would  resent  it,  if  others  were  such  ene- 
mies to  you,  as  you  are  to  God.  If  they  had  their  hearts  so 
full  of  enmity  to  you  ;  if  they  treated  you  with  such  contempt, 
and  opposed  you,  as  you  do  God  ;  how  would  you  resent  it?  Do 
you  not  find  that  you  are  apt  greatly  to  resent  it,  when  any  op- 
pose you,  and  show  an  ill  spirit  towards  you?  And  though  you 
excuse  your  own  enmity  against  God  from  your  corrupt  nature 
thatyou  brought  into  the  world  with  you,  which  you  could  not 
help ;  yet  you  do  not  excuse  others  for  being  enemies  to  you 
from  their  corrupt  nature  that  they  brought  into  the  world,which 
they  could  not  help  ;  but  are  ready  bitterly  to  resent  it  notwith- 
standing. 

Consider  therefore,  if  you,  a  poor  unworthy,  unlovely  crea- 
ture, do  so  resent  it,  when  you  are  hated,  how  may  God  justly 
resent  it  when  you  are  enemies  to  him,  an  infinitely  glorious 
Being ;  and  a  Being  from  whom  you  have  received  so  much 
kindness! 

3.  How  unreasonable  is  it  for  you  to  imagine  that  you  can 
oblige  God  to  have  respect  to  you  by  any  thing  that  you  can  do, 
continuing  still  to  be  his  enemy.  If  you  think  you  have  prayed 
and  read,  and  done  something  considerable  for  God  ;  yet  who 
cares  for  the  seeming  kindness  of  an  enemy  ?  What  value 
would  you  yourself  set  upon  a  man  making  a  show  of  friendship, 
whenyouknewat  the  same  time,  that  he  was  inwardly  your  mor- 
tal enemy  ?  Would  you  look  upon  yourself  obliged  for  such  re- 
spect and  kindness?  Would  you  not  rather  abhor  it?  Would 
you  count  such  respect  to  be  valued,  as  Joab's  towards  Amasa, 
who  took  him  by  the  beard,  and  kissed  him,  and  said,  Art  thou 
in  health,  my  brother? — and  smote  him  at  the  same  time  under 
the  fifth  rib,  and  killed  him  !  What  if  you  do  pray  to  God  ?  Is 
he  obliged  to  hear  the  prayers  of  an  enemy  ?  What  if  you  have 
taken  a  great  deal  of  pains,  is  God  obliged  to  give  heaven  for  the 


64  MEN  NATURALLY  GOD's   ENEMIES. 

prayers  of  an  enemy :     He  may  justly  abhor  your  prayers,  and 
all  that  you  do  in  religion,  as  the  flattery  of  a  mortal  enemy. 

Section  IX. 
Practical  Improvement. 

Hence  we  may  learn, 

1.  How  wonderful  is  the  love  that  is  manifested  in  giving 
Christ  to  die  for  us.  For  this  is  love  to  enemies.  "  While  we 
were  enemies,  we  were  reconciled  to  God  by  the  death  of  his 
Son."  How  wonderful  was  the  love  of  God  the  Father,  in  giv- 
ing such  a  gift  to  those  who  not  only  could  not  be  profitable  to 
him,  but  were  his  enemies,  and  to  so  great  a  degree !  They  had 
great  enmity  against  him  ;  yet  so  did  he  love  them,  that  he  gave 
his  own  Son  to  lay  down  his  life,  in  order  to  save  their  lives. 
Though  they  had  enmity  that  sought  to  pull  God  down  from  his 
throne ;  yet  he  so  loved  them,  that  he  sent  down  Christ  from 
heaven,  from  his  throne  there,  to  be  in  form  of  a  servant ;  and 
instead  of  a  throne  of  glory,  gave  him  to  be  nailed  to  the  cross, 
and  to  be  laid  in  the  grave,  that  so  we  might  be  brought  to  a 
throne  of  glory. 

How  wonderful  was  the  love  of  Christ,  in  thus  exercising  dy- 
ing love  towards  his  enemies !  He  loved  those  that  hated  him, 
with  hatred  that  sought  to  take  away  his  life,  so  as  voluntarily 
to  lay  down  his  life,  that  they  might  have  life  through  him. 
Herein  is  love;  not  that  we  loved  him, but  that  he  loved  us,  and  laid 
down  his  life  for  us. 

1.  If  we  are  all  naturally  God's  enemies,  hence  we  may  learn 
what  a  spirit  it  becomes  us  as  Christians  to  possess  towards  our 
enemies.  Though  we  are  enemies  to  God,  yet  we  hope  that 
God  has  loved  us,  that  Christ  has  died  for  us,  that  God  has  for- 
given or  will  forgive  us  ;  and  will  do  us  good,  and  bestow  infinite 
mercies  and  blessings  upon  us,  so  as  to  make  us  happy  for  ever. 
All  this  mercy,  we  hope  has  been,  or  will  be  exercised  towards 
us. 

Certainly  then,  it  will  not  become  us  to  be  bitter  in  our  spirits 
against  those  that  are  enemies  to  us,  and  have  injured  and  ill 
treated  us ;  and  though  they  have  yet  an  ill  spirit  towards  us. 
Seeing  we  depend  so  much  on  God's  forgiving  us,  though  enemies, 
we  should  exercise  a  spirit  of  forgiveness  towards  our  enemies. 
And  therefore  our  Saviour  inserted  it  in  that  prayer,  which  he 
dictated  as  a  general  directory  to  all ;  "Forgive  us  our  debts,  as 
we  forgive  our  debtors,"  to  enforce  the  duty  upon  us,  and  to  show 
us  how  reasonable  it  is.  And  we  ought  to  love  them  even  while 
enemies;  for  so  we  hope  God  hath  done  to  us.  We  should  be 
the  children  of  our  Father,  who  is  kind  to  the  unthankful  and 
evil.     Luke  vi.  35. 


MEN    NATURALLY    GOD''S    ENEMIES.  t)5 

If  we  refuse  thus  to  do,  and  are  of  another  spirit,  we  may  just- 
ly expect  that  God  will  deny  us  his  mercy,  as  he  has  threaten- 
ed! If  ye  forgive  men  their  trespasses,  your  heavenly  Fatherwill 
alsoforgive  you :  but  if  ye  forgive  not  men  their  trespasses,  neither 
will  your  father  forgive  your  trespasses.  Matt.  vi.  14,  15.  The 
same  we  have  in  the  parable  of  the  man  who  owed  his  lord  ten 
thousand  talents.  Matt,  xviii.  23 — 35. 


Vol.  VII. 


STCRMON  III. 


WISDOM  DISPLAYED  IN  SALVATION 


Ephesians  iii.  10. 

To  the  intent  that  now  unto  the  principalities  and  powers  in 
heavenly  places  might  be  known  by  the  church  the.  manifold 
71'isdom  of  God. 


Introduction . 

The  apostle  is  speaking  in  the  context  of  the  glorious  doctrine 
of  the  redemption  of  sinners  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  how  it  was  in 
a  great  measure  kept  hid  in  the  past  ages  of  the  world.  It  was  a 
mystery,  that  before  they  did  not  understand,  but  now  it  was  in 
a  glorious  manner  brought  to  light,  (ver.  3 — 5.)  "  By  revelation 
he  made  known  unto  me  the  mystery,  (  as  I  wrote  afore  in  few 
words  ;  whereby  when  ye  read  ye  may  understand  my  know- 
ledge in  the  mystery  of  Christ,)  which  in  other  ages  was  not 
made  known  unto  the  sons  of  men,  as  it  is  now  revealed  unto 
his  holy  apostles  and  prophets,  by  the  Spirit :"  And  ver.  8,  9. 
"  Unto  me  who  am  less  than  the  least  of  all  saints  is  this  grace 
wiven,  that  I  should  preach  among  the  Gentiles  the  unsearchable 
riches  of  Christ ;  and  to  make  all  men  see  what  is  the  fellowship 
of  the  mystery,  which  from  the  beginning  of  the  world,  hath 
been  hid  in  God,  who  created  all  things  by  Jesus  Christ.'" 

And  the  apostle  in  the  text  informs  us,  that  what  Christ  had 
accomplished  towards  his  church,  in  the  work  of  redemption, 
had  not  only  in  a  great  measure  unveiled  the  mystery  to  the 
church  in  this  world  ;  but  God  had  more  clearly  and  fully  open- 
ed it  to  the  understanding  even  of  the  angels  themselves;  and 
that  this  was  one  end  of  God  in  it,  to  discover  the  glory  of  his 
wisdom  to  the  angels.  To  the  intent  that  now  unto  the  principali- 
ties and  powers  in  heavenly  places  might  be  known  by  the  church 
the  manifold  zoisdom  of  God. 

One  end  of  revealing  God's  counsels  concerning  the  work  of 
redemption,  is  making  known  God's  wisdom.  It  is  called  mani- 
fold wisdom :  because  of  the  manifold  sdorionc  f>nds  that  are  at- 


WISDOM  DISPLAYED  IN  S>ALVAXlu2v.  tH 

lained  by  it.  Tlie  excellent  designs,  hereby  accomplished,  arc 
very  manifold.  The  wisdom  of  God  in  this  is  of  vast  extent. 
The  contrivance  is  so  manifold,  that  one  may  spend  an  eternity 
in  discovering  more  of  the  excellent  ends  and  designs  accom- 
plished by  it ;  and  the  multitude  and  vast  variety  of  things  that 
are,  by  divine  contrivance,  brought  to  conspire  to  the  bringing 
about  those  ends. 

We  may  observe,  to  whom  it  is  that  God  would  manifest  this 
his  wisdom,  by  revealing  the  mystery  of  our  redemption  ; — and 
they  are  not  only  men,  but  the  angels.  "To  the  intent  that 
now  unto  the  principalities  and  pozoers  in  heavenly  places  might 
be  known — the  manifold  wisdom  of  God."  The  angels  are  of- 
ten called  principalities  and  powers,  because  of  the  exalted  dig- 
nity of  their  nature.  The  angels  excel  in  strength  and  wisdom. 
Those  who  are  the  wise  men  of  the  earth  are  called  princes  in 
the  style  of  the  apostle,  1  Cor.  ii.  6.  Howbeit  we  speak  wis- 
dom among  them  that  are  perfect,  yet  not  the  wisdom  of  this 
zoorld,  nor  of  the  princes  of  this  world.  Ver.  8.  Which  none  of 
the  princes  of  this  world  knew  ;  for  had  they  known  it,  they  would 
not  have  crucified  the  Lord  of  glory.  So  the  angels  are  called 
principalities  for  their  great  wisdom.  They  may  also  be  so  called 
for  the  honour  God  has  put  upon  them,  in  employing  them  as 
his  ministers  and  instruments,  wherewith  he  governs  the  world  : 
and  therefore  are  called  thrones,  dominions,  principalities,  and 
powers.  Col.  i.  16. 

They  are  called  principalities  and  powers  in  heavenly  places, 
as  distinguishing  them  from  those  that  are  in  places  of  earthly 
power  and  dignity.  The  offices,  or  places  of  dignity  and  power 
that  the  angels  sustain,  are  not  earthly  but  heavenly.  They 
are  in  places  of  honour  and  power  in  the  heavenly  city  and  the 
heavenly  kingdom. 

One  end  of  God  in  revealing  his  design  of  contrivance  for  re- 
demption, as  he  hath  so  fully  and  gloriously  done  by  Jesus  Christ, 
is  that  the  angels  in  heaven  may  behold  the  glory  of  his  wisdom 
by  it.  Though  they  are  such  bright  intelligences,  and  do  always 
behold  the  face  of  God  the  Father ;  and  know  so  much  ;  yet  here 
is  matter  of  instruction  for  them.  Here  they  may  see  more  of 
the  divine  wisdom  than  ever  they  had  seen  before.  It  was  a  new 
disqovery  of  the  wisdom  of  God  to  them. 

The  time  when  this  display  of  the  wisdom  of  God  was  espe- 
cially made  to  the  angels  is,  when  Christ  introduced  the  gospel 
dispensation  implied  in  these  words,  "  To  the  intent  that  now 
unto  the  principalities,"  &c.  When  Christ  came  into  the  world 
and  died,  and  actually  performed  the  work  of  redemption — 
when  he  had  fully  and  plainly  revealed  the  counsels  of  God  con- 
cerning it;  and  accordingly  introduced  the  evangelical  dispensa- 
tion, and  erected  the  gospel  church, — then  the  angels  under- 
stood more  of  the  mystery  of  man's  redemption,  and  the  mani 


6&  WISDOM  DISPLAYED  IN  SALVATION. 

fold  designs  and  counsels  of  divine  wisdom,  than  ever  they  had 
done  before. 

In  the  foregoing  verse  the  apostle,  after  speaking  of  revealing 
this  wisdom  of  God  to  man,  "And  to  make  all  mm  see,  what  is 
the  fellowship  of  this  mystery,"  &c.  speaks  of  this  mystery  as  a 
thing  from   the  beginning  kept  hid  till  now.     "The  mystery. 

which  from  the  beginning  of  the  world  had  been  hid  in  God 

that  now,"  &c.  In  this  verse  he  mentions  another  end,  viz. 
that  he  may  at  the  same  time  make  the  angels  also  see  God's 

wisdom  in  his    glorious  scheme  of  redemption. "Now,  at 

this  time,"  implies  that  it  was  before  a  mystery  kept  hid  from 
them  in  comparison  of  what  it  is  now.  And  here  is  room  enough 
for  the  angels  to  discover  more  and  more  to  all  eternity  of  the 
wisdom  of  God  in  this  work. 

Observe  the  medium  by  which  the  angels  come  by  this  know- 
ledge, viz.  the  church. — "That  now  unto  principalities — might 
be  known  by  the  church?* — i.  e.  by  the  things  they  see  done  in 
the  church,  or  towards  the  church  :  and  by  what  they  see  con- 
cerning the  church.  So  hath  it  pleased  the  sovereign  God  that 
the  angels  should  have  the  most  glorious  discoveries  of  divine 
wisdom  by  his  doings  towards  his  church,  a  sort  of  being"  much 
inferior  to  themselves.  It  hath  pleased  God  to  put  this  honour 
upon  us. 

The  wisdom  appearing  in  the  way  of  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ, 
is  far  above  the  7visdom  of  the  angels.  For  here  it  is  mentioned 
as  one  end  of  God  in  revealing  the  contrivance  of  our  salvation, 
that  the  angels  thereby  might  see  and  know  how  great  and  mani- 
fold the  wisdom  of  God  is,  to  hold  forth  the  divine  wisdom  to 
the  angels'  view  and  admiration.  But  why  is  it  so,  if  this  wis- 
dom be  not  higher  than  their  own  wisdom?  It  never  would 
have  been  mentioned  as  one  end  of  revealing  the  contrivance 
of  redemption,  that  the  angels  might  see  how  manifold  God's 
wisdom  is,  if  all  the  wisdom  to  be  seen  in  it  was  no  greater  than 
their  own.  It  is  mentioned  as  a  wisdom  such  as  they  had  never 
seen  before,  not  in  God,  much  less  in  themselves.  That  now 
might  be  known  how  manifold  the  wisdom  of  God  is;  now,  four 
thousand  years  since  the  creation.  In  all  that  time  the  angels 
had  always  beheld  the  face  of  God  ;  and  had  been  studying  God's 
works  of  creation ;  yet  they  never  till  that  day,  had  seen  any- 
thing like  that:  never  knew  how  manifold  God's  wisdom  is,  as 
now  they  knew  it  by  the  church. 

Section  I. 

Wonderful  things  done,  by  which  Salvation  is  procured. 

Such  is  the  choice  of  the  person  chosen  to  be  our  Redeemer. 
■ — the  substituting  of  him  in  our  room  :  his  incarnation — his  life 
—-his  death — and  exaltation.     And. 


WISDOM  L-iSPLAyED  IN  SALVATION.  69 

1.  We  will  consider  the  choice  of  the  person  to  be  our  Re- 
deemer. When  God  designed  the  redemption  of  mankind,  his 
great  wisdom  appears  in  that  he  pitched  upon  his  own,  his  only 
begotten  Son,  to  be  the  person  to  perform  the  work.  He  was  a 
Redeemer  of  God's  own  choosing,  and  therefore  he  is  called  in 
Scripture  God's  elect,  (Isa.  lxii.  1.)  The  wisdom  of  choosing 
this  person  to  be  the  Redeemer,  appears  in  his  being  ever)-  way 
a  Jit  person  for  the  undertaking.  It.  was  necessary  that  the  per- 
son that  is  the  Redeemer,  should  be  a  divine  person  ; — None  but 
a  divine  person  was  sufficient  for  this  great  work.  The  work 
is  infinitely  unequal  to  any  creature.  It  was  requisite,  that  the 
Redeemer  of  sinners,  should  be  himself  infinitely  holy.  None 
could  take  away  the  infinite  evil  of  sin,  but  one  that  was  infinitely 
far  from  and  contrary  to  sin  himself.  Christ  is  a  fit  person  on 
this  account. 

It  was  requisite,  that  the  person,  in  order  to  be  sufficient  for 
this  undertaking,  should  be  one  of  infinite  dignity  and  worthi- 
ness, that  he  might  be  capable  of  meriting  infinite  blessings. 
The  Son  of  God  is  a  fit  person  on  this  account.  It  was  neces- 
sary,  that  he  should  be  a  person  of  infinite  power  and  wisdom  ;  for 
this  work  is  so  difficult,  that  it  requires  such  an  one.  Christ  is 
a  fit  person  also  upon  this  account.  It  was  requisite,  that  he 
should  be  a  person  infinitely  dear  to  God  the  Father,  in  order 
to  give  an  infinite  value  to  his  transactions  in  the  Father's  es- 
teem, and  that  the  Father's  love  to  him  might  balance  the  offence 
and  provocation  by  our  sins.  Christ  is  a  fit  person  upon  this  ac- 
count. Therefore  called  the  beloved,  (Eph.  i.  6.)  He  hath  made 
us  accepted  in  the  beloved. 

It  was  requisite,  that  the  person  should  be  one  that  could  act 
in  this  as  of  his  own  absolute  right :  one  that,  in  himself,  is  not 
a  servant  or  subject;  because,  if  he  is  one  that  cannot  act  of  his 
own  right,  he  cannot  merit  any  thing.  He  that  is  a  servant,  and 
that  can  do  no  more  than  he  is  bound  to  do,  cannot  merit.  And 
then  he  that  has  nothing  that  is  absolutely  his  own,  cannot  pay 
any  price  to  redeem  another.  Upon  this  account  Christ  is  a 
person;  and  none  but  a  divine  person  can  befit. — And  he  must 
be  a  person  also  of  infinite  mercy  and  love  ;  for  no  other  person 
but  such  an  one  would  undertake  a  work  so  difficult,  for  a  crea- 
ture so  unworthy  as  man.  Upon  this  account  also  Christ  is  a  fit 
person. — It  was  requisite  that  he  should  be  a  person  of  unchange- 
able perfect  truth  and  faithfulness  ;  otherwise  he  could  not  be  fit 
to  be  depended  on  by  us  in  so  great  an  affair.  Christ  is  also  a  fit 
person  upon  this  account. 

The  wisdom  of  God  in  choosing  his  eternal  Son,  appears,  not 
only  in  that  he  is  a  fit  person  ;  but  in  that  he  was  the  only  fit  per- 
son of  all  persons,  whether  created  or  uncreated.  No  created 
person,  neither  man,  nor  angel,  was  fit  for  this  undertaking;  for 
we  have  just  now  shown,  that  he  must  be  a  person  of  infinite 


70  WISDOM  DiSPLAVED   IN  SALVATION. 

holiness — dignity — power — wisdom  ;  infinitely  dear  to  God — oi 
infinite  love  and  mercy;  and  one  that  may  act  of  his  own  abso- 
lute right.  But  no  creature,  how  excellent  soever,  has  any  one 
of  these  qualifications. — There  are  three  uncreated  persons,  the 
Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost ;  and  Christ  alone  of  these  was  a 
suitable  person  for  a  Redeemer.  It  was  not  meet,  that  the  Re- 
deemer should  be  God  the  Father;  because  he,  in  the  divine 
economy  of  the  persons  of  the  Trinity,  was  the  person  that  holds 
the  rights  of  the  Godhead,  and  so  was  the  person  offended,  whose 
justice  required  satisfaction,  and  was  to  be  appeased  by  a  medi- 
ator. It  was  not  meet  it  should  be  the  Holy  Ghost,  for  in  being 
mediator  between  the  Father  and  the  saints,  he  is  in  some  sense 
so  between  the  Father  and  the  Spirit.  The  saints,  in  all  their 
spiritual  transactions  with  God?  act  by  the  Spirit:  or  rather,  it 
is  the  spirit  of  God,  that  acts  in  them.  They  are  the  temples 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  holy  Spirit  dwelling  in  them,  is  their 
principle  of  action,  in  all  their  transactions  with  God.  But  in 
these  their  spiritual  transactions  with  God,  they  act  by  a  medi- 
ator. These  spiritual  and  holy  exercises  cannot  be  acceptable, 
or  avail  any  thing  with  God,  as  from  a  fallen  creature,  but  by  a 
mediator.  Therefore  Christ  in  being  mediator  between  the  Fa- 
ther and  the  saints,  may  be  said  to  be  mediator  between  the  Fa- 
ther and  the  holy  Spirit,  that  acts  in  the  saints.  And  therefore 
it  was  meet,  that  the  mediator  should  not  be  either  the  Father 
or  the  Spirit,  but  a  middle  person  between  them  both.  It  is  the 
Spirit  in  the  saints,  that  seeks  the  blessing  of  God,  by  faith  and 
prayer ;  and,  as  the  apostle  says,  with  groanings  that  cannot  be 
uttered,  Rom.  viii.  26.  Likezoise  the  spirit  also  helpeth  our  infir- 
mities :  for  we  know  not  what  zoe  should  pray  for  as  zve  ought:  but 
the  Spirit  itself  maketh  intercession  for  us,  with  groanings  that 
cannot  be  uttered.  The  Spirit  in  the  saints  seeks  divine  bless- 
ings of  God,  by  and  through  a  mediator;  and  therefore  that  me- 
diator must  not  be  the  Spirit,  but  another  person. 

It  shows  a  divine  wisdom,  to  know  that  he  was  a  fit  person. 
_\o  other  but  one  of  divine  wisdom  could  have  known  it.  None 
but  one  of  infinite  wisdom  could  have  thought  of  him  to  be  a 
Redeemer  of  sinners.  For  he.  as  he  is  God,  is  one  of  the  per- 
sons offended  by  sin,  against  whom  man  by  his  sin  had  rebelled. 
Who  but  God,  infinitely  wise,  could  ever  have  thought  oHuni 
to  be  a  Redeemer  of  sinners.  Against  whom  they  had  sinned, 
to  whom  they  were  enemies,  and  of  whom  they  deserved  infi- 
nitely ill !  Who  would  ever  have  thought  of  hirn  as  one  that  should 
set  his  heart  upon  man,  and  exercise  infinite  love  and  pity  to 
him,  and  exhibit  infinite  wisdom,  power,  and  merit  in  redeeming 
him !     We  proceed, 

2.  To  consider  the  substituting  of  this  person  in  our  room. 
After  choosing  the  person  to  be  our  Redeemer,  the  next  step  ot 
divine  wisdom  is,  to  contrive  the  way  how  he  should  pe' 


WISDOM -DISPLAYED  IN  SALVATION.  "H 

this  work.  If  God  had  declared  who  the  person  was  that  should 
do  this  work,  and  had  gone  no  further ;  no  creature  could  have 
thought  which  way  this  person  could  have  performed  the  work. 
If  God  had  told  them,  that  his  own  Son  must  be  the  Redeemer  ; 
and  that  he  alone  was  a  fit  person  for  the  work :  and  that  he  was 
a  person  every  way  fit  and  sufficient  for  it, — but  had  proposed  to 
them  to  contrive  a  way  how  this  fit  and  sufficient  person  should 
proceed,  we  may  well  suppose  that  all  created  understandings 
would  have  been  utterly  at  a  loss. 

The  first  thing  necessary  to  be  done,  is,  that  the  Son  of  God 
should  become  our  representative  and  surety;  and  so  be  substi- 
tuted in  the  sinner's  room.  But  who  of  created  intelligences 
would  have  thought  of  any  such  thing  as  the  eternal  and  infinite- 
ly beloved  Son  of  God  being  substituted  in  the  room  of  sinners ! 
His  standing  in  stead  of  a  sinner,  a  rebel,  an  object  of  the 
wrath  of  God  !  Who  would  have  thought  of  a  person  of  infinite 
glory  representing  sinful  worms,  that  had  made  themselves  by  sin 
infinitely  provoking  and  abominable  ! 

For  if  the  Son  of  God  be  substituted  in  the  sinners  room,  then 
his  sin  must  be  charged  upon  him  :  he  will  thereby  take  the 
guilt  of  the  sinner  upon  himself;  he  must  be  subject  to  the  same 
law  that  man  was,  both  as  to  the  commands,  and  threatcnings : 
but  who  would  have  thought  of  any  such  thing  concerning  the 
Son  of  God  !     But  we  proceed, 

3.  To  consider  the  incarnation  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  next  step 
of  divine  wisdom  in  contriving  how  Christ  should  perform  the 
work  of  redeeming  sinners,  was  in  determining  his  incarnation. 
Suppose  God  had  revealed  his  counsels  thus  far  to  created  un- 
derstandings, that  his  own  Son  was  the  person  chosen  for  this 
work,  that  he  had  substituted  him  in  the  sinner's  room,  and  ap- 
pointed him  to  take  the  sinner's  obligations  and  guilt  on  him- 
self— and  had  revealed  no  more,  but  had  left  the  rest  to  them 
to  find  out ;  it  is  no  way  probable,  that  even  then  they  could 
ever  have  thought  of  a  way,  whereby  this  person  might  actually 
have  performed  the  work  of  redemption.  For  if  the  Son  of 
God  be  substituted  in  the  sinner's  stead,  then  he  takes  the  sin- 
ner's obligations  on  himself.  For  instance,  he  must  take  the  ob- 
ligation the  sinner  is  under  to  perform  perfect  obedience  to  the 
divine  law.  But  it  is  not  probable,  that  any  creature  could 
have  conceived  how  that  could  be  possible. — How  should  a  per- 
son who  is  the  eternal  Jehovah,  become  a  servant,  be  under 
law,  and  perform  obedience  even  to  the  law  of  man  ! 

And  again,  if  the  Son  of  God  be  substituted  in  the  sinner's 
stead,  then  he  comes  under  the  sinner's  obligation  to  suffer  the. 
punishment,  which  man's  sin  had  deserved.  And  who  could 
have  thought  that  to  be  possible !  For  how  should  a  divine  per- 
son, who  is  essentially,  unchangeably,  and  infinitely  happy,  suf- 
fer pain  and  torment ?     And  how  should  he  who  j*  the  object  of 


*'^  WISDOM    DISPLAYED    IN    SALVATION. 

God's  infinitely  dear  love,  suffer  the  wrath  of  his  Father.  It  ia 
not  to  be  supposed,  that  created  wisdom  ever  would  have  found 
out  a  way  how  to  have  got  over  these  difficulties,  but  divine 
wisdom  has  found  out  a  way,  viz,  by  the  incarnation  of  the  Son 
of  God.  That  the  Word  should  be  made  flesh,  that  he  might 
be  both  God  and  man,  in  one  person:  what  created  understand- 
ing could  have  conceived  that  such  a  thing  was  possible.  Yet 
those  things  could  never  be  proved  to  be  impossible.  This  dis- 
distinction  duly  considered,  will  show  the  futility  of  many  So- 
cinian  objections. 

And  if  God  had  revealed  to  them,  that  it  was  possible,  and 
even  that  it  should  be  but  left  them  to  find  out  how  it  should 
be  :  we  may  well  suppose  that  they  would  all  have  been 
puzzled  and  confounded,  to  conceive  of  a  way  for  so  uniting 
a  man  to  the  eternal  Son  of  God,  that  they  should  be 
but  one  person  ;  that  one  who  is  truly  a  man  in  all  respects, 
should  indeed  be  the  very  same  Son  of  God,  that  was  with 
God  from  all  eternity.  This  is  a  great  mystery  to  us.  Here- 
by a  person  that  is  infinite,  omnipotent  and  unchangeable,  is 
become  in  a  sense,  a  finite,  a  feeble  man  :  a  man  subject 
to  our  sinless  infirmities,  passions,  and  calamities !  The 
great  God,  the  soverign  of  heaven  and  earth,  is  thus  become 
a  worm  of  the  dust.  (Psal.  xxii.  6.)  "  I  am  a  worm,  and  no  man."' 
He  that  is  eternal  and  self-existent,  is  by  this  union  born  of  a 
woman  !  He  who  is  the  great  original  Spirit,  is  clothed  with  flesh 
and  blood  like  one  of  us  !  He  who  is  independent,  self-sufficient, 
and  all-sufficient,  now  is  come  to  stand  in  need  of  food  and 
clothing  :  he  becomes  poor,  "  has  not  where  to  lay  his  head," — 
stands  in  need  of  the  charity  of  men,  and  is  maintained  by  it. 
It  is  far  above  us,  to  conceive  how  it  is  done.  It  is  a  great 
wonder  and  mystery  to  us :  but  it  was  no  mystery  to  divine 
wisdom. 

4.  The  next  thing  to  be  considered  is,  the  life  of  Christ  in 
this  world.  The  wisdom  of  God  appears  in  the  circumstances 
of  his  life — and  in  the  work  and  business  of  his  life. 

(1.)  The  circumstances  of  his  life.  If  God  had  revealed  that 
his  own  Son  should  be  incarnate,  and  should  live  in  this  world 
in  the  human  nature  ;  and  it  had  been  left  to  men  to  deter- 
mine what  circumstances  of  life  would  have  been  most  suitable 
for  him,  human  wisdom  would  have  determined,  that  he  should 
appear  in. the  world  in  a  most  magnificient  manner;  with  very 
extraordinary  outward  ensigns  of  honour,  authority,  and  power, 
far  above  any  of  the  kings  of  the  earth :  that  here  he  should 
reign  in  great  visible  pomp  and  splendour  over  all  nations. — And 
thus  it  was  that  men's  wisdom  did  determine,  before  Christ 
came.  The  wise,  the  great  men  among  the  Jews,  Scribes  and 
Pharisees,  who  were  called  "  Princes  of  this  world,"  did  expect 
that  the  Messiah  would  thus  appear.     But  the  wisdom  of  God 


WISDOM    DISPLAYED     IN    SALVATION.  73 

chose  quite  otherwise :  it  chose  that  when  the  Son  of  God 
became  man,  he  should  begin  his  life  in  a  stable,  for  many  years 
dwell  obscurely  in  a  family  of  low  degree  in  the  world,  and  be  in 
low  outward  circumstances  ;  that  he  should  be  poor,  and  not  have 
where  to  lay  his  head  ;  that  he  should  be  maintained  by  the  cha- 
rity of  some  of  his  disciples ;  that  he  should  "  Grow  up  as  a 
tender  plant,  and  as  a  root  out  of  a  dry  ground  j'1  (Isa.  liii.  2.) 
"That  he  should  not  cry,  nor  lift  up,  nor  cause  his  voice  to  be 
heard  in  the  streets,"  (Isa.  xlii.  2.)  That  he  should  come  to  Zian 
in  a  lowly  manner,  "  Riding  on  an  ass  and  a  colt  the  foal  of  an 
ass. — "  That  he  should  be  despised  and  rejected  of  men,  a  man 
of  sorrows,  and  acquainted  with  grief." 

And  now  the  divine  determination  in  this  matter  is  made 
known,  we  may  safely  conclude  that  it  is  far  the  most  suitable  ; 
and  that  it  would  not  have  been  at  all  suitable  for  God,  when 
he  was  manifest  in  the  flesh,  to  appear  with  earthly  pomp,  wealth 
and  grandeur.  No!  these  things  are  infinitely  too  mean,  and 
despicable,  for  the  Son  of  God  to  show  as  if  he  affected  or  es- 
teemed them.  Men,  if  they  had  had  this  way  proposed  to  them, 
would  have  been  ready  to  condemn  it  as  foolish,  and  very  un- 
suitable for  the  Son  of  God.  "  But  the  foolishness  of  God  is 
wiser  than  men,"  (1  Cor.  i.  25.)  *•  And  God  hath  brought  to 
nought  the  wisdom  of  this  world?  and  the  princes  of  this  world. " 
(1  Cor.  ii.  6.)  Christ,  by  thus  appearing  in  mean  and  low  out- 
ward circumstances  in  the  world,  has  poured  contempt  upon  all 
worldly  wealth  and  glory,  and  has  taught  us  to  despise  it.  And 
if  it  becomes  mean  men  to  despise  them,  how  much  more  did  it 
become  the  Son  of  God!  And  then  Christ  hereby  hath  taught  us 
to  be  lowly  in  heart.  If  he  who  was  infinitely  high  and  great, 
was  thus  lowly ;  how  lowly  should  we  be,  who  are  indeed  so  vile. 

(2.)  The  wisdom  of  God  appears  in  the  work  and  business  of 
the  life  of  Christ:  Particularly,  that  he  should  perfectly  obey  the 
law  of  God,  under  such  great  temptations:  that  he  should  have 
conflicts  with,  and  overcome  for  us,  in  a  way  of  obedience,  the 
powers  of  earth  and  hell :  that  he  should  be  subject  to,  not  only 
the  moral  law,  but  the  ceremonial  also,  that  heavy  yoke  of  bond- 
age. Christ  went  through  the  time  of  his  public  ministry,  in 
delivering  to  us  divine  instructions  and  doctrines.  The  wisdom 
of  God  appears  in  giving  us  such  an  one  to  be  our  prophet  and 
teacher ;  who  is  a  divine  person,  who  is  himself  the  very  wis- 
dom and  word  of  God,  and  was  from  all  eternity  in  the  bosom  of 
the  Father.  His  word  is  of  greater  authority  and  weight  than 
if  delivered  by  the  mouth  of  an  ordinary  prophet.  And  how 
wisely  ordered,  that  the  same  should  be  our  teacher  and  Re- 
deemer ;  in  order  that  his  relations  and  offices,  as  Redeemer, 
might  the  more  sweeten  and  endear  his  instructions  to  us.  We 
are  ready  to  give  heed  to  what  is  said  by  those  who  are  dear  to 

Vol.  VII.  10 


<4  WISDOM  DISPLAYED   iiV  SALVATION. 

us.  Our  love  to  their  persons  makes  us  to  delight  in  their  dis- 
course. It  is  therefore  wisely  ordered,  that  he  who  has  done 
so  much  to  endear  himself  to  us,  should  be  appointed  our  great 
prophet,  to  deliver  to  us  divine  doctrines. 

5.  The  next  thing  to  be  considered  is  the  death  of  Christ. 
This  is  a  means  of  salvation  for  poor  sinners,  that  no  other  but 
divine  wisdom  would  have  pitched  upon  :  and  when  revealed,  it 
was  doubtless  greatly  to  the  surprise  of  all  the  hosts  of  heaven, 
and  they  never  will  cease  to  wonder  at  it.  How  astonishing  is 
it,  that  a  person  who  is  blessed  for  ever,  and  is  infinitely  and  es- 
sentially happy,  should  endure  the  greatest  sufferings  that  ever 
were  endured  on  earth!  That  a  person  who  is  the  supreme 
Lord  and  Judge  of  the  world,  should  be  arraigned,  and  should 
stand  at  the  judgment-seat  of  mortal  worms,  and  then  be  con- 
demned. That  a  person  who  is  the  living  God,  and  the  foun- 
tain of  life,  should  be  put  to  death.  That  a  person  who  created 
the  world,  and  gives  life  to  all  his  creatures,  should  be  put  to 
death  by  his  own  creatures.  That  a  person  of  infinite  majesty 
and  glory,  and  so  the  object  of  the  love,  praises  and  adorations 
of  angels,  should  be  mocked  and  spit  upon  by  the  vilest  of  men. 
That  a  person  infinitely  good,  and  who  is  love  itself,  should  suffer 
the  greatest  cruelty.  That  a  person  who  is  infinitely  beloved  of 
the  Father,  should  be  put  to  inexpressible  anguish  under  his  own 
Father's  wrath.  That  he  who  is  King  of  heaven,  who  hath 
heaven  for  his  throne,  and  the  earth  for  his  footstool,  should  be 
buried  in  the  prison  of  the  grave.  How  wonderful  is  this  !  And 
yet  this  is  the  way  that  God's  wisdom  hath  fixed  upon,  as  the 
way  of  sinners'  salvation  ;  as  neither  unsuitable,  nor  dishonour- 
able to  Christ. 

G.  The  last  thing  done  to  procure  salvation  for  sinners,  is 
Christ's  exaltation.  Divine  wisdom  saw  it  needful,  or  most  ex- 
pedient, that  the  same  person  who  died  upon  the  cross,  should 
sit  at  his  right  hand,  on  his  own  throne,  as  supreme  governor 
of  the  world,  and  should  have  particularly  the  absolute  disposal 
of  all  things  relating  to  man's  salvation,  and  should  be  the  judge 
of  the  world.  This  was  needful,  because  it  was  requisite  that 
the  same  person  who  purchased  salvation,  should  have  the  be- 
stowing of  it;  for  it  is  not  fit,  that  God  shovld  at  all  transact 
with  the  fallen  creature  in  a  way  of  mercy,  but  by  a  Mediator. 
And  this  is  exceedingly  for  the  strengthening  of  the  faith  and 
comfort  of  the  saints,  that  he  who  hath  endured  so  much  to  pur- 
chase salvation  for  them,  has  all  things  in  heaven  and  in  earth 
delivered  unto  him  ;  that  he  might  bestow  eternal  life  on  them 
for  whom  he  purchased  it.  And  that  the  same  person  that 
loved  them  so  greatly  as  to  shed  his  precious  blood  for  them, 
was  to  be  their  final  judge. 

This  then  was  another  thing  full  of  wonders,  that  he  who  was 
man  as  well  a?  God;  he  who    was  a  servant,  and  died  like  a 


WISDOM  DISPLAYED  IN*  SAI-VATION.  iO 

malefactor ;  should  be  made  the  sovereign  Lord  of  heaven  and 
earth,  angels  and  men  ;  the  absolute  disposer  of  eternal  life  and 
death;  the  supreme  judge  of  all  created  intelligent  beings,  for 
eternity  9  and  should  have  committed  to  him  all  the  governing 
power  of  God  the  Father  ;  and  that,  not  only  as  God,  but  as 
God-man,  not  exclusive  of  the  human  nature. 

As  it  is  wonderful,  that  a  person  who  is  truly  divine,  should  be 
humbled,  so  as  to  become  a  servant,  and  to  suffer  as  a  malefactor  ; 
so  it  is  in  like  manner  wonderful,  that  he  who  is  God-man,  not 
exclusive  of  the  manhood,  should  be  exalted  to  the  power  and 
honour  of  the  great  God  of  heaven  and  earth.  But  such  won- 
ders as  these  has  infinite  Wisdom  contrived  and  acccomplished 
in  order  to  our  salvation. 

Section  II. 

In  this  Way  of  salvation  God  is  greatly  glorified. 

God  has  greatly  glorified  himself  in  the  work  of  creation  and 
providence.  All  his  works  praise  him,  and  his  glory  shines 
brightly  from  them  all ;  but  as  some  stars  differ  from  others  in 
glory,  so  the  glory  of  God  shines  brighter  in  some  of  his  works 
than  in  others.  And  amongst  all  these,  the  work  of  redemption 
is  like  the  sun  in  his  strength.  The  glory  of  the  author  is  abun- 
dantly the  most  resplendent  in  this  work. 

I.  Each  attribute  of  God  is  glorified  in  the  work  of  redemp- 
tion. How  God  has  exceedingly  glorified  his  wisdom,  may 
more  fully  appear  before  we  have  done  with  this  subject.  But 
more  particularly, 

1.  God  hath  exceedingly  glorified  his  power  in  this  work. 
— It  shows  the  great  and  inconceivable  power  of  God  to  unite 
natures  so  infinitely  different,  as  the  divine  and  human  nature, 
in  one  person.  If  God  can  make  one  who  is  truly  God,  and 
one  that  is  truly  man,  the  self-same  person,  what  is  it  that  he 
cannot  do  ?  This  is  a  greater  and  more  marvellous  work  than 
creation. 

The  power  of  God  most  gloriously  appears  in  man's  being  ac- 
tually saved  and  redeemed  in  this  way.  In  his  being  brought  out 
of  a  state  of  sin  and  misery  into  a  conformity  to  God;  and  at 
last  to  the  full  and  perfect  enjoyment  of  God.  This  is  a  more 
glorious  demonstration  of  divine  power,  than  creating  things  out 
of  nothing,  upon  two  accounts.  One  is,  the  effect  is  greater  and 
more  excellent.  To  produce  the  new  creature  is  a  more  glori- 
ous effect,  than  merely  to  produce  a  creature. — Making  a  holy 
creature,  a  creature  in  the  spiritual  image  of  God,  in  the  image 
of  the  divine  excellencies,  and  a  partaker  of  the  divine  nature — - 
is  a  greater  effect  than  merely  to  give  being.  And  therefore  as 
the  effect  is  greater,  it  is  a  more  glorious  manifestation  of  power. 


7(5  WISDOM  DiSPLAYED  IN  SALVATION. 

And  then,  in  this  effect  of  the  actual  redemption  of  sinners,  the 
term  from  which,  is  more  distant  from  the  term  to  which,  than  in 
the  work  of  creation.  The  term  from  which,  in  the  work  of 
creation,  is  nothing,  and  the  term  to  which,  is  being.  But  the 
term  from  which,  in  the  work  of  redemption,  is  a  state  infinitely 
worse  than  nothing;  and  the  term  to  which,  a  holy  and  a  happy 
being,  a  state  infinitely  better  than  mere  being.  The  terms  in 
the  production  of  the  last,  are  much  more  remote  from  one  an- 
other, than  in  the  first. 

And  then  the  production  of  this  last  effect,  is  a  more  glorious 
manifestation  of  power,  than  the  work  of  creation ;  because, 
though  in  creation,  the  terms  are  very  distant — as  nothing  is  ve- 
ry remote  from  being — yet  there  is  no  opposition.  Nothing 
makes  any  opposition  to  the  creating  power  of  God.  But  in  re- 
demption, the  divine  power  meets  with,  and  overcomes  great 
opposition.  There  is  great  opposition  in  a  state  of  sin  to  a  state 
of  grace.  Men's  lusts  and  corruptions  are  exceedingly  opposite 
to  grace  and  holiness  ;  and  greatly  resist  the  production  of  the 
effect.  But  this  opposition  is  completely  overcome  in  actual 
redemption. 

Besides,  there  is  great  opposition  from  Satan.  The  power  of 
God  is  very  glorious  in  this  work,  because  it  therein  conquers 
the  strongest  and  most  powerful  enemies.  Power  never  ap- 
pears more  illustrious  than  in  conquering.  Jesus  Christ,  in  this 
work,  conquers  and  triumphs  over  thousands  of  devils,  strong  and 
mighty  spirits,  uniting  all  their  strength  against  him.  Luke  xi. 
21.  When  a  strong  man  armed  keepeth  his  palace,  his  goods  are 
in  peace ;  but  when  a  stronger  than  he  shall  overcome  him,  he 
taketh  from  him  all  his  armour  wherein  he  trusted,  anddivideth  his 
spoil.  Col.  ii.  15.  And  having  spoiled  principalities  and  pow- 
ers, he  made  a  show  of  them  openly,  triumphing  over  them  in  the 
cross. 

2.  The  justice  of  God  is  exceedingly  glorified  in  this  work. 
God  is  so  strictly  and  immutably  just,  that  he  would  not  spare 
his  beloved  Son  when  he  took  upon  him  the  guilt  of  men's  sins, 
and  was  substituted  in  the  room  of  sinners.  He  would  not  abate 
him  the  least  mite  of  that  debt  which  justice  demanded.  Justice 
should  take  place,  though  it  cost  his  infinitely  dear  Son  his  pre- 
cious blood  ;  and  his  enduring  such  extraordinary  reproach,  and 
pain,  and  death  in  its  most  dreadful  form. 

3.  The  holiness  of  God  is  also  exceedingly  glorious  in  this 
work.  Never  did  God  so  manifest  his  hatred  of  sin  as  in  the 
death  and  sufferings  of  his  only  begotten  Son.  Hereby  he  show- 
ed himself  unappeaseable  to  sin,  and  that  it  was  impossible  for 
him  to  be  at  peace  with  it. 

4.  God  hath  also  exceedingly  glorified  his  truth  in  this  way, 
both  in  his  threatenings  and  promises.  Herein  is  fulfilled  the 
threatenings  of  the  law  wherein   God  said.  In  the  day   thou 


WISDOM  DISPLAYED  IN  SALVATION.  77 

eatest  thereof  thou  shalt  surely  die.  And  cursed  is  every  one  that 
continueth  not  in  all  things  written  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do 
them.  God  showed  hereby,  that  not  only  heaven  and  earth 
should  pass  away,  but,  which  is  more,  that  the  blood  of  him  who 
is  the  eternal  Jehovah  shouid  be  spilt,  rather  than  one  jot  or  tittle 
of  his  word  should  fail,  till  all  be  fulfilled. 

5.  And  lastly,  God  has  exceedingly  glorified  his  mercy  and 
love  in  this  work.  The  mercy  of  God  was  an  a  tribute  never 
seen  before  in  its  exercises,  till  it  was  seen  in  this  work  of 
redemption,  or  the  fruits  of  it.  The  goodness  of  God  ap- 
peared towards  the  angels  in  giving  them  being  and  blessed- 
ness. It  appeared  glorious  towards  man  in  his  primitive  state, 
a  state  of  holiness  and  happiness.  But  now  God  hath  shown 
that  he  can  find  in  his  heart  to  love  sinners,  who  deserve 
his  infinite  hatred.  And  not  only  hath  he  shown  that  he  can 
love  them,  but  love  them  so  as  to  give  them  more  and  do  great- 
er things  for  them  than  ever  he  did  for  the  holy  angels,  that  ne- 
ver sinned  nor  offended  their  Creator.  He  loved  sinful  men 
so  as  to  give  them  a  greater  gift  than  ever  he  gave  the  angels ;  so 
as  to  give  his  own  Son,  and  not  only  to  give  him  to  be  their 
possession  and  enjoyment ;  but  to  give  him  to  be  their  sacrifice. 
And  herein  he  has  done  more  for  them,  than  if  he  had  given 
them  all  the  visible  world  ;  yea,  more  than  if  he  had  given  them 
all  the  angels,  and  all  heaven  besides.  God  hath  loved  them  so, 
that  hereby  he  purchased  for  them  deliverance  from  eternal 
misery,  and  the  possession  of  immortal  glory. 

II.  Each  person  of  the  Trinity  is  exceedingly  glorified  in  this 
work.  Herein  the  work  of  redemption  is  distinguished  from  all 
the  other  works  of  God.  The  attributes  of  God  are  glorious  in 
his  other  works  ;  but  the  three  persons  of  the  Trinity  are  distinct- 
ly glorified  in  no  work  as  in  this  of  redemption.  In  this  work 
every  distinct  person  has  his  distinct  parts  and  offices  assigned 
him.  Each  one  has  his  particular  and  distinct  concern  in  it, 
agreeable  to  their  distinct,  personal  properties,  relations  and  eco- 
nomical offices.  The  redeemed  have  an  equal  concern  with, 
and  dependence  upon  each  person,  in  this  affair,  and  owe  equal 
honour  and  praise  to  each  of  them. 

The  Father  appoints  and  provides  the  Redeemer  and  accepts 
the  price  of  redemption.  The  Son  is  the  Redeemer  and  the 
price.  He  redeems  by  offering  up  himself.  The  Holy  Ghost 
immediately  communicates  to  us  the  thing  purchased  ;  yea,  and 
he  is  the  good  purchased.  The  sum  of  what  Christ  purchased  for 
us  in  holiness  and  happiness.  But  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  great 
principle  both  of  all  holiness  and  happiness.  The  Holy  Ghost 
is  the  sum  of  all  that  Christ  purchased  for  men.  Gal.  iii.  13, 
14.  He  was  made  a  curse  for  us,  that  we  might  receive  the  pro- 
mise of  the  Spirit  through  faith. 


78  WISDOM  DISPLAYED  IN  SALVATION. 

The  blessedness  of  the  redeemed  consists  in  partaking  of 
Christ's  fulness,  which  consists  in  partaking  of  that  spirit,  which 
is  given  not  by  measure  unto  him.  This  is  the  oil  that  was 
poured  upon  the  head  of  the  church,  which  ran  down  to  the 
members  of  his  body,  to  the  skirts  of  his  garment.  Thus  we 
have  an  equal  concern  with,  and  dependence  upon  each  of  the 
persons  of  the  Trinity,  distinctly  ;  upon  the  Father  as  he  pro- 
vides the  Redeemer,  and  the  person  of  whom  the  purchase  is 
made : — the  Son  as  the  purchaser,  and  the  price  ; — the  Holy 
Ghost  as  the  good  purchased. 

Section  III. 

The  Good  attained  by  Salvation  is  wonderfully  Various  and, 
exceeding  Great. 

Here  we  may  distinctly  consider — the  variety — and  the 
greatness  of  the  good  procured  for  men. 

I.  The  good  procured  by  salvation  is  wonderfully  various. 
Here  are  all  sorts  of  good  procured  for  fallen  man,  that  he  does 
or  can  really  need,  or  is  capable  of.  The  wisdom  of  God  ap- 
pears in  the  way  of  salvation,  in  that  it  is  most  worthy  of  an  in- 
finitely wise  God, because  everyway  perfect  and  sufficient.  We, 
in  our  fallen  state,  are  most  necessitous  creatures,  full  of  wants  ; 
but  they  are  here  all  answered.  Every  sort  of  good  is  here  pro- 
cured ;  whatever  would  really  contribute  to  our  happiness,  and 
even  many  things  we  could  not  have  thought  of,  had  not  Christ 
purchased  them  for  us,  and  revealed  them  to  us.  Every  demand 
of  our  circumstances,  and  craving  of  our  natures,  is  here  ex- 
actly answered. For  instance, 

1.  We  stand  in  need  of  peace  with  God.  We  had  provoked 
God  to  anger,  his  wrath  abode  upon  us,  and  we  needed  to  have 
it  appeased.  This  is  done  for  us  in  this  way  of  salvation ;  for 
Christ,  by  shedding  his  blood,  has  fully  satisfied  justice,  and 
appeased  God's  wrath,  for  all  that  shall  believe  in  him.  By 
the  sentence  of  the  law  we  were  condemned  to  hell ;  and  we 
needed  to  have  our  sins  pardoned,  that  we  might  be  delivered 
from  hell.  But  in  this  work,  pardon  of  sin  and  deliverance  from 
hell,  is  fully  purchased  for  us. 

2.  We  needed  not  only  to  have  God's  wrath  appeased,  and 
our  sin's  pardoned  ;  but  we  needed  to  have  the  favour  of  God. 
To  have  God,  not  only  not  our  enemy,  but  our  friend.  Now 
God's  favour  is  purchased  for  us  by  the  righteousness  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

3.  We  needed  not  only  to  be  delivered  from  hell,  but  to  have 
some  satisfying  happiness  bestowed.  Man  has  a  natural  cra- 
ving and  thirst  after  happiness ;  and  will  thirst  and  crave,  till 
his  capacity  is  filled.     And  his  capacity  is  of  vast  extent :  and 


WISDOM  D1SIJLA¥KD  IN  .SALVATION.  79 

nothing  but  an  infinite  good  can  fill,  and  satisfy  his  desires, 
But,  notwithstanding  provision  is  made  in  this  way  of  salvation 
to  answer  those  needs,  there  is  a  satisfying  happiness  purchased 
for  us ;  that  which  is  fully  answerable  to  the  capacity  and  cra- 
vings of  our  souls. 

Here  is  food  procured  to  answer  all  the  appetites  and  facul- 
ties of  our  souls.  God  has  made  the  soul  of  man  of  a  spiritual 
nature  ;  and  therefore  he  needs  a  corresponding  happiness ; 
some  spiritual  object,  in  the  enjoyment  of  which  he  may  be 
happy.  Christ  has  purchased  the  enjoyment  of  God,  who  is 
the  great  and  original  Spirit,  as  the  portion  of  our  souls.  And 
he  hath  purchased  the  Spirit  of  God  to  come  and  dwell  in  us  as 
an  internal  principle  of  happiness. 

God  hath  made  man  a  rational,  intelligent  creature  ;  and  man 
needs  some  good  that  shall  be  a  suitable  object  of  his  under- 
standing, for  him  to  contemplate  ;  wherein  he  may  have  full  and 
sufficient  exercise  for  his  capacious  faculties  in  their  utmost  ex- 
tent. Here  is  an  object,  that  is  great  and  noble,  and  worthy  of 
the  exercise  of  the  noblest  faculties  of  the  rational  soul.  God 
himself  should  be  theirs,  for  them  for  ever  to  behold  and  con- 
template ;  his  glorious  perfections  and  works  are  most  worthy 
objects  ;  and  there  is  room  enough  for  improving  them,  and  still 
to  exercise  their  faculties  to  all  eternity. —  What  object  can  be 
more  worthy  to  exercise  the  understanding  of  a  rational  soul, 
than  the  glories  of  the  Divine  Being,  with  which  the  heavenly 
intelligences,  and  even  the  infinite  understanding  of-God  him- 
self is  entertained ! 

Our  souls  need  some  good  that  shall  be  a  suitable  object  of 
the  will  and  affections ;  a  suitable  object  for  the  choice,  the 
acquiescence,  the  love,  and  the  joy  of  the  rational  soul.  Pro- 
vision is  made  for  this  also  in  this  way  of  salvation.  There 
is  an  infinitely  excellent  Being  offered  to  be  chosen,  to  be 
rested  in,  to  be  loved,  to  be  rejoiced  in,  by  us ;  even  God  him- 
self, who  is  infinitely  lovely,  the  fountain  of  all  good ;  a 
fountain  that  can  never  be  exhausted,  where  we  can  be  in  no 
danger  of  going  to  excess,  in  our  love  and  joy ;  and  here  we 
may  be  assured  ever  to  find  our  joy  and  delight  in  enjoyments 
answerable  to  our  love  and  desires. 

4.  There  is  all  possible  enjoyment  of  this  object,  procured 
in  this  way  of  salvation.  When  persons  entirely  set  their  love 
upon  another,  they  naturally  desire  to  see  that  person  ;  merely 
to  hear  of  the  person,  does  not  satisfy  love.  So  here  is  pro- 
vision made  that  we  should  see  God,  the  object  of  our  supreme 
love.  Not  only  that  we  should  hear  and  read  of  him  in  his 
word,  but  that  we  should  see  him  with  a  spiritual  eye  here  : 
and  not  only  so,  but  that  we  should  have  the  satisfaction  of 
seeing  God  face  to  face  hereafter.  This  is  promised,  (Matt.  v.  8.) 
Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart  :  for  they  shall  see  God.    It  is  pro- 


SO  WISDOM    DISPLAYED    IN    SALVATION. 

mised,  that  we  shall  not  see  God,  as  through  a  glass  darkly,  as 
we  do  now,  but  face  to  face.  1  Cor.  xiii.  12.  That  we  shall 
see  Christ  as  he  is.     1  John  iii.  2. 

We  naturally  desire  not  only  to  see  those  whom  we  love, 
but  to  converse  with  them.  Provision  is  made  for  this  also,  that 
we  should  have  spiritual  conversation  with  God  while  in  this 
world  ;  and  that  we  shouhi  be  hereafter  admitted  to  converse 
with  Christ  in  the  most  intimate  manner  possible.  Provision  is 
made  in  this  way  of  salvation,  that  we  should  converse  with 
God  much  more  intimately,  than  otherwise  it  would  have  been 
possible  for  us ;  for  now  Christ  is  incarnate,  is  in  our  nature : 
he  is  become  one  of  us,  whereby  we  are  under  advantages  for 
an  immensely  more  free  and  intimate  converse  with  him,  than 
could  have  been,  if  he  had  remained  only  in  the  divine  nature  ; 
and  so  in  a  nature  infinitely  distant  from  us. — We  naturally 
desire  not  only  to  converse  with  those  whom  we  greatly  love, 
but  to  dwell  with  them.  Provision,  through  Christ,  is  made 
for  this.  It  is  purchased  and  provided  that  we  should  dwell 
with  God  in  his  own  house  in  heaven,  which  is  called  our 
father's  house.  To  dwell  for  ever  in  God's  presence,  and  at 
his  right  hand. 

We  naturally  desire  to  have  a  right  in  that  person  whom 
we  greatly  love.  Provision  is  made,  in  this  way  of  salvation, 
that  we  should  have  a  right  in  God  ;  a  right  to  him.  This  is 
the  promise  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  "  That  he  will  be  our 
God."  God,  with  all  his  glorious  perfections  and  attributes, 
with  all  his  power  and  wisdom,  and  with  all  his  majesty  and 
glory,  will  be  ours ;  so  that  we  may  call  him  our  inheritance, 
and  the  portion  of  our  souls :  what  we  can  humbly  claim  by 
faith,  having  this  portion  made  over  to  us  by  a  firm  instrument ; 
by  a  covenant  ordered  in  all  things  and  sure. — And  we  may 
also  hereby  claim  a  right  to  Jesus  Christ.  Love  desires  that 
the  right  should  be  mutual.  The  lover  desires,  not  only  to 
have  a  right  to  the  beloved,  but  that  the  beloved  should  also 
have  a  right  to  him  :  he  desires  to  be  his  beloved's,  as  well  as 
his  beloved  should  be  his.  Provision  is  also  made  for  this,  in 
this  wise  method  of  salvation,  that  God  should  have  a  special 
propriety  in  the  redeemed,  that  they  should  be  in  a  distin- 
guishing manner  his  :  that  they  should  be  his  peculiar  people. 
We  are  told  that  God  sets  apart  the  godly  for  himself,  Ps.  iv.  3. 
They  are  called  God's  jewels.  The  spouse  speaks  it  with 
great  satisfaction  and  rejoicing,  Cant.  ii.  16.  My  beloved  is 
mine,  and  I  am  his. 

Love  desires  to  stand  in  some  near  relation  to  the  beloved. 
Provision  is  made  by  Christ,  that  we  should  stand  in  the  nearest 
possible  relation  to  God  ;  that  he  should  be  our  father,  and  we 
should  be  his  children.     We  are  often  instructed  in  the  holy 


WISDOM.    DISPLAYED    IN    SALVATION.  Si 

scriptures,  that  God  is  the  father  of  believers,  and  that  they 
are  his  family. — And  not  only  so,  but  they  stand  in  the  nearest 
relation  to  Christ  Jesus.  There  is  the  closest  union  possible. 
The  souls  of  believers  are  married  to  Christ.  The  church  is 
the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife.  Yea,  there  is  yet  a  nearer  relation 
than  can  be  represented  by  such  a  similitude.  Believers  are 
as  the  very  members  of  Christ,  and  of  his  flesh  and  of  his  bones, 
Eph.  v.  30.  Yea,  this  is  not  near  enough  yet,  but  they  are  one 
spirit,  1  Cor.  vi.  17. 

Love  naturally  inclines  to  a  conformity  to  the  beloved.  To 
have  those  excellencies,  upon  the  account  of  which  he  is  be- 
loved, copied  in  himself.  Provision  is  made  in  this  way  of 
salvation,  that  we  may  be  conformed  to  God  ;  that  we  shall  be 
transformed  into  the  same  image,  2  Cor.  iii.  18.  We  all  with 
open  face,  beholding  as  in  a  glass  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are 
changed  into  the  same  image  from  glory  to  glory. — And  that 
hereafter  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is,  and  be  like  him. 

It  is  the  natural  desire  of  love  to  do  something  for  the  be- 
loved, either  for  his  pleasure  or  honour.  Provision  is  made 
for  this  also  in  this  way  of  salvation  ;  that  we  should  be  made 
instruments  of  glorifying  God,  and  promoting  his  kingdom 
here,  and  of  glorifying  him  to  all  eternity. 

5.  In  this  way  of  salvation,  provision  is  made  for  our  having 
every  sort  of  good  that  man  naturally  craves  ;  as  honour, 
wealth,  and  pleasure. — Here  is  provision  made  that  we  should 
be  brought  to  the  highest  honour.  This  is  what  God  has  pro- 
mised, that  those  that  honour  him,  he  will  honour.  And  that 
true  Christians  shall  be  kings  and  priests  unto  God. — Christ 
has  promised,  that  as  his  Father  has  appointed  unto  him  a  king- 
dom, so  he  will  appoint  unto  them,  that  they  may  eat  and  drink 
at  his  table  in  his  kingdom.  He  has  promised  to  crown  them 
with  a  crown  of  glory,  and  that  they  shall  sit  with  him  in  his 
throne.  That  he  will  confess  their  names  before  his  Father, 
and  before  his  angels.  That  he  will  give  them  a  new  name  ; 
and  that  they  shall  walk  with  him  in  white. 

Christ  has  also  purchased  for  them  the  greatest  wealth.  All 
those  that  are  in  Christ,  are  rich.  They  are  now  rich.  They 
have  the  best  riches  ;  being  rich  in  faith,  and  the  graces  of  the 
Spirit  of  God.  They  have  gold  tried  in  the  fire.  They  have 
durable  riches  and  righteousness.  They  have  treasure  in 
heaven,  where  neither  thief  approacheth,  nor  moth  corrupteth. 
An  inheritance  incorruptible,  undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not 
away.     They  are  possessors  of  all  things. 

Christ  has,  also,  purchased  pleasure  for  them  ;  pleasures  that 
are  immensely  preferable  to  all  the  pleasures  of  sense,  most 
exquisitely  sweet,  and  satisfying.  He  has  purchased  for  them 
fulness  of  joy,  and  pleasures  for  evermore  at  God's  right  hand  : 
and  they  shall  drink  of  the  river  of  God's  pleasure 
Vol,  VII.  11 


&2  WISDOM    DISPLAYED    IN    sALVaih.a. 

6.  Christ  has  purchased  all  needed  good,  both  for  soul  and 
body.  While  we  are  here,  we  stand  in  need  of  these  earthly 
things ;  and  of  these,  Christ  has  purchased  all  that  are  best 
for  us.  He  has  purchased  for  the  body,  that  God  should  feed 
and  clothe  us.  Matt.  vi.  26.  How  much  more  shall  he  feed 
you,  O  ye  of  little  faith !  How  much  more  shall  he  clothe 
you !  Christ  has  purchased,  that  God  should  take  care  of  us, 
and  provide  what  is  needed  of  these  things,  as  a  father  provides 
for  his  children.  1  Pet.  v.  7.  Casting  your  care  upon  him,  for 
he  careth  for  you. 

7.  Christ  has  purchased  good  that  is  suitable  for  his  people 
in  all  conditions.  There  is,  in  this  way  of  salvation,  respect 
had  to,  and  provision  made  for  all  circumstances,  that  they 
can  be  in.  Here  is  provision  made  for  a  time  of  affliction — 
for  a  time  of  poverty  and  pinching  want — for  a  time  of  be- 
reavement and  mourning — for  spiritual  darkness — for  a  day  of 
temptation — for  a  time  of  persecution — and  for  a  time  of  death. 
Here  is  such  a  provision  made,  that  is  sufficient  to  carry  a 
person  above  death,  and  all  its  terrors ;  and  to  give  him  a 
complete  triumph  over  that  king  of  terrors.  Here  is  enough 
to  sweeten  the  grave,  and  make  it  cease  to  seem  terrible.  Yea, 
enough  to  make  death  in  prospect  to  seem  desirable ;  and,  in 
its  near  approach,  to  be  not  terrible,  but  joyful. 

8.  There  is  provision  made  in  this  way  of  salvation  for  the 
life  and  blessedness  of  soul  and  body  to  all  eternity.  Christ 
has  purchased,  that  we  should  be  delivered  from  a  state  of 
temporal  death,  as  well  as  spiritual  and  eternal.  The  bodies 
of  the  saints  shall  be  raised  to  life.  He  has  purchased  all 
manner  of  perfection  for  the  body  of  which  it  is  capable.  It 
shall  be  raised  a  spiritual  body  in  incorruption  and  glory,  and 
be  made  like  Christ's  glorious  body,  to  shine  as  the  sun  in  the 
kingdom  of  his  Father,  and  to  exist  in  a  glorified  state,  in  union 
with  the  soul,  to  all  eternity. 

9.  But  man,  in  his  fallen  state,  still  needs  something  else,  in 
order  to  his  happiness,  than  that  these  fore-mentioned  blessings 
should  be  purchased  for  him,  viz.  He  needs  to  be  qualified  for 
the  possession  and  enjoyment  of  them.  In  order  to  our  having 
a  title  to  these  blessings  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  (so  that  we 
can  scripturally  claim  an  interest  in  them,)  there  is  a  certain 
condition,  which  must  be  performed  by  us.  We  must  believe 
in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  accept  of  him  as  offered  in  the 
gospel  for  a  Saviour.  But,  as  we  cannot  do  this  of  ourselves, 
Christ  has  purchased  this,  also,  for  all  the  elect.  He  has  pur- 
chased, that  they  shall  have  faith  given  them ;  whereby  they 
shall  be  [actively]  united  to  Christ,  and  to  have  a  [pleadable] 
title  to  his  benefits. 

But  still,  something  further  is  necessary  for  man,  in  order  to 
-  his  coming  to  the  actual  possession  of  the  inheritance.     A  man, 


WISDOM    DISPLAYED    IN    SALVATION.  83 

as  soon  as  he  has  believed,  has  a  title  to  the  inheritance :  but 
in  order  to  come  to  the  actual  possession  of  it,  he  must  perse- 
vere in  a  way  of  holiness.  There  is  not  only  a  gate  that  must 
be  entered,  but  there  is  a  narrow  way  that  must  be  travelled, 
before  we  can  arrive  at  heavenly  blessedness  ;  and  that  is  a  way 
of  universal  and  persevering  holiness.  But  men,  after  they 
have  believed,  cannot  persevere  in  a  way  of  holiness,  of  them- 
selves. But  there  is  sufficient  provision  made  for  this,  also,  in 
the  way  of  salvation  by  Jesus  Christ.  The  matter  of  a  saint's 
perseverance,  is  sufficiently  secured  by  the  purchase  that 
Christ  has  made. 

.But  still  there  is  something  else  needful,  in  order  to  qualify 
a  person  for  the  actual  entering  upon  the  enjoyments  and  em- 
ployments of  a  glorified  estate,  viz.  that  he  should  be  made 
perfectly  holy  :  that  all  remainders  of  sin  should  be  taken 
away ;  for  there  cannot  any  sin  enter  into  heaven.  No  soul 
must  go  into  the  glorious  presence  of  God,  with  the  least  de- 
gree of  the  filth  of  sin.  But  there  is  provision  made :  for 
Christ  has  purchased  that  all  sin  shall  be  taken  away  out  of 
the  hearts  of  believers  at  death  ;  and  that  they  should  be  made 
perfectly  holy:  whereby  they  shall  be  fully  and  perfectly  quali- 
fied to  enter  upon  the  pleasures  and  enjoyments  of  the  new 
Jerusalem. 

Christ  has  purchased  all,  both  objective  and  inherent  good : 
not  only  a  portion  to  be  enjoyed  by  us,  but  all  those  inherent 
qualifications  necessary  to  our  enjoyment  of  it.  He  has  pur- 
chased not  only  justification,  but  sanctification  and  glorifica- 
tion ;  both  holiness  and  happiness. — Having  considered  the 
good  attained  in  the  way  of  salvation,  as  manifold  and  various, 
I  now  proceed,  as  proposed, 

II.  To  consider  the  good  attained  for  us  by  this  way  of  salva- 
vation,  as  exceeding  great. 

There  is  not  only  every  sort  of  good  we  need,  but  of  every 
sort  in  that  degree,  so  as  to  answer  the  extent  of  our  capacity, 
and  the  greatest  stretch  of  our  desires,  and  indeed  of  our  con- 
ceptions. They  are  not  only  greater  than  our  conceptions  are 
here,  but  also  greater  than  ever  they  could  be,  were  it  not  that 
God's  relation,  and  our  own  experience  will  teach  us.  They 
are  greater  than  the  tongue  of  angels  can  declare,  the  deliver- 
ance that  we  have  in  it  is  exceeding  great ;  it  is  deliverance 
from  guilt,  from  sin  itself,  from  the  anger  of  God,  and  from  the 
miseries  of  hell. 

How  great  is  the  good  conferred  !  The  objective  good  is  the 
infinite  God,  and  the  glorious  Redeemer,  Jesus  Christ.  How 
great  is  the  love  of  the  Father,  and  the  Son  !  And  how  near 
the  relation  between  them  and  the  true  believer.  How  close 
the  union,  how  intimate  the  communion,  and  ultimately  how 
clear  will  be  the  vision  in  glory. 


84  WISDOM    DISPLAYED  IN  SAJ.VATION. 

There  are  great  communications  made  to  the  believing  soul, 
on  earth,  but  how  much  greater  in  heaven.  Then  their  con- 
formity to  God  will  be  perfect,  their  enjoyment  of  him  will  be 
full,  their  honour  great  and  unsullied,  and  the  glory  of  body 
and  soul  ineffable.  The  riches  of  the  Christian  are  immense ;  all 
things  are  included  in  his  treasure.  Pleasures  unspeakably 
and  inconceivably  great  await  him ;  rivers  of  delight,  fulness 
of  joy  ;  and  all  of  infinite  duration. 

The  benefit  procured  for  us,  is  doubly  infinite.  Our  deliver- 
ance is  an  infinite  benefit,  because  the  evil  we  are  delivered 
from,  is  infinite  ;  and  the  positive  good  bestowed  is  eternal : 
viz.  the  full  enjoyment  of  all  those  blessings  merited. 


Section  IV. 

How  Angels  are  benefitted  by  the  Salvation  of  Men. 

So  hath  the  wisdom  of  God  contrived  this  affair,  that  the 
benefit  of  what  he  has  done  therein,  should  be  so  extensive,  as 
to  reach  the  elect  angels.  It  is  for  men  that  the  work  of  redemp- 
tion is  wrought  out ;  and  yet  the  benefit  of  things  done  in  this 
work  is  not  confined  to  them,  though  all  that  is  properly  call- 
ed redemption,  or  included  in  it,  is  confined  to  men.  The  an- 
gels cannot  partake  in  this,  having  never  fallen  ;  yet  they  have 
great  indirect  benefit  by  it. — God  hath  so  wisely  ordered,  that 
what  has  been  done  in  this  directly  and  especially  for  men. 
should  redound  to  the  exceeding  benefit  of  all  intelligent  crea- 
tures who  arc  in  favour  with  God.  The  benefit  of  it  is  so  diffu- 
sive as  to  reach  heaven  itself,  So  great  and  manifold  is  the 
good  attained  in  this  work,  that  those  glorious  spirits  who  are 
so  much  above  us,  and  were  so  highly  exalted  in  happiness  be- 
fore, yet  should  receive  great  addition  hereby. — I  will  show 
how  in  some  particulars. 

1.  The  angels  hereby  see  a  great  and  wonderful  manifesta- 
tion of  the  glory  of  God.  The  happiness  of  angels  as  well  as 
of  men  consists  very  much  in  beholding  the  glory  of  God.  The 
excellency  of  the  divine  Being  is  a  most  delightful  subject  of 
contemplation  to  the  saints  on  earth  ;  but  much  more  to  the  an- 
gels in  heaven.  The  more  holy  any  being  is,  the  more  sweet 
and  delightful  will  it  be  to  him  to  behold  the  glory  and  beauty 
of  the  supreme  Being. — Therefore  the  beholding  of  the  glory  of 
God  must  be  ravishing  to  the  holy  angels,  who  are  perfect  in 
holiness,  and  never  had  their  minds  leavened  with  sin.  The 
manifestations  of  the  glory  of  God,  are  as  it  were  the  food  that 
satisfies  the  angels  ;  they  live  thereon.  It  is  their  greatest 
happiness. 

It  is  without  doubt  much  of  their  employment  to  behold  the 


ulsDOM  DISPLAYED   IN  SALVATION.  N- 

story  of  God  appearing  in  his  works.  Therefore  this  work  of 
redemption  greatly  contributes  to  their  happiness  and  delight . 
as  the  glory  of  God  is  so  exceedingly  manifested  by  it.  For 
what  is  done,  is  done  in  the  sight  of  the  angels,  as  is  evident  by 
many  passages  of  holy  scripture.  And  they  behold  the  glory  of 
God  appearing  herein  with  entertainment  and  delight  ;  as  it  is 
manifest  by  i  Pet.  i.  12.  Which  things  the  angels  desire  to  look 
into. 

The  angels  have  this  advantage,  that  now  they  may  behold 
the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ,  where  it  shines 
with  a  peculiar  lustre  and  brightness.  1  Tim.  iii.  5.  Great  is  the 
mystery  of  godlines,  God  was  manifest  in  the  flesh,  justified  in 
the  spirit,  seen  of  angels.  Perhaps  all  God's  attributes  are  more 
gloriously  manifested  in  this  work,  than  in  any  other  that  ever 
the  angels  saw.  There  is  certainly  a  fuller  manifestation  of 
some  of  his  attributes,  than  ever  they  saw  before  ;  as  is  evident 
by  the  text.  And  especially,  it  is  so  with  respect  to  the  mercy 
of  God,  that  sweet  and  endearing  attribute  of  the  divine  nature. 
The  angels  of  heaven  never  saw  so  much  grace  manifested  be- 
fore, as  in  the  work  of  redemption  ;  nor  in  any  measure  equal 
to  it.  How  full  of  joy  doth  it  fill  the  hearts  of  the  angels,to  sec 
such  a  boundless  and  bottomless  ocean  of  love  and  grace  in 
their  God  !  And  therefore  with  what  rejoicing  do  all  the  angels 
praise  Christ  for  his  being  slain  !  Rev.  v.  11,  12.  And  I  beheld 
and  heard  the  voice  of  many  angels  round  about  the  throne,  and 
the  beasts  and  the  elders  :  and  the  number  of  them  was  ten  thou- 
sand times  ten  thousand,  and  thousands  of  thousands ;  saying 
with  a  loud  voice,  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive 
power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honour,  and 
glory,  and  blessing. 

2.  They  have  this  benefit  by  it,  that  hereby  Jesus  Christ, 
God-man,  is  become  their  head.  God,  subsisting  in  three 
persons,  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  was  the  King  of  angels, 
and  would  have  been,  if  it  had  not  have  been  for  our  redemp- 
tion. But  it  was  owing  to  what  is  done  in  this  work,  that 
Jesus  Christ,  as  God-man,  becomes  the  head  of  the  angels. — 
Christ  is  now  not  only  the  head  of  angels  simply  as  God,  but 
as  God-man.  Col.  ii.  10.  "  And  ye  are  complete  in  him, 
who  is  the  head  of  all  principality  and  power.'"  Eph.  i.  20 — 
22.  "  Which  he  wrought  in  Christ,  when  he  raised  him  from 
the  dead,  and  set  him  on  his  own  right  hand  in  heavenly 
places,  far  above  all  principality  and  power,  and  might  and 
dominion,  and  every  name  that  is  named,  not  only  in  this  world, 
but,  also,  in  that  which  is  to  come.  And  hath  put  all  things 
under  his  feet,  and  gave  him  to  be  head  over  all  things  to  the 
church." 

This  is  a  part  of  the  exaltation  and  glory  of  Christ,  which 
God  confers  on  him  as  his  reward.    And  not  only  so,  but  it  i« 


86  WISDOM    DISPLAYED    IN    SALVATION. 

greatly  to  the  angels1  benefit.  It  is  God's  manner  in  lira 
dealings  with  his  elect  creatures,  in  the  same  works  wherein 
he  glorifies  himself,  or  his  Son,  greatly  to  benefit  them.  The 
same  dealings  of  his  that  are  most  for  his  glory,  shall  be  most 
for  their  good.  That  Christ,  God-man,  should  be  made  the 
head  of  the  angels,  is  greatly  to  their  benefit  several  ways. 

(1.)  Because  they  become  hereby  more  nearly  related  to  so 
glorious  a  person,  the  Son  of  God,  than  otherwise  they  would 
have.  The  angels  esteem  it  a  great  honour  done  them  to  be 
related  to  such  a  person  as  Jesus  Christ,  God-man,  who  is  an 
infinitely  honourable  person. 

The  angels,  by  Christ  becoming  their  head,  are,  with  the 
saints,  gathered  together  in  one  in  Christ,  Eph.  i.  10.  They, 
by  virtue  hereof,  though  Christ  be  not  their  Redeemer  as  he  is 
ours,  have  a  right  and  propriety  in  this  glorious  person,  as  well 
as  we.  He  is  theirs  :  though  not  their  Saviour,  yet  he  is  their 
head  of  government,  and  head  of  influence. 

(2.)  Again,  this  is  greatly  to  their  benefit ;  as  they  are  under 
advantages  for  a  far  more  intimate  converse  with  God.  The 
divine  nature  is  at  an  infinite  distance  from  the  nature  of  angels, 
as  well  as  frOm  the  nature  of  man.  This  distance  forbids  a 
familiarity  and  intimacy  of  intercourse.  It  is,  therefore,  a 
great  advantage,  to  the  angels,  that  God  is  come  down  to  them 
in  a  created  nature  ;  and,  in  that  nature,  is  become  their  head : 
so  that  their  intercourse  and  enjoyment  may  be  more  intimate. 
They  are  invited  by  the  similar  qualifications  of  the  created 
nature,  with  which  the  Son  of  God  is  invested. 

(3.)  It  is  for  the  benefit  of  the  angels,  as  hereby  the  elect 
of  mankind  are  gathered  into  their  society.  Christ,  by  the 
work  of  redemption,  gathers  in  the  elect  of  mankind  to  join 
the  angels  of  heaven.  Eph.  i.  10.  "  That  in  the  dispensation 
of  the  fulness  of  times,  he  might  gather  in  one  all  things  in 
Christ,  both  which  are  in  heaven,  and  which  are  on  earth, 
even  in  him."  Men  are  brought  in  to  join  with  the  angels  in 
their  work  of  praising  God ;  to  partake  with  them  of  their 
enjoyments.  The  angels  greatly  rejoice  at  this.  They  rejoice 
when  but  one  person  is  gathered  in,  as  Christ  teaches  us,  Luke 
xv.  10.  "  Likewise  I  say  unto  you,  there  is  joy  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  angels  of  God  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth.^ 
The  heavenly  society  is  made  more  complete  by  this  accession 
of  the  saints  to  it ;  they  contribute  to  the  happiness  of  each 
other.  The  angels  rejoice  that  others  are  added  to  join  them 
and  assist  them  in  praising  God. — And  thus  the  vacancy,  by 
the  fall  of  angels,  is  filled  up. 

(4.)  It  tends  to  make  the  angels  to  prize  their  happiness 
the  more,  when  they  see  how  much  it  costs  to  purchase  the 
same  happiness  for  man.  Though  they  knew  so  much,  yet 
fhev  are  not.  incapable  of  being  taught  more  and  more  the 


AS  iftU'JM    DISPLAYED    IN    SALVATION.  87 

worth  of  their  own  happiness.  For  when  they  saw  how  much 
it  cost  to  purchase  the  same  happiness  for  man,  even  the  pre= 
cious  blood  of  the  Son  of  God ;  this  tended  to  give  them  a 
great  sense  of  the  infinite  value  of  their  happiness.  They 
never  saw  such  a  testimony  of  the  value  of  the  eternal  enjoy- 
ment of  God  before. 

Thus  we  have  shown,  how  the  wisdom  of  God  appears  in 
the  work  of  redemption,  in  the  good  ends  attained  thereby, 
with  respect  to  God,  men,  and  good  angels. 

But  are  there  any  good  ends  obtained  with  respect  to  bad 
angels,  God's  grand  enemies?  Undoubtedly  there  are,  as 
may  appear  from  the  few  following  considerations.  Satan  and 
his  angels  rebelled  against  God  in  heaven,  and  proudly  pre- 
sumed to  try  their  strength  with  his.  And  when  God,  by  his 
almighty  power,  overcame  the  strength  of  Satan,  and  sent  him 
like  lightning  from  heaven  to  hell  with  all  his  army  ;  Satan 
still  hoped  to  get  the  victory  by  subtilty.  Though  he  could 
not  overcome  by  power,  yet  he  hoped  to  succeed  by  craft ;  and 
so,  by  his  subtilty,  to  disappoint  God  of  his  end  in  creating  this 
lower  world.  God,  therefore,  has  shown  his  great  wisdom  in 
overthrowing  Satan's  design.  He  has  disappointed  the  devices 
of  the  crafty,  so  that  they  cannot  perform  their  enterprise ;  he 
has  carried  their  counsel  headlong. 

1.  Satan  thought  to  have  disappointed  God  of  his  glory, 
which  he  designed  in  creating  this  lower  world  ;  and  to  make 
mankind  be  for  his  own  glory,  in  setting  up  himself  god  over 
them.  Now  Christ,  by  what  he  has  done  in  the  work  of 
redemption,  has  overthrown  Satan  ;  and  utterly  frustrated  him 
as  to  this  end.  God  is  exceedingly  glorified  in  the  elect,  to 
the  surprise  of  angels  and  devils.  God  by  redemption  has  all 
the  glory,  that  he  intended,  and  more  than  either  men,  angels, 
or  devils  imagined  that  God  intended.  God  might  have 
glorified  his  justice  in  the  destruction  of  all  mankind.  But  it 
was  God's  design  in  creating  the  world,  to  glorify  his  goodness 
and  love  ;  and  not  only  to  be  glorified  eventually,  but  to  be 
served  and  glorified  actually  by  men.  Satan  intended  to  frus- 
trate God  of  this  end  ;  but,  by  the  redemption  of  Jesus  Christ 
his  design  is  confounded. 

2.  Another  design  of  the  devil,  was  to  gratify  his  envy  in 
the  utter  destruction  of  mankind.  But,  by  the  redemption  of 
Jesus  Christ,  this  malicious  design  of  Satan  is  crossed  ;  because 
all  the  elect  are  brought  to  their  designed  happiness  ;  which  is 
much  greater  than  ever  Satan  thought  it  was  in  God's  heart  to 
bestow  on  man.  And  though  some  of  mankind  are  left  to  be 
miserable,  yet  that  does  not  answer  Satan's  end  ;  for  this  also 
is  ordered  for  God's  glory.  No  more  are  left  miserable  than 
God  saw  meet  to  glorify  his  justice  upon. 


88  WISDOM    DISPLAYED    IN    SALVATION. 

One  end  why  God  suffered  Satan  to  do  what  he  did  in  pro- 
curing the  fall  of  man,  was  that  his  Son  might  be  glorified  in 
conquering  that  strong,  subtle,  and  proud  spirit,  and  triumphing 
over  him.  How  glorious  doth  Christ  Jesus  appear  in  baffling 
and  triumphing  over  this  proud  king  of  darkness,  and  all  the 
haughty  confederate  rulers  of  hell !  How  glorious  a  sight  is  it 
to  see  the  meek  and  patient  Lamb  of  God  leading  that  proud, 
malicious  and  mighty  enemy  in  triumph  !  What  songs  doth  this 
cause  in  heaven  !  It  was  a  glorious  sight  in  Israel  to  see  David 
carrying  the  head  of  Goliath  in  triumph  to  Jerusalem.  It  ap- 
peared glorious  to  the  daughters  of  Israel,  who  came  out  with 
timbrels  and  with  dances,  and  sang,  Saul  hath  slain  his  thou- 
sands, and  David  his  ten  thousands.  But  how  much  more 
glorious  to  see  the  son  of  David,  the  Son  of  God,  carrying  the 
head  of  the  spiritual  Goliath,  the  champion  of  the  armies  of 
hell,  in  triumph  to  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  !  It  is  with  a  prin- 
cipal view  to  this,  that  Christ  is  called,  the  Lord  of  hosts,  or 
armies,  and  a  man  of  war,  Exod.  xv.  3.  And  Psalm  xxiv.  8. 
Who  is  this  king  of  glory  ?  The  Lord  strong  and  mighty,  the 
Lord  mighty  in  battle. 

Section  V7. 

In  this  Way  of  Salvation  wonderful  Glory  redounds  to  God. 
as  the  effect  of  Divine  Wisdom. 

1.  By  this  contrivance  for  our  redemption,  God's  greatest 
flishonour  is  made  an  occasion  of  his  greatest  glory.  Sin  is  a 
tiling  by  which  God  is  greatly  dishonoured ;  the  nature  of  its 
principle  is  enmity  against  God,  and  contempt  of  him.  And 
man,  by  his  rebellion,  has  greatly  dishonoured  God.  But  this 
dishonour,  by  the  contrivance  for  our  redemption,  is  made  an 
occasion  of  the  greatest  manifestation  of  God's  glory  that  ever 
was.  Sin,  the  greatest  evil,  is  made  an  occasion  of  the  greatest 
good.  It  is  the  nature  of  a  principle  of  sin  that  it  seeks 
to  dethrone  God  :  but  this  is  hereby  made  an  occasion  of  the 
greatest  manifestation  of  God's  royal  majesty  and  glory  that  ever 
was.  By  sin,  man  hasslighted  and  despised  God  :  but  this  is 
made  an  occasion  of  his  appearing  the  more  greatly  honourable. 
Sin  casts  contempt  upon  the  authority  and  law  of  God  :  but 
this,  by  the  contrivance  for  our  redemption,  is  made  the  occa- 
sion of  the  greatest  honour  done  to  that  same  authority,  and 
to  that  very  law.  It  was  a  greater  honour  to  the  law  of  God 
that  Christ  was  subject  to  it,  and  obeyed  it,  than  if  all  mankind 
had  obeyed  it.  It  was  a  greater  honour  to  God's  authority 
that  Christ  showed  such  great  respect,  and  such  entire  subjec- 
tion to  it,  than  the  perfect  obedience  of  all  the  angels  in 


WISDOM    DISPLAYED    IN    SALVATION.  89 

heaven.  Man  by  his  sin  showed  his  enmity  against  the  holi- 
ness of  God ;  but  this  is  made  an  occasion  of  the  greatest 
manifestation  of  God's  holiness.  The  holiness  of  God  never 
appeared  to  so  great  a  degree,  as  when  God  executed  vengeance 
upon  his  own  dear  Son. 

2.  So  has  the  wisdom  of  God  contrived  that  those  attributes 
are  glorified  in  man's  salvation,  whose  glory  seemed  to  require 
his  destruction.  When  man  had  fallen,  several  attributes  of 
God  seemed  to  require  his  destruction.  The  justice  of  God 
requires,  that  sin  be  punished  as  it  deserves  :  but  it  deserves  no 
less  than  eternal  destruction.  God  proclaims  it  as  a  part 
of  the  glory  of  his  nature,  that  he  will  in  no  wise  clear  the 
guilty,  Exodus  xxxiv.  7.  The  holiness  of  God  seemed  to 
require  man's  destruction;  for  God  by  his  holiness  infinitely 
hates  sin.  This  seemed  to  require  therefore  that  God  should 
manifest  a  proportionable  hatred  of  the  sinner ;  and  that  he 
should  be  for  ever  an  enemy  unto  him.  The  truth  of  God 
seemed  also  to  require  man's  destruction  ;  for  eternal  death 
was  what  God  had  threatened  for  sin,  one  jot  or  tittle  of  which 
threatening  cannot  by  any  means  pass  away.  But  yet  so 
has  God  contrived,  that  those  very  attributes  not  only  allow  of 
man's  redemption,  and  are  not  inconsistent  with  it,  but  they 
are  glorified  in  it.  Even  vindictive  justice  is  glorified  in  the 
death  and  sufferings  of  Christ.  The  holiness  of  God,  or  his 
holy  hatred  of  sin,  that  seemed  to  require  man's  damnation,  is 
seen  in  Christ's  dying  for  sinners.  So  herein  also  is  manifested 
and  glorified  the  truth  of  God,  in  the  threatenings  of  the  law. 

3.  Yea,  it  is  so  ordered  now  that  the  glory  of  these  attri- 
butes requires  the  salvation  of  those  that  believe.  The  justice 
of  God  that  required  man's  damnation,  and  seemed  inconsistent 
with  his  salvation,  now  as  much  requires  the  salvation  of  those 
that  believe  in  Christ,  as  ever  before  it  required  their  damna- 
tion. Salvation  is  an  absolute  debt  to  the  believer  from  God, 
so  that  he  may,  in  justice,  demand  it,  on  account  of  what  his 
surety  has  done.  For  Christ  has  satisfied  justice  fully  for  his 
sin ;  so  that  it  is  but  a  thing  that  may  be  challenged,  that  God 
should  now  release  the  believer  from  the  punishment ;  it  is  but 
a  piece  of  justice,  that  the  creditor  should  release  the  debtor, 
when  he  has  fully  paid  the  debt.  And,  again,  the  believer 
may  demand  eternal  life,  because  it  has  been  merited  by 
Christ,  by  a  merit  of  condignity.  So  is  it  contrived,  that  that 
justice  that  seemed  to  require  man's  destruction,  now  requires 
his  salvation. 

So  the  truth  of  God  that  seemed  to  require  man's  damna- 
tion, now  requires  his  salvation.  At  the  same  time  that  the 
threatening  of  the  law  stands  good,  there  is  a  promise  of 
eternal  life  to  many  who  have  broken  the  law.  They  both 
stand  good  at  the  same  time ;  and  the  truth  of  God  requires 

Vol,  VIL  12 


90  WISDOM    m&FLAV'ED    IN    SALVATION, 

that  both  should  be  fulfilled.  How  much  soever  they  seemed 
to  clash,  yet  so  is  the  matter  contrived  in  this  way  of  salvation, 
that  both  are  fulfilled,  and  do  not  interfere  one  with  another. 

At  the  very  time  that  God  uttered  the  threatening,  In  the 
day  thou  eatest  thereof,  thou  shalt  surely  die  ;  and  at  the  time 
that  Adam  had  first  eaten  the  forbidden  fruit ;  there  was  then 
an  existing  promise,  that  many  thousands  of  Adam's  race 
should  obtain  eternal  life.  This  promise  was  made  to  Jesus 
Christ,  before  the  world  was.  What  a  difficulty  and  an  incon- 
sistence, did  there  seem  to  be  here  ?  But  it  was  no  difficulty 
to  the  wisdom  of  God,  that  the  promise  and  the  threatening 
should  be  both  fully  accomplished  to  the  glory  of  God's  truth 
in  each  of  them.  Psal.  lxxxv.  10.  Mercy  and  truth  are  met 
together,  righteousness  and  peace  have  kissed  each  other. 

4.  Those  very  attributes  which  seemed  to  require  man's 
destruction,  are  more  glorious  in  his  salvation,  than  they  would 
have  been  in  his  destruction.  The  revenging  justice  of  God, 
is  a  great  deal  more  manifested  in  the  death  of  Christ,  than  it 
would  have  been  if  all  mankind  had  been  sufferers  to  all 
eternity.  If  man  had  remained  under  the  guilt  and  imputa- 
tion of  sin,  the  justice  of  God  would  not  have  had  such  a 
trial,  as  it  had,  when  his  own  Son  was  under  the  imputation 
of  sin.  If  all  mankind  had  stood  guilty,  and  justice  had 
called  for  vengeance  upon  them,  that  would  not  have  been 
such  a  trial  of  the  inffexibleness  and  unchangeableness  of  the 
justice  of  God,  as  when  his  own  Son,  who  was  the  object  of  his 
infinite  love,  and  in  whom  he  infinitely  delighted,  stood  with 
the  imputation  of  guilt  upon  him. 

This  was  the  greatest  trial  that  could  be,  to  manifest  whe- 
ther God's  justice  was  perfect  and  unchangeable,  or  not ; 
whether  God  was  so  just,  that  he  would  not,  upon  any  account, 
abate  of  what  justice  required ;  and  whether  God  would  have 
any  respect  to  persons  in  judgment. 

So  the  majesty  of  God  appears  much  more  in  the  sufferings 
of  Christ,  than  it  would  have  done  in  the  eternal  sufferings  of 
all  mankind.  The  majesty  of  a  prince,  appears  greater  in  the 
just  punishment  of  great  personages,  under  the  guilt  of  treason, 
than  of  inferior  persons.  The  sufferings  of  Christ,  have  this 
advantage  over  the  eternal  sufferings  of  the  wicked,  for  im- 
pressing upon  the  minds  of  the  spectators  a  sense  of  the  dread 
majesty  of  God,  and  his  infinite  hatred  of  sin ;  viz.  that  the 
eternal  sufferings  of  the  wicked  never  will  be  seen  actually 
accomplished,  and  finished;  whereas  they  have  seen  that 
which  is  equivalent  to  those  eternal  sufferings  actually  fulfilled 
and  finished  in  the  sufferings  of  Christ. 

5.  Such  is  the  wisdom  of  this  way  of  salvation,  that  the 
more  any  of  the  elect  have  dishonoured  God,  the  more  is  God 
glorified  in  this  redemption.     Such  wonders  as  these  are  ac- 


WISDOM    DISPLAYED    IN    SALVATION.  91 

complished  by  the  wisdom  of  this  way  of  salvation.  Such 
things  as  these,  if  they  had  been  proposed  to  any  created  in- 
telligence, would  have  seemed  strange  and  unaccountable 
paradoxes,  till  the  counsels  of  divine  wisdom  concerning  the 
matter  were  unfolded. 

So  sufficient  is  this  way  of  salvation,  that  it  is  not  incon- 
sistent with  any  of  God's  attributes  to  save  the  chief  of  sinners. 
However  great  a  sinner  any  one  has  been,  yet  God  can,  if  he 
pleases,  save  without  any  injury  to  the  glory  of  any  one  attri- 
bute. And,  not  only  so,  but  the  more  sinful  any  one  has  been, 
the  more  doth  God  glorify  himself  in  his  salvation.  The  more 
doth  he  glorify  his  power,  that  he  can  redeem  one  in  whom  sin 
so  abounds,  and  of  whom  Satan  has  such  strong  possession. — 
The  greater  triumph  has  Christ  over  his  grand  adversary,  in 
redeeming,  and  setting  at  liberty  from  his  bondage  those  that 
were  his  greatest  vassals.  The  more  doth  the  sufficiency  of 
Christ  appear,  in  that  it  is  sufficient  for  such  vile  wretches." 

The  more  is  the  sovereignty,  and  boundless  extent  of  the 
mercy  of  God  manifested,  in  that  it  is  sufficient  to  redeem  those 
that  are  most  undeserving.  Rom.  v.  20.  Where  sin  abounded* 
grace  did  much  more  abound. 

Section  VI. 

Hovj  the  wisdom  of  God  appears  in  the  Manner  and  Circum- 
stances of  obtaining  the  Good  intended. 

We  now  come  to  take  notice  of  some  wonderful"  circum- 
stances of  the  attainment  of  our  good,  hereby ;  which  shows 
the  great  wisdom  of  this  contrivance. 

1.  So  hath  God  contrived  in  this  way,  that  a  sinful  creature 
should  become  not  guilty  ;  and  that  he  who  has  no  righteous- 
ness of  his  own,  should  become  righteous.  These  things,  if  they 
had  been  proposed,  would  have  appeared  contradictions  to  any 
but  the  divine  understanding. 

If  it  had  been  proposed  to  any  created  intelligence,  to  find 
out  a  way  in  which  a  sinful  creature  should  not  be  a  guilty 
creature,  how  impossible  would  it  have  been  judged,  that  there 
should  be  any  way  at  all.  It  would  doubtless  have  been 
judged  impossible  but  that  he  who  has  committed  sin,  must 
stand  guilty  of  the  sin  he  has  committed ;  and  if  sin  necessa- 
rily obliges  to  punishment,  it  must  oblige  him  who  has  com- 
mitted it.  If  punishment  and  sin  be  inseparable,  then  that 
punishment  and  the  sinner  are  inseparable.  If  the  law  de- 
nounces death  to  the  person  who  is  guilty  of  sin,  and  if  it  be 
impossible  that  the  law  should  not  take  place,  then  he  who  has 
committed  sin  must  die.  Thus  any  created  understanding 
would  have  thought, 


92  WISPOM  DISPLAYED  IN    SALVATION. 

And  if  it  had  been  proposed,  that  there  should  be  some  way 
found  out,  wherein  man  might  be  righteous  without  fulfilling 
righteousness  himself:  so  that  he  might  reasonably  and  pro- 
perly be  looked  upon  and  accepted  as  a  righteous  person,  and 
adjudged  to  the  reward  of  righteousness,  and  yet  have  no 
righteousness  of  his  own,  but  the  contrary — that  he  should  be 
righteous  by  the  righteousness  of  the  law,  by  a  perfect 
righteousness,  and  yet  have  broken  the  law  and  done  nothing 
else  but  break  it — this  doubtless  would  have  been  looked  upon 
as  impossible  and  contradictious. 

But  yet  the  wisdom  of  God  has  truly  accomplished  each  of 
these  things.  He  hath  accomplished  that  men,  though  sinners, 
should  be  without  guilt  in  that  he  hath  found  out  a  way  that 
the  threatenings  of  the  law  should  truly  and  properly  be  ful- 
filled, and  punishment  be  executed  on  sin,  and  yet  not  on  the 
sinner.  The  sufferings  of  Christ  answer  the  demands  of  the 
law,  with  respect  to  the  sins  of  those  who  believe  in  him  ;  and 
justice  is  truly  satisfied  thereby.  And  the  law  is  fulfilled  and 
answered  by  the  obedience  of  Christ,  so  that  his  righteousness 
should  properly  be  our  righteousness.  Though  not  performed 
by  us,  yet  it  is  properly  and  reasonably  accepted  for  us,  as 
much  as  if  we  had  performed  it  ourselves.  Divine  wisdom  has 
so  contrived,  that  such  an  interchanging  of  sin  and  righteous- 
ness should  be  consistent,  and  most  agreeable  with  reason,  with 
the  law,  and  God's  holy  attributes.  For  Jesus  Christ  has  so 
united  himself  to  us,  and  us  to  him,  as  to  make  himself  ours, 
our  head.  The  love  of  Christ  to  the  elect  is  so  great,  that  God 
the  Father  looks  upon  it  proper  and  suitable  to  account  Christ 
and  the  elect  as  one ;  and  accordingly  to  account  what  Christ 
does  and  suffers,  as  if  they  did  and  suffered  it. — That  love  of 
Christ  which  is  so  great  as  to  render  him  willing  to  put  himself 
in  the  stead  of  the  elect,  and  to  bear  the  misery  that  they  de- 
served, does,  in  the  Father's  account,  so  unite  Christ  and  the 
elect,  that  they  may  be  looked  upon  as  legally  one. 

2.  It  shows  wonderful  wisdom  that  our  good  should  be  pro- 
cured by  such  seemingly  unlikely  and  opposite  means,  as  the 
humiliation  of  the  Son  of  God.  When  Christ  was  about  to 
undertake  that  great  work  of  redemption,  he  did  not  take  that 
method  that  any  creature-wisdom  would  have  thought  the  most 
proper.  Creature-wisdom  would  have  determined  that  in  or- 
der to  his  effectually  and  more  gloriously  accomplishing  such 
a  great  work,  he  should  rather  have  been  exalted  higher,  if  it 
had  been  possible,  rather  than  humbled  so  low. — Earthly  kings 
and  princes,  when  they  are  about  to  engage  in  any  great  and 
difficult  work,  will  put  on  their  strength,  and  will  appear  in  all 
their  majesty  and  power,  that  they  may  be  successful. — But 
when  Christ  was  about  to  perform  the  great  work  of  redeeming 
a  lost  world,  t      wisdom  of  God  took  an  opposite  method,  and 


WISDOM  DISPLAYED  IN  SALVATION.  93 

determined  that  he  should  be  humbled  and  abased  to  a  mean 
state,  and  appear  in  low  circumstances.  He  did  not  deck  him- 
self with  glory,  but  laid  it  aside.  He  emptied  himself.  Phil, 
ii.  6,  7,  8.  Being  in  the  form  of  God — he  made  himself  of  no 
reputation,  and  took  on  him  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  was  made 
in  the  likeness  of  men  :  and  being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  he 
humbled  himself, and  became  obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death 
of  the  cross. — Creature-wisdom  would  have  thought  that  Christ, 
in  order  to  perform  this  great  work,  should  deck  himself  with 
all  his  strength  ;  but  divine  wisdom  determined,  that  he  should 
be  made  weak,  or  put  on  the  infirmities  of  human  nature. 

And  why  did  divine  wisdom  determine  that  he  should  be- 
come thus  weak  ?  It  was  that  he  might  be  subject  to  want,  and 
to  suffering,  and  to  the  power  and  malice  of  his  enemies.  But 
then  what  advantage  could  it  be  to  him  in  this  work,  to  be  sub- 
ject to  the  power  and  malice  of  his  enemies?  It  was  the  very 
design  on  which  he  came  into  the  world,  to  overcome  his  ene- 
mies. Who  would  have  thought  that  this  was  the  way  to  over- 
throw them,  that  he  should  become  weak  and  feeble,  and  for 
that  very  end  that  he  might  be  subject  to  their  power  and  malice. 
But  this  is  the  very  means  by  which  God  determined,  that 
Christ  should  be  subject  to  their  power,  that  they  might  pre- 
vail against  him,  so  as  to  put  him  to  disgrace,  and  pain,  and 
death. 

What  other  but  divine  wisdom  could  ever  have  determined, 
that  this  was  the  way  to  be  taken  in  order  to  being  successful 
in  the  work  of  our  redemption !  This  would  have  appeared  to 
creature-wisdom  the  most  direct  course  to  be  frustrated  that 
could  be  devised.  But  it  was  indeed  the  way  to  glorious  suc- 
cess, and  the  only  way.  The  foolishness  of  God  is  wiser  than 
men.  1  Cor.  i.  25.  God  has  brought  strength  out  of  weakness, 
glory  out  of  ignominy  and  reproach.  Christ's  shame  and  re- 
proach are  the  only  means  by  which  a  way  is  made  to  our  eter- 
nal honour. 

The  wisdom  of  God  hath  made  Christ's  humiliation  the 
means  of  our  exaltation  ;  his  coming  down  from  heaven  is  that 
which  brings  us  to  heaven.  The  wisdom  of  God  hath  made 
life  the  fruit  of  death.  The  death  of  Christ  was  the  only  means 
by  which  we  could  have  eternal  life.  The  death  of  a  person 
who  was  God,  was  the  only  way  by  which  we  could  come  to 
have  life  in  God. — Here  favour  is  made  to  arise  out  of  wrath  : 
our  acceptance  into  God's  favour  out  of  God's  wrath  upon  his 
own  Son.  A  blessing  rises  out  of  a  curse ;  our  everlasting 
blessedness,  from  Christ  being  made  a  curse  for  us.  Our 
righteousness  is  made  to  rise  out  of  Christ's  imputed  guilt. 
He  was  made  sin  for  us,  that  we  might  be  made  the  righteous- 
ness of  God,  2  Cor.  v.  21.  By  such  wonderful  means  hath  the 
wisdom  of  God  procured  our  salvation. 


94  WISDOM   DISPLAYED  IN  SALVATION. 

3.  Our  sin  and  misery,  by  this  contrivance  are  made  an  occa* 
sion  of  our  greater  blessedness.  This  is  a  very  wonderful  thing. 
It  would  have  been  a  very  wonderful  thing  if  we  had  been 
merely  restored  from  sin  and  misery,  to  be  as  we  were  before ; 
but  it  was  a  much  more  wonderful  thing  that  we  should  be 
brought  to  a  higher  blessedness  than  ever  ;  and  that  our  sin  and 
misery  should  be  the  occasion  of  it,  and  should  make  way  for  it. 

(1.)  It  was  wonderful  that  sin  should  be  made  the  occasion 
of  our  greater  blessedness  ;  for  sin  deserves  misery.  By  our  sin 
we  had  deserved  to  be  everlastingly  miserable  ;  but  this  is  so 
turned  by  divine  wisdom,  that  it  is  made  an  occasion  of  our 
being  more  happy — It  was  a  strange  thing  that  sin  should  be 
the  occasion  of  any  thing  else  but  misery  :  but  divine  wisdom 
has  found  out  a  way  whereby  the  sinner  might  not  only  escape 
being  miserable,  but  that  he  should  be  happier  than  before  he 
sinned  ;  yea,  than  he  would  have  been  if  he  had  never  sinned 
at  all.  And  this  sin  and  unworthiness  of  his,  are  the  occasion 
of  this  greater  blessedness. 

(2.)  It  was  a  wonderful  thing  that  man's  own  misery  should 
be  an  occasion  of  his  greater  happiness.  For  happiness  and 
misery  are  contraries  ;  and  man's  misery  was  very  great.  He 
was  under  the  wrath  and  curse  of  God,  and  condemned  to 
everlasting  burnings. — But  the  sin  and  misery  of  man,  by  this 
contrivance,  are  made  an  occasion  of  his  being  more  happy, 
not  only  than  he  was  before  the  fall,  but  than  he  would  have 
been,  if  he  never  had  fallen. 

Our  first  parents,  if  they  had  stood  and  persevered  in  per- 
fect obedience,  till  God  had  given  them  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of 
life  as  a  seal  of  their  reward,  would  probably  have  been  advan- 
ced to  higher  happiness  :  for  they  before  were  but  in  a  state  of 
probation  of  their  reward.  And  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  but 
that  their  happiness  was  to  have  been  greater  after  they  had  per- 
sisted in  obedience,  and  had  actually  received  the  reward,  than 
it  was  while  they  were  in  a  state  of  trial  for  it.  But  by  the  re- 
demption of  Christ,  the  sin  and  misery  of  the  elect  are  made  an 
occasion  as  their  being  brought  to  a  higher  happiness  than 
mankind  would  have  had,  if  they  had  persisted  in  obedience 
till  they  had  received  the  reward. — For, 

1st.  Man  is  hereby  brought  to  a  greater  and  nearer  union 
with  God.  If  man  had  never  fallen,  God  would  have  remained 
man's  friend ;  he  would  have  enjoyed  God's  favour,  and  so 
would  have  been  the  object  of  Christ's  favour,  as  he  would  have 
had  the  favour  of  all  the  persons  of  the  Trinity. — But  now 
Christ  becoming  our  surety  and  Saviour,  and  having  taken  on 
him  our  nature,  occasions  between  Christ  and  us  an  union  of 
a  quite  different  kind,  and  a  nearer  relation  than  otherwise 
would  have  been.  The  fall  is  the  occasion  of  Christ's  becoming 
out  head,  and  the  church  hisbodv.     And  believers  are  become 


WISDOM    DISPLAYED    IN    SALVATION.  95 

his  brethren,  and  spouse,  in  a  manner  that  otherwise  would  not 
have  been.  And  by  our  union  with  Christ  we  have  a  greater 
union  with  God  the  Father.  We  are  sons  by  virtue  of  our 
union  with  the  natural  Son  of  God.  Gal.  iv.  4 — 6.  When  the 
fullness  of  time  was  come,  God  sent  forth  his  Son,  made  of  a 
woman,  made  under  the  law,  to  redeem  them  that  were  tinder  the 
law,  that  we  might  receive  the  adoption  of  sons.  And  because 
ye  are  sons,  God,  hath  sent  forth  the  spirit  of  his  Son  into  your 
hearts,  crying,  Abba,  Father.  And  therefore  Christ  has  taught 
us,  in  all  our  addresses  to  God,  to  call  him  our  Father,  in  like 
manner  as  he  calls  him  Father.  John  xx.  17.  Go  tell  my 
brethren,  behold  I  ascend  to  my  Father,  and  your  Father. 

This  is  one  of  the  wonderful  things  brought  about  by  the 
work  of  redemption,  that  thereby  our  separation  from  God,  is 
made  an  occasion  of  a  greater  union,  than  was  before,  or  other- 
wise would  have  been. — When  we  fell,  there  was  a  dreadful 
separation  made  betwixt  God  and  us,  but  this  is  made  an  occa- 
sion of  a  greater  union.  John  xvii.  20 — 23.  Neither  pray  I 
for  these  alone,  but  for  them  also  which  shall  believe  on  me 
through  their  word :  that  they  all  may  be  one,  as  thou,  Father, 
art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee  ;  that  they  also  may  be  one  in  us :  that 
the  world  may  believe  that  thou  hast  sent  me.  And  the  glory 
which  thou  gavest  me  I  have  given  them  ;  that  they  may  be  one? 
even  as  we  are  one  :  I  in  them,  and  thou  in  me,  that  they  may  be 
made  perfect  in  one. 

2dly.  Man  now  has  greater  manifestations  of  the  glory  and 
love  of  God,  than  otherwise  he  would  have  had.  In  the  mani- 
festations of  these  two  things,  man's  happiness  principally 
consists.  Now  man,  by  the  work  of  redemption,  has  greater 
manifestation  of  both,  than  otherwise  he  would  have  had.  We 
have  already  spoken  particularly  of  the  glory  of  God,  and 
what  advantages  even  the  angels  have  by  the  discoveries  of  it 
in  this  work  ;  but,  if  they  have  such  advantages,  much  more 
will  man,  who  is  far  more  directly  concerned  in  this  affair  than 
they.  Here  are  immediately  greater  displays  of  the  love  of 
God,  than  man  had  before  he  fell ;  or,  as  we  may  well  suppose, 
than  he  would  have  had,  if  he  had  never  fallen.  God  now 
manifests  his  love  to  his  people,  by  sending  his  Son  into  the 
world,  to  die  for  them.  There  never  would  have  been  any 
such  testimony  of  the  love  of  God,  if  man  had  not  fallen. 

Christ  manifests  his  love,  by  coming  into  the  world,  and 
laying  down  his  life.  This  is  the  greatest  testimony  of  divine 
love  that  can  be  conceived.  Now,  surely,  the  greater  discove- 
ries God's  people  have  of  his  love  to  them,  the  more  occasion 
will  they  have  to  rejoice  in  that  love.  Here  will  be  a  delightful 
theme  for  the  saints  to  contemplate  to  all  eternity,  which  they 
never  could  have  had,  if  man  never  had  fallen,  viz.  the  dying- 
love  of  Christ.     They  will  have  occasion  now  to  sing  that 


96  WISDOM    DISPLAYED    IN    SALVATION, 

song  for  ever,  Rev,  i.  5,  6.  "  Unto  him  that  loved  us,  and 
washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood,  and  hath  made  us 
kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  his  Father,  to  whom  be  glory 
and  dominion  for  ever  :  Amen.'1'' 

3dly.  Man  now  has  greater  motives  offered  him  to  love 
God  than  otherwise  he  ever  would  have  had.  Man's  happiness 
consists  in  mutual  love  between  God  and  man  ;  in  seeing  God's 
love  to  him,  and  in  reciprocally  loving  God.  And  the  more 
he  sees  of  God's  love  to  him,  and  the  more  he  loves  God,  the 
more  happy  must  he  be.  His  love  to  God  is  as  necessary  in 
order  to  his  happiness,  as  the  seeing  of  God's  love  to  him  ;  for 
he  can  have  no  joy  in  beholding  God's  love  to  him,  any 
otherwise  than  as  he  love's  God.  This  makes  the  saints  prize 
God's  love  to  them  ;  for  they  love  him.  If  they  did  not  love 
God,  to  see  his  love  to  them  would  not  make  them  happy. 
But  the  more  any  person  loves  another,  the  more  will  he  be 
delighted  in  the  manifestations  of  that  other's  love.  There  is 
provision,  therefore,  made  for  both  in  the  work  of  redemption. 
There  are  greater  manifestations  of  the  love  of  God  to  us, 
than  there  would  have  been  if  man  had  not  fallen ;  and,  also, 
there  are  greater  motives  to  love  him,  than  otherwise  there 
would  have  been.  There  are  greater  obligations  to  love  him, 
for  God  has  done  more  for  us  to  win  our  love.  Christ  hath  died 
for  us. 

Again  ;  man  is  now  brought  to  a  more  universal  and  imme- 
diate and  sensible  dependence  on  God,  than  otherwise  he 
would  have  been.  All  his  happiness  is  now  of  him,  through 
him,  in  him.  If  man  had  not  fallen,  he  would  have  had  all 
his  happiness  of  God,  by  his  own  righteousness ;  but  now  it  is 
by  the  righteousness  of  Christ.  He  would  have  had  all  his 
holiness  of  God,  but  not  so  sensibly  ;  because  then  he  would 
have  been  holy  from  the  beginning,  as  soon  as  he  received  his 
being ;  but  now,  he  is  first  sinful  and  universally  corrupt,  and 
afterward  is  made  holy.  If  man  had  held  his  integrity,  misery 
would  have  been  a  stranger  to  him  ;  and,  therefore,  happiness 
would  not  have  been  so  sensible  a  derivation  from  God,  as  it  is 
now,  when  man  looks  to  God  from  the  deeps  of  distress,  cries 
repeatedly  to  him,  and  waits  upon  him.  He  is  convinced,  by 
abundant  experience,  that  he  has  no  place  of  resort  but  God, 
who  is  graciously  pleased,  in  consequence  of  man's  earnest 
and  persevering  suit,  to  appear  to  his  relief,  to  take  him  out  of 
the  miry  clay  and  horrible  pit,  set  him  upon  a  rock,  establish 
his  goings,  and  put  a  new  song  into  his  mouth. — By  man's 
having  thus  a  more  immediate,  universal,  and  sensible  depen- 
dence, God  doth  more  entirely  secure  man's  undivided  respect. 
There  is  a  greater  motive  for  man  to  make  God  his  all  in  all. — » 
to  love  him,  and  rejoice  in  him.  as  his  only  portion. 


WISDOM  DISPLAYED    IN   SALVATION.  9? 

4fchly.  By  the  contrivance  for  our  salvation,  man's  sin  and 
misery  are  but  an  occasion  of  his  being  brought  to  a  more  full 
and  free  converse  with,  and  enjoyment  of  God,  than  otherwise 
would  have  been.  For,  as  we  have  observed  already,  the  union 
is  greater ;  and  the  greater  the  union,  the  more  full  the  com- 
munion, and  intimate  the  intercourse.  Christ  is  come  down 
to  man,  in  his  own  nature ;  and  hereby  he  may  converse  with 
Christ  more  intimately,  than  the  infinite  distance  of  the  divine 
nature  would  allow.  This  advantage  is  more  than  what  the 
angels  have.  For  Christ  is  not  only  in  a  created  nature,  but 
he  is  in  man's  own  nature.  We  have,  also,  advantages  for  a 
more  full  enjoyment  of  God.  By  Christ's  incarnation,  the 
saints  may  see  God  with  their  bodily  eyes,  as  well  as  by  an 
intellectual  view.  The  saints,  after  the  day  of  judgment,  will 
consist  of  both  body  and  soul ;  they  will  have  outward  as  well 
as  spiritual  sight.  It  is  now  ordered  by  divine  wisdom,  that 
God  himself,  or  a  divine  person,  should  be  the  principal  enter- 
tainment of  both  these  kinds  of  sight,  spiritual  and  corporeal ; 
and  the  saints  in  heaven  shall  not  only  have  an  intellectual  sight 
of  God,  but  they  shall  see  a  divine  person  as  they  see  one 
another  ;  not  only  spiritually,  but  outwardly.  The  body  of  Jesus 
Christ  will  appear  with  that  transcendent  visible  majesty  and 
beauty,  which  is  exceedingly  expressive  of  the  divine  majesty, 
beauty,  and  glory.  The  body  of  Christ  shall  appear  with  the 
glory  of  God  upon  it,  as  Christ  tells  us,  Matt.  xvi.  27.  The  Son 
of  man  shall  come  in  the  glory  of  his  Father.  Thus  to  see  God 
will  be  a  great  happiness  to  the  saints.  Job  comforted  him- 
self that  he  should  see  God  with  his  bodily  eyes,  Job  xix.  26. 
And  though,  after  my  skin,  worms  destroy  this  body,  yet  in  my 
flesh  shall  I  see  God. 

5thly.  Man's  sin  and  misery  is  made  an  occasion  of  his  great- 
er happiness,  as  he  has  now  a  greater  relish  of  happiness,  by 
reason  of  his  knowledge  of  both.  In  order  to  happiness  there 
must  be  two  things,  viz.  union  to  a  proper  object — and  a  relish 
of  the  object.  Man's  misery  is  made  an  occasion  of  increasing 
both  these  by  the  work  of  redemption.  We  have  shown  alrea- 
dy, that  the  union  is  increased  ;  and  so  is  the  relish  too,  by  the 
knowledge  man  now  has  of  evil.  These  contraries,  good  and 
evil,  heighten  the  sense  of  one  another.  The  forbidden  tree 
was  called  the  tree  of  knowledge  of  good  and  evil ;  of  evil,  be- 
cause by  it  we  came  to  the  experience  of  evil ;  of  good  because 
we  should  never  have  known  so  well  what  good  was,  if  it  had 
not  been  for  that  tree.  We  are  taught  the  value  of  good, 
by  our  knowledge  of  its  contrary,  evil.  This  teaches  us  to  prize 
good,  and  makes  us  the  more  to  relish  and  rejoice  in  it.  The 
saints  know  something  what  a  state  of  sin  and  alienation  from 
God  is.  They  know  something  what  the  anger  of  God  is,  and 
what  it  is  to  be  in  danger  of  hell.  And  this  makes  them  the 
Vol,  VII.  13 


U5>  WISDOM    DISPLAYED    IN    SALVATION. 

more  exceedingly  to  rejoice  in  the  favour  and  in  the  enjoyment 
of  God. 

Take  two  persons  ;  one  who  never  knew  what  evil  was,  but 
was  happy  from  the  first  moment  of  his  being,  having  the  fa- 
vour of  God,  and  numerous  tokens  of  it;  another  who  is  in  a 
very  doleful  and  undone  condition.  Let  there  be  bestowed 
upon  these  two  persons  the  same  blessings  [subjectively,]  the 
same  good  things  ;  and  let  them  be  objectively  in  the  same 
glorious  circumstances, — and  which  will  rejoice  most? — Doubt- 
less he  that  was  brought  to  this  happiness  out  of  a  miserable 
and  doleful  state.  So  the  saints  in  heaven  will  for  ever  the 
more  rejoice  in  God,  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  his  love,  for 
their  being  brought  to  it  out  of  a  most  lamentable  state  and 
condition. 

Section  VII. 
Some  wonderful  Circumstances  of  the  Overthrow  of  Satan  i 

The  wisdom  of  God  greatly  and  remarkably  appears  in  so 
exceedingly  baffling  and  confounding  all  the  subtilty  of  the  old 
serpent.  Power  never  appears  so  conspicuous  as  when  op- 
posed, and  conquering  opposition.  The  same  may  be  said  of 
wisdom  ;  it  never  appears  so  brightly,  and  with  such  advantage, 
as  when  opposed  by  the  subtilty  of  some  very  crafty  enemy ; 
and  in  baffling  and  confounding  that  subtilty.  The  devil  is  ex- 
ceeding subtile.  The  subtilty  of  the  serpent  is  emblematical 
of  his,  Gen.  iii.  1.  He  was  once  one  of  the  bright  intelligences 
of  heaven,  and  one  of  the  brightest,  if  not  the  very  brightest  of 
all.  And  all  the  devils  were  once  morning  stars,  of  a  glorious 
brightness  of  understanding.  They  still  have  the  same  facul- 
ties, though  they  ceased  to  be  influenced  and  guided  by  the 
holy  Spirit  of  God  ;  and  so  their  heavenly  wisdom  is  turned 
into  hellish  craft  and  subtilty. — God  in  the  work  of  redemp- 
tion hath  wondrously  baffled  the  utmost  craft  of  the  devils,  and 
though  they  are  all  combined  to  frustrate  God's  designs  of 
glory  to  himself,  and  goodness  to  men. — The  wisdom  of  God 
appears  very  glorious  herein.     For, 

1.  Consider  the  weak  and  seemingly  despicable  means  and 
weapons  that  God  employs  to  overthrow  Satan.  Christ  pour- 
ed the  greater  contempt  upon  Satan  in  the  victory  that  he  ob- 
tained over  him,  by  reason  of  the  means  of  his  preparing  him- 
self for  it,  and  the  weapons  he  hath  used.  Christ  chooses  to 
encounter  Satan  in  the  human  nature,  in  a  poor,  frail,  afflicted 
state.  He  did  as  David  did.  David,  when  going  against  the 
Philistine,  refused  Saul's  armour,  a  helmet  of  brass,  a  coat  of 
mail,  and  his  sword.  No,  he  puts  them  all  off.  Goliath  comes 
mightily  armed  against  David,  with  a  helmet  of  brass  upon  his 


WISDOM  DISPLAYED  IN  SALVATION.  99 

head,  a  coat  of  mail  weighing  five  thousand  shekels  of  brass, 
greaves  of  brass  upon  his  legs,  and  a  target  of  brass  between 
his  shoulders ;  a  spear,  whose  staff  was  like  a  weaver's  beam  ; 
and  the  spear's  head  weighing  six  hundred  shekels  of  iron.  And 
besides  all  this,  he  had  one  bearing  a  shield  before  him.  But 
David  takes  nothing  but  a  staff  in  his  hand,  and  a  shepherd's 
bag  and  a  sling ;  and  he  goes  against  the  Philistine.  So  the 
weapons  that  Christ  made  use  of  were  his  poverty,  afflictions 
and  reproaches,  sufferings  and  death.  His  principal  weapon 
was  his  cross,  the  instrument  of  his  own  reproachful  death. 
These  were  seemingly  weak  and  despicable  instruments,  to 
wield  against  such  a  giant  as  Satan.  And  doubtless  the  devil 
disdained  them  as  much  as  Goliath  did  David's  staves  and  sling. 
But  with  such  weapons  as  these  has  Christ,  in  a  human,  weak, 
mortal  nature,  overthrown  and  baffled  all  the  craft  of  hell. 

Such  disgrace  and  contempt  has  Christ  poured  upon  Satan. 
David  had  a  more  glorious  victory  over  Goliath  for  conquering 
him  with  such  mean  instruments :  and  Samson  over  the  Philis- 
tines for  killing  so  many  of  them  with  such  a  despicable  wea- 
pon as  the  jaw-bone  of  an  ass.  It  is  spoken  of  in  scripture  as  a 
glorious  triumph  of  Christ  over  the  devil,  that  he  should  over- 
come him  by  such  a  despicable  weapon  as  his  cross.  Col.  ii. 
14,  15.  Blotting  out  the  hand-writing  of  ordinances  that  tvas 
against  us,  which  was  contrary  to  us,  and  took  it  out  of  the  way. 
nailing  it  to  his  cross  :  and  having  spoiled  principalities  and 
powers,  he  made  a  show  of  them,  openly,  triumphing  over  them 
in  it. — God  shows  his  great  and  infinite  wisdom  in  taking  this 
method,  to  confound  the  wisdom  and  subtilty  of  his  enemies. 
He  hereby  shows  how  easily  he  can  do  it,  and  that  he  is  infi- 
nitely wiser  than  they.  1  Cor.  i.  27 — 29.  God  hath  chosen 
the  foolish  things  of  the  world,  to  confound  the  ivise  ;  and  God 
hath  chosen  the  weak  things  of  the  world,  to  confound,  the  things 
that  are  mighty  ;  and  the  base  things  of  the  world,  and  things 
that  are  despised,  hath  God  chosen  ;  yea,  and  things  that  are 
not,  to  bring  to  nought  the  things  that  are. 

2.  God  has  hereby  confounded  Satan  with  his  own  weapons. 
It  is  so  contrived  in  the  work  of  redemption,  that  our  grand 
enemy  should  be  made  a  means  of  his  own  confusion  :  and  that, 
by  those  very  things  whereby  he  endeavours  to  rob  God  of  his 
glory,  and  to  destroy  mankind,  he  is  made  an  instrument  of 
frustrating  his  own  designs.  His  most  subtile  and  powerful  en- 
deavours for  accomplishing  his  designs  are  made  a  means  of 
confounding  them,  and  of  promoting  the  contrary.  Of  this,  I 
will  mention  but  two  instances.  First.  His  procuring  man's 
fall  is  made  an  occasion  of  the  contrary  to  what  he  designed. 
Indeed  he  has  hereby  procured  the  ruin  of  multitudes  of  man- 
kind, which  he  aimed  at.  But  in  this  he  does  not  frustrate 
God's  design  from  all  eternity  to  glorify  himself:  and  the  misery 


100  WISDOM    DISPLAYED    IN    SALVATION. 

of  multitudes  of  mankind  will  prove  no  content  to  him,  but  will 
enhance  his  own  misery. 

What  Satan  did  in  tempting  man  to  fall,  is  made  an  occa- 
sion of  the  contrary  to  what  he  intended,  in  that  it  gave  occa- 
sion for  God  to  glorify  himself  the  more ;  and  giveth  occasion 
for  the  elect  being  brought  to  higher  happiness. 

The  happy  state  of  man  was  envied  by  Satan.  That  man 
who  was  of  earthly  original  should  be  advanced  to  such  ho- 
nours, when  he  who|was  originally  of  a  so  much  more  noble  na- 
ture should  be  cast  down  to  such  disgrace,  his  pride  could  not 
bear.  How  then  would  Satan  triumph,  when  he  had  brought 
him  down ! 

The  devil  tempted  our  first  parents  with  this,  that  if  they 
would  eat  of  the  forbidden  fruit,  they  should  be  as  gods. — It 
was  a  lie  in  Satan's  mouth ;  for  he  aimed  at  nothing  else  but 
to  fool  man  out  of  his  happiness,  and  make  him  his  own  slave 
and  vassal,  with  a  blinded  expectation  of  being  like  a  god. — But 
little  did  Satan  think  that  God  would  turn  it  so,  as  to  make 
man's  fall  an  occasion  of  God's  becoming  man  :  and  so  an  oc- 
casion of  our  nature  being  advanced  to  a  state  of  closer  union 
to  God. 

By  this  means  it  comes  to  pass,  that  one  in  man's  nature 
now  sits  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  invested  with  divine  power 
and  glory,  and  reigns  over  heaven  and  earth  with  a  god-like 
power  and  dominion.  Thus  is  Satan  disappointed  in  his  sub- 
tilty.  As  he  intended  that  saying,  Ye  shall  be  as  gods,  it  was 
a  lie  to  decoy  and  befool  man.  Little  did  he  think,  that  it 
would  be  in  such  manner  verified,  by  the  incarnation  of  the 
Son  of  God.  And  this  is  the  occasion  also  of  all  the  elect  being 
united  to  this  divine  person,  so  that  they  become  one  with 
Christ.  Believers  are  as  members  and  parts  of  Christ.  Yea 
the  church  is  called  Christ.  Little  did  Satan  think,  that  his 
telling  that  lie  to  our  first  parents,  "  Ye  shall  be  as  gods," 
would  be  the  occasion  of  their  being  members  of  Christ  the 
Son  of  God. 

Again,  Satan  is  made  a  means  of  his  own  confusion  in  this  : 
— It  was  Satan's  design,  in  tempting  man  to  sin,  to  make  man 
his  captive  and  slave  for  ever  ;  to  have  plagued,  and  triumphed 
over  him.  And  this  very  thing  is  a  means  to  bring  it  about, 
that  man  instead  of  being  his  vassal  should  be  his  judge.  The 
elect,  instead  of  being  his  captives,  to  be  for  ever  tormented  and 
triumphed  over  by  him,  shall  sit  as  judges  to  sentence  him  to 
everlasting  torment.  It  has  been  the  means,  that  one  in  man's 
nature,  should  be  his  supreme  judge.  It  was  man's  nature  that 
Satan  so  envied,  and  sought  to  make  a  prey  of.  But  Jesus 
Christ  at  the  last  day  shall  come  in  man's  nature;  and  the  de- 
vils shall  be  all  brought  to  stand  trembling  at  his  bar ;  and  he 
shall  judge  and  condemn  them,  and  execute  the  wrath  of  God 


WISDOM    DISPLAYED    IN    SALVATION. 


roi 


upon  them.  And  not  only  shall  Christ  in  the  human  nature 
judge  the  devils,  but  all  the  saints  shall  judge  them  with  Christ 
as  assessors  with  him  in  judgment.  1  Cor.  vi.  3.  Know  ye  not 
that  we  shall  judge  angels  ? 

Secondly.  In  another  instance  Satan  is  made  a  means  of  his 
own  confusion ;  that  is,  in  his  procuring  the  death  of  Christ. 
Satan  set  himself  to  oppose  Christ  as  soon  as  he  appeared. — 
He  sought,  by  all  means,  to  procure  his  ruin.  He  set  the  Jews 
against  him.  He  filled  the  minds  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees 
with  the  most  bitter  persecuting  malice  against  Christ.  He 
sought  by  all  means  to  procure  his  death  ;  and  that  he  might  be 
put  to  the  most  ignominious  death.  We  read  "  that  Satan  en- 
tered into  Judas,  and  tempted  him  to  betray  him."  Luke  xxii.  3. 
And  Christ  speaks  of  his  sufferings  as  being  the  effects  of  the 
power  of  darkness,  Luke  xxii.  53.  When  I  was  daily  with 
you  in  the  temple,  ye  stretched  forth  no  hands  against  me  ;  but 
this  is  your  hour,  and  the  power  of  darkness. — But  Satan  here- 
by overthrows  his  own  kingdom.  Christ  came  into  the  world 
to  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil.  And  this  was  the  very  thing 
that  did  it,  viz.  the  blood  and  death  of  Christ.  The  cross  was 
the  devil's  own  weapon ;  and  with  this  weapon  he  was  over- 
thrown :     As  David  cut  off  Goliath's  head  with  his  own  sword. 

Christ  thus  making  Satan  a  means  of  his  own  confusion  was 
typified  of  old  by  Samson's  getting  honey  out  of  the  carcass  of 
the  lion.  There  is  more  implied  in  Samon's  riddle,  Out  of  the 
eater  came  forth  meat,  and  out  of  the  strong  came  forth  sweet- 
?iess,  than  ever  the  Philistines  explained.  It  was  verified  by 
Christ  in  a  far  more  glorious  manner.  God's  enemies  and  ours 
are  taken  in  the  pit  which  they  themselves  have  digged  :  and 
their  own  soul  is  taken  in  the  net  which  they  have  laid.  Thus 
we  have  shown,  in  some  measure,  the  wisdom  of  this  way  of 
salvation  by  Jesus  Christ. 

Section  VIII. 
The  Superiority  of  this  Wisdom  to  that  of  the  Angels. 

The  wisdom  of  this  contrivance  appears  to  have  been  above 
the  wisdom  of  the  angels  by  the  following  things. 

1.  It  appears  that  the  angels  did  not  fully  comprehend  the 
contrivance,  till  they  saw  it  accomplished.  They  knew  that 
man  was  to  be  redeemed,  long  before  Christ  came  into  the 
world :  but  yet  they  did  not  comprehend  it  fully  until  they  saw  it. 
This  is  evident  by  the  expression  in  the  text.  That  now  might 
be  known  unto  the  principalities — the  manifold  wisdom  of  God  ; 
i.  e.  Now  the  work  is  actually  accomplished  by  Jesus  Christ. 
Which  implies  that  it  was  now  new  to  them. — If  they  under- 
stood no  more  of  it  now,  than  they  had  nil  along,  the  apostle 


102  WJiDOM  DISPLAYED  IN  SALVATION, 

would  never  have  expressed  himself  so;  for  he  is  speaking  of  it 
as  a  mystery,  in  a  measure  kept  hid  until  now. 

Now  it  is  to  be  considered,  that  the  angels  had  four  thou- 
sand years  to  contemplate  this  affair ;  and  they  did  not  want 
inclination  and  desire  to  understand  and  look  into  it,  as  the 
scripture  teaches  us.  They  had  also  a  great  deal  to  put  them 
upon  an  attentive  contemplation  of  it.  For  when  it  was  made 
known  that  God  had  such  a  design,  it  must  appear  a  new  and 
wonderful  thing  to  them.  They  had  seen  their  fellow-angels 
destroyed  without  mercy ;  and"  this  redeeming  of  the  fallen 
sinful  creature,  was  quite  a  new  thing.  It  must  needs  be 
astonishing  to  them,  when  God  had  revealed  this  design  of 
mercy  to  them  presently  after  the  fall :  and  had  given  an  intima- 
tion of  it,  in  saying,  "  The  seed  of  the  woman  shall  bruise  the 
serpent's  head."  They  knew  that  God  had  such  a  design;  for 
they  were,  from  the  beginning,  ministering  spirits,  sent  forth  to 
minister  to  those  that  were  the  heirs  of  salvation. — They  were 
present  at  the  institution  of  the  typical  dispensation,  that 
was  so  full  of  shadows  of  gospel  truth.     Psalm  lxix.  17. 

The  angels  contemplating  the  contrivance  of  our  redemp- 
tion was  typified  by  the  posture  of  the  cherubims  over  the  mer- 
cy-seat, which  was  the  lid  of  the  ark.  Their  emblems  were 
made  bending  down  towards  the  ark  and  mercy-seat. — This  is 
what  the  apostle  Peter  is  thought  to  have  some  reference  to, 
1  Pet.  i.  12.  Yet  the  angels,  though  for  four  thousand  years  they 
had  been  studying  this  contrivance,  did  not  fully  comprehend 
it  till  they  saw  it  accomplished.  This  shows  that  the  wisdom 
of  it  was  far  above  theirs  ;  for  if  they  could  not  fully  comprehend 
it  after  it  had  been  revealed  that  there  was  such  a  design — 
and  after  much  of  it  had  already  been  made  known  in  the  Old 
Testament — how  much  less  could  they  have  found  it  out  of 
themselves. 

Consider  for  what  end  this  wisdom  of  God  was  made  known 
unto  the  angels,  viz.  that  they  might  admire  and  prize  it.  It 
was  made  known  to  them,  that  they  might  see  how  manifold, 
how  great  and  glorious  it  is;  that  they  might  see  the  unspeaka- 
ble "  depth  of  the  riches  of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  God," 

as  the  apostle  expresses  it,  Rom.  xi.  33. It  was  manifested 

to  them  that  they  might  see  the  glory  of  God  in  it,  and  how 
great  and  wonderful  the  mystery  was.  1  Tim.  iii.  16.  Great 
is  the  mystertj  of  godliness ;  God  was  manifest  in  the  flesh,  jus- 
tified in  the  spirit,  seen  of  angels.  Now  if  the  wisdom  of  it 
were  not  far  above  their  own  understanding,  this  would  not  be 
shown  them  for  the  express  purpose  that  they  might  admire  and 
praise  God  for  it. 

2.  It  appears  to  be  above  the  wisdom  of  the  angels,  because 
they  are  still  contemplating  it ;  and  endeavouring  to  see  more 
and  more  of  it.     Indeed  there  is  room  for  their  faculties  to  em- 


WISDOM  DISPLAYED  IN  SALVATION.  iQs 

ploy  themselves  to  all  eternity.  It  is  evident  from  1  Pet.  i.  11, 
12,  that  they  are  still  employing  themselves  in  endeavouring  to 
see  more  and  more  of  God's  wisdom  appearing  in  the  work  ol 
redemption,  Searching  what,  or  what  manner  of  time  the  Spirit 
of  Christ  which  was  in  them  did  signify,  when  it  testified  before' 
hand  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  and  the  glory  that  shoiddfol~ 
low.  Unto  ivhom  it  ivas  revealed,  that  not  unto  themselves,  but 
unto  us  they  did  minister  the  things  which  are  now  reported  un- 
to you  by  them  that  have  preached  the  gospel  unto  you,  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  sent  down  from  heaven  ;  which  things  the  angels 
desire  to  look  into.  They  still  desire  to  look  into  it,  after  they 
have  seen  it  accomplished.  They  do  not  so  perfectly  compre- 
hend  all  the  wisdom  that  is  to  be  seen  in  it ;  but  they  are  contem- 
plating, looking  into  it,  that  they  may  see  more  and  more  ;  but 
there  will  still  be  room  enough  in  this  work  to  employ  the  an- 
gelical understandings. 

Section  IX. 
The  Subject  Improved. 

1.  Hence  we  may  learn  the  blindness  of  the  world,  that  the 
wisdom  appearing  in  the  work  of  redemption,  is  no  more  ad- 
mired in  it.  God  has  revealed  this  his  glorious  design  and 
contrivance  to  the  world  ;  sends  forth  his  gospel,  and  causes  it 
to  be  preached  abroad,  in  order  to  declare  to  the  world,  that 
his  infinite  wisdom  has  been  engaged  for  man's  salvation.  But 
how  little  is  it  regarded !  There  are  some  who  have  their  eyes 
opened  to  behold  the  wondrous  things  of  the  gospel,  who  see 
the  glory  of  God  in,  and  admire  the  wisdom  of  it.  But  the 
greater  part  are  wholly  blind  to  it.  They  see  nothing  in  all 
this,  that  is  any  way  glorious  and  wonderful.  Though  the 
angels  account  it  worthy  of  their  most  engaged  and  deep  con- 
templation ;  yet  the  greater  part  of  men  take  little  notice  of  it. 
It  is  all  a  dull  story,  and  dead  letter  to  many  of  them.  They 
cannot  see  any  thing  in  it  above  the  wisdom  of  men.  Yea, 
the  gospel  to  many  seems  foolishness. 

Though  the  light  that  shines  in  the  world  be  so  exceeding 
glorious,  yet  how  few  are  there  that  do  see  it.  The  glory  of 
God's  wisdom  in  this  work,  is  surpassing  the  brightness  of  the 
sun :  but  so  blind  is  the  world,  that  it  sees  nothing.  It  does 
not  know  that  the  Sun  of  righteousness  shines.  Thus  it  has 
been  in  all  ages,  and  wherever  the  gospel  has  been  preached ; 
ministers  of  the  word  of  God,  in  all  ages,  have  had  occasion  to 
say,  Who  hath  believed  our  report,  and  to  whom  is  the  arm  of 
the  Lord  revealed  ?  Thus  the  prophets  were  sent  to  many  with 
that  errand,  Isa.  vi.  9,  10.  Go  and  tell  this  people,  Hear  ye  in- 
deed, bat  understand  not :  and  see  ye  indeed,  but  perceive  not. 


104  WISDOM    DISPLAYED    IN    SALVATION. 

Make  the  heart  of  this  people  fat,  and  their  ears  heavy,  and  shut 
their  eyes  ;  lest  they  should  see  with  their  eyes,  and  hear  with 
their  ears,  and  understand  with  their  heart,  and  convert,  and  be 
healed. 

When  Christ,  that  glorious  prophet  came,  and  more  fully 
revealed  the  counsels  of  God  concerning  our  redemption,  how 
many  were  then  blind  !  how  much  did  Christ  complain  of 
them  !  How  blind  were  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  the  most 
noted  sect  of  men  among  the  Jews  for  wisdom  ;  they  beheld  no 
glory  in  that  gospel  which  Christ  preached  unto  them ; 
which  gave  him  occasion  to  call  them  fools  and  blind,  Matt. 
xxiii.  17. — So  it  was  again  in  the  apostles'  times.  In  all  places 
where  they  preached,  some  believed,  and  some  believed  not, 
Acts  xxviii.  24.  As  many  as  were  ordained  to  eternal  life, 
believed,  chap.  xiii.  48.  The  election  obtained  it,  but  the  rest 
were  blinded,  Rom.  xi.  7.  And  so  it  is  still  in  those  places 
where  the  gospel  is  preached.  There  are  a  few  who  see  the 
glory  of  the  gospel.  God  has  a  small  number  whose  eyes  he 
opens,  who  are  called  out  of  darkness  into  marvellous  hght, 
and  who  have  an  understanding  to  see  the  wisdom  and  fitness 
of  the  way  of  life.  But  how  many  are  there,  who  sit  under 
the  preaching  of  the  gospel  all  their  days,  and  yet  never  see 
any  divine  wisdom  or  glory  in  it !  To  their  dying  day,  they 
are  unaffected  with  it.  When  they  hear  it,  they  see  nothing  to 
attract  their  attention,  much  less  excite  any  admiration.  To 
preach  the  gospel  to  them,  will  serve  very  well  to  lull  them 
asleep  ;  but  produces  very  little  other  effect  upon  them.  This 
shows  the  exceeding  wickedness  of  the  heart  of  man.  How 
affecting  the  thought,  that  infinite  wisdom  should  be  set  on 
work,  so  as  to  surprise  the  angels,  and  to  entertain  them  from 
age  to  age ; — and  that  to  men,  though  so  plainly  set  before 
them,  it  should  appear  foolishness  !  1  Cor.  i.  18.  The  preaching 
of  the  cross  is  to  them  that  perish  foolishness. 

II.  This  is  a  great  confirmation  of  the  truth  of  the  gospel. 
The  gospel  stands  in  no  need  of  external  evidences  of  its 
truth  and  divinity.  It  carries  its  own  light  and  evidence  with 
it, — There  is  that  in  its  nature  that  sufficiently  distinguishes  it, 
to  those  who  are  spiritually  enlightened,  from  all  the  effects  of 
human  invention.  There  are  evident  appearances  of  the  divine 
perfections ;  the  stamp  of  divine  glory,  of  which  this  of  the 
divine  wisdom  is  not  the  least  part. 

There  is  as  much  in  the  gospel  to  show  that  it  is  no  work  of 
men,  as  there  is  in  the  sun  in  the  firmament.  As  persons  of 
mature  reason,  who  look  upon  the  sun,  and  consider  the  nature 
of  it,  its  wonderful  height,  its  course,  its  brightness  and  heat, 
may  know  that  it  is  no  work  of  man  ;  so,  if  the  gospel  be  duly 
considered,  if  the  true  nature  of  it  be  seen,  it  may  be  known 
that  it  is  no  work  of  man,  and  that  it  must  be  from  God.     And 


wisdom:  displayed  in  salvation.  105 

if  the  wisdom  appearing  in  the  gospel  be  duly  considered,  it 
will  be  seen  as  much  to  excel  all  human  wisdom,  as  the  sun's 
light  excels  the  light  of  fires  of  our  own  kindling.  The  con- 
trivance of  our  salvation  is  of  such  a  nature,  that  no  one  can 
rationally  conclude  that  man  had  any  hand  in  it.  The  nature 
of  the  contrivance  is  such,  so  out  of  the  way  of  all  human 
thoughts,  so  different  from  all  human  inventions;  so  much 
more  sublime,  excellent,  and  worthy,  that  it  does  not  savour  at 
all  of  the  craft  or  subtilty  of  man  ;  it  savours  of  God  only. 

If  any  are  ready  to  think  man  might  have  found  out  such  a 
way  of  salvation  for  sinners — so  honourable  to  God,  to  his 
holiness  and  authority — they  do  not  well  consider  the  scanti- 
ness of  human  understanding.  Mankind  were  of  a  poor  capa- 
city for  any  such  undertaking  ;  for,  till  the  gospel  enlightened 
the  world,  they  had  but  miserable  notions  of  what  was  honour- 
able to  God.  They  could  have  but  poor  notions  of  what  way 
would  be  suitable  to  the  divine  perfections ;  for  they  were 
wofully  in  the  dark  about  these  divine  perfections  themselves, 
till  the  gospel  came  abroad  in  the  world.  They  had  strange 
notions  about  a  Deity.  Most  of  them  thought  there  were  many 
gods.  They  changed  the  glory  of  the  incorruptible  God  into 
an  image  like  to  corruptible  man,  and  to  birds,  and  four-footed 
beasts,  and  creeping  things,  Rom.  i.  23.  They  attributed  vices 
to  God.  Even  the  philosophers,  their  wisest  men,  entertained 
but  imperfect  notions  of  the  Supreme  Being.  How,  then, 
should  men  find  out  a  way  so  glorious  and  honourable  to  God, 
and  agreeable  to  his  perfections,  who  had  not  wisdom  enough 
to  get  any  tolerable  notions  of  God,  till  the  gospel  was  re- 
vealed to  them.  They  groped  in  the  dark.  Their  notions 
showed  the  infinite  insufficiency  of  man's  blind  understanding 
for  any  such  undertaking,  as  the  contriving  of  a  way  of  salva- 
tion every  way  honourable  to  God,  and  suitable  to  the  needs 
of  a  fallen  creature. 

But  since  the  gospel  has  told  what  God's  counsels  are,  and 
how  he  has  contrived  a  way  for  our  salvation,  men  are  ready 
to  despise  it,  and  foolishly  to  exalt  their  own  understanding ; 
and  to  imagine  they  could  have  found  out  as  good  a  way  them- 
selves. When,  alas !  men,  of  themselves,  had  no  notion  of 
what  was  honourable  to  God,  and  suitable  for  a  divine  Being. 
They  did  not  so  much  as  think  of  the  necessity  of  God's  law 
being  answered,  and  justice  satisfied.  And  if  they  had,  how 
dreadfully  would  they  have  been  puzzled,  to  have  found  out  the 
way  how !  Who  would  have  thought  of  a  trinity  of  persons 
in  the  godhead ;  and  that  one  should  sustain  the  rights  of  the 
godhead ;  and  another  should  be  the  Mediator ;  and  another 
should  make  application  of  redemption !  Who  would  have 
thought  of  such  a  thing  as  three  distinct  persons,  and  yet  but 
one  God  !     All  the  same  Being,  and  yet  three  persons  !     Who 

Vol.  VII.  14 


106  WISDOM    DISPLAYED    IN    SALVATION, 

would  have  thought  of  this,  in  order  to  have  found  out  a  way 
for  satisfying  justice  !  Who  would  have  thought  of  a  way  for 
answering  the  law  that  threatened  eternal  deathT  without  the 
sinner's  suffering  eternal  death  !  And  who  would  have  thought 
of  any  such  thing  as  a  divine  person  suffering  the  wrath  of  God  ! 
And,  if  they  had,  who  would  have  contrived  a  way  how  he 
should  sutler,  since  the  divine  nature  cannot  suffer  ! 

Who  would  have  thought  of  any  such  thing  as  God  be- 
coming man  ;  two  natures,  and  but  one  person  !  These  things 
are  exceedingly  out  of  the  way  of  human  thought  and  contri- 
vance. It  is  most  unreasonable  to  think  that  the  world,  who, 
till  the  gospel  enlightened  them,  were  so  blind  about  the  nature 
of  God  and  divine  things,  should  contrive  such  a  way  that 
should  prove  thus  to  answer  all  ends ;  every  way  to  suit  what 
the  case  required  ;  most  glorious  to  God,  and  answerable  to  all 
man's  necessities.  Every  thing  is  so  fully  provided  for,  and  no 
absurdity  to  be  found  in  the  whole  affair,  but  all  speaking  forth 
the  most  perfect  wisdom.  That  there  should  be  no  infringement 
upon  holiness  or  justice ;  nothing  dishonourable  to  the  majesty 
of  God  ;  no  encouragement  to  sin ;  all  possible  motives  to 
holiness ;  all  manner  of  happiness  provided  ;  and  Satan  so 
confounded  and  entirely  overthrown,  how  truly  wonderful ! 

And  if  we  suppose,  that  all  this,  notwithstanding,  was  the 
invention  of  men,  whose  invention  should  it  be?  Who  should 
be  pitched  upon  as  the  most  likely  to  invent  it  ?  It  was  not  the 
invention  of  the  Jews  ;  for  they  were  the  most  bitter  enemies 
to  it.  The  wise  men  among  them,  when  they  first  heard  of  it, 
conceived  malice  against  it,  and  persecuted  all  that  held  this 
doctrine.  It  was  not  the  invention  of  the  Heathen,  for  they 
knew  nothing  about  it  till  the  apostles  preached  it  to  them ; 
and  it  appeared  a  very  foolish  doctrine  to  the  wise  men  among 
them.  The  doctrine  of  Christ  crucified,  was  not  only  to  the 
Jews  a  stumbling-block,  but  also  to  the  Greeks  foolishness, 
1  Cor.  i.  23.  Besides,  it  was  contrary  to  all  their  notions  about 
a  Deity,  and  they  knew  nothing  about  the  fall  of  man,  and  the 
like,  till  the  gospel  revealed  it  to  them. 

It  was  not  the  invention  of  the  apostles ;  for  the  apostles,  of 
themselves,  were  no  way  capable  of  any  such  learned  contri- 
vance. They  were  poor  fishermen  and  publicans,  an  obscure 
and  illiterate  sort  of  men,  till  they  were  extraordinarily  taught. 
They  were  all  surprised,  when  they  first  heard  of  it.  When 
they  heard  that  Christ  must  die  for  sinners,  they  were  offended 
at  it :  and  it  was  a  long  while  before  they  were  brought  fully 
to  receive  it. 

There  is  but  one  way  left ;  and  that  is,  to  suppose,  that 
Christ  was  a  mere  man,  a  very  subtile  crafty  man,  and  that  he 
invented  it  all :  but  this  is  as  unreasonable  as  the  rest ;  for  it 
would  have  been  all  against  himself,  to  invent  a  wav  of  salva- 


WISDOM  DISPLAYED  IN  SALVATION.  10* 

uon  by  his  own  crucifixion,  a  most  tormenting  and  ignomini- 
ous death. 

III.  How  great  a  sin  they  are  guilty  of,  who  despise  and  re- 
ject this  way  of  salvation !  When  God  has  manifested  such 
unsearchable  riches  of  wisdom ;  when  all  the  persons  of  the 
Trinity  have,  as  it  were,  held  a  consultation  from  all  eternity  in 
providing  a  way  of  salvation  for  us  sinful,  miserable  worms ;  a 
way  that  should  be  sufficient,  and  every  way  suitable  for  us  ; — 
a  way  that  should  be  in  all  things  complete,  whereby  we  might 
have,  not  only  full  pardon  of  all  our  sins,  and  deliverance  from 
hell,  but,  also,  full  blessedness  in  heaven  for  ever : — how  must 
God  needs  be  provoked,  when,  after  all,  men  reject  this  way  of 
salvation ! 

When  salvation  comes  to  be  preached,  and  is  offered  to 
them  in  this  way ;  when  they  are  invited  to  accept  of  its  bene- 
fits, and  yet  they  despise  and  refuse  it,  they  thus  practically  de- 
ny it  to  be  a  wise  way,  and  call  this  wisdom  of  God  foolishness. 
> — How  provoking  must  it  be,  when  such  a  poor  creature  as 
man  shall  rise  up,  and  find  fault  with  that  wisdom  which  is  so 
far  above  the  wisdom  of  angels !  This  is  one  thing  wherein 
consists  the  heinousness  of  the  sin  of  unbelief,  that  it  implies  a 
rejecting  and  despising  of  divine  wisdom  in  the  way  of  salvation 
by  Jesus  Christ. — Unbelief  finds  fault  with  the  wisdom  of  God 
in  the  choice  of  the  person,  for  performing  this  work.  It  dis- 
likes the  person  of  Christ.  It  sees  no  form  nor  comeliness  in 
him,  nor  beauty  wherefore  it  should  desire  him. 

That  person  whom  the  wisdom  of  God  looked  upon  as  the 
fittest  person  of  any,  the  only  fit  person,  is  despised  and  rejected 
by  unbelief. —  Men,  through  unbelief,  find  fault  with  the  salvation 
itself  that  Christ  has  purchased  :  they  do  not  like  to  be  saved  as 
Christ  would  save.  They  do  not  like  to  be  made  holy,  and  to 
have  such  a  happiness  as  is  to  be  had  in  God  for  a  portion. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  here  to  mention  two  or  three  ways  where- 
by persons  are  guilty  of  a  provoking  contempt  of  the  wisdom  of 
God  in  the  way  of  salvation. 

1.  They  are  guilty  of  a  provoking  contempt,  who  live  in  a 
careless  neglect  of  their  salvation  ;  they  who  are  secure  in  their 
sins,  and  are  not  much  concerned  about  either  salvation  or  dam- 
nation. This  is  practically  charging  God  with  folly. — Its  lan- 
guage is,  that  all  is  in  vain,  and  to  no  purpose ;  that  God  hath 
contrived  and  consulted  for  our  salvation,  when  there  was  no 
need  of  it.  They  are  well  enough  as  they  are.  They  do  not 
see  any  great  necessity  of  a  Saviour.  They  like  that  state  they 
are  in,  and  do  not  much  desire  to  be  delivered  out  of  it.  They 
do  not  thank  him  for  all  his  consultation  and  contrivance, 
and  think  he  might  have  spared  his  cost.  God  has  greatly 
minded  that  which  they  do  not  think  worth  minding ;  and  has 
contrived  abundantly  for  that  which  thev  do  not  trouble  their 
heads  about. 


IOS  WISDOM  DISPLAYED  IN  SALVATION. 

2.  They  are  guilty  of  a  provoking  contempt  of  the  wisdom  of 
this  way  of  salvation,  who  go  about  to  contrive  ways  of  their 
oivn.  They  who  are  not  content  with  salvation  by  the  righte- 
ousness of  Christ,  which  God  has  provided,  are  for  contriving 
some  way  of  being  saved  by  their  own  righteousness.  These 
find  fault  with  the  wisdom  of  God's  way,  and  set  up  their  own 
wisdom  in  opposition  to  it.  How  greatly  must  God  be  pro- 
voked by  such  conduct. 

3.  Those  that  entertain  discouraged  and  despairing  apprehen- 
sions about  their  salvation,  cast  contempt  on  the  wisdom  of  God. 
They  think  that  because  they  have  been  such  great  sinners, 
God  will  not  be  willing  to  pardon  them  ;  Christ  will  not  be  will- 
ing to  accept  of  them.  They  fear  that  Christ,  in  the  invitations 
of  the  gospel,  does  not  mean  such  wicked  creatures  as  they  are  ; 
that  because  they  have  committed  so  much  sin,  they  have  sin- 
ned beyond  the  reach  of  mercy.  They  think  it  is  in  vain  for 
them  to  seek  for  salvation.  These  cast  contempt  on  the  wis- 
dom of  God  in  the  way  of  salvation,  as  though  it  were  not  all- 
sufficient; — as  though  the  wisdom  of  God  had  not  found  out  a 
way  sufficient  for  the  salvation  of  great,  sinners. 


Section  X. 
The  Misery  of  Unbelievers. 

Unbelievers  have  no  portion  in  this  matter.  There  is  a 
most  glorious  way  of  salvation,  but  you,  who  are  unbelievers, 
have  no  interest  in  it.  The  wisdom  of  God  hath  been  glori- 
ously employed  for  the  deliverance  of  men  from  a  miserable, 
doleful  state  ;  but  you  are  never  the  better  for  it,  because  you 
reject  it.  If  you  continue  in  that  state,  this  wisdom  will  do 
you  no  good. 

Christ  is  a  glorious  person ;  every  way  fit  to  be  a  Saviour  of 
sinners;  a  person  who  has  power  sufficient,  wisdom  sufficient, 
merit  sufficient,  and  love  sufficient  for  perfecting  this  work. 
And  he  is  the  only  fit  person  :  but  you  have  no  right  in  him ; 
you  can  lay  claim  to  no  benefit  by  his  power,  wisdom,  love,  or 
merits. — This  wisdom  of  God  hath  found  out  a  way  whereby 
this  Saviour  might  satisfy  justice,  and  fulfil  the  law  for  us;  a  way 
whereby  he  might  be  capable  of  suffering  for  us  ;  but  you  have 
no  lot  in  the  incarnation,  death,  and  sufferings  of  Jesus  Christ. 

The  wisdom  of  God  hath  contrived  a  way  of  salvation  that 
there  should  be  procured  for  us  perfect  and  everlasting  happi- 
ness. Here  is  that  happiness  procured  which  is  most  suitable 
to  our  nature,  and  answerable  to  the  salvation  of  our  souls. 
Here  is  a  most  glorious  portion,  viz.  the  Divine  Being  himself, 
with  his  glorious  perfections.     Here  it  is  purchased,   that  we 


Wisdom  displayed   in  salvation.  109 

* 

should  see  God  face  to  face; — that  we  should  converse  and  dwell 
with  God  in  his  own  glorious  habitation ; — that  we  should  be 
the  children  of  God,  and  be  conformed  to  him.  Here  are  the 
highest  honours,  the  most  abundant  riches,  the  most  substantial 
satisfying  pleasures  for  evermore.  Here  we  have  prepared  all 
needed  good,  both  for  the  souls  and  bodies  of  sinners  ;  all  needed 
earthly  good  things,  while  here  ;  and  glory,  for  both  body  and 
soul  hereafter,  for  ever. 

But  you  are  never  the  better  for  all  this.  You  have  no  lot, 
nor  portion  in  any  of  it.  Notwithstanding  all  this  rich  provi- 
sion, you  remain  in  the  same  miserable  state  and  condition,  in 
which  you  came  into  the  world.  Though  the  provision  of  the 
gospel  be  so  full,  yet  your  poor  soul  remains  in  a  famishing, 
perishing  state.  You  remain  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins  ;  un- 
der the  dominion  of  Satan  ;  in  a  condemned  state,  having  the 
wrath  of  God  abiding  on  you,  and  being  daily  exposed  to  the 
dreadful  effects  of  it  in  hell.  Notwithstanding  all  this  provision, 
you  remain  wretched  and  miserable,  poor  and  blind  and 
naked.  O  that  you  might  turn  to  God  through  Jesus  Christ,  be 
numbered  among  his  disciples  and  faithful  followers,  and  so  be 
entitled  to  their  privileges  !  They  have  an  interest  in  this  glo- 
rious Saviour,  and  are  entitled  to  all  the  ineffable  blessedness 
of  his  kingdom,  so  far  as  their  capacities  will  admit ;  but  you 
remain  without  Christ,  being  aliens  from  the  commonwealth  of 
Israel,  strangers  to  the  covenant  of  promise,  having  no  well 
grounded  hope,  and  without  God  in  the  world.  Further  con- 
sider a  few  things. 

First.  It  argues  the  great  misery  of  sinners,  that  the  wisdom 
of  God  should  be  exercised  to  such  a  degree  in  order  to  find 
out  a  way  to  deliver  them  from  it.  Their  case  surely  was  most 
deplorable,  since  it  required  infinite  wisdom  to  find  out  a  way 
for  their  deliverance.  The  wisdom  of  angels  was  not  sufficient : 
nothing  but  divine  wisdom  could  reach  and  remedy  their  case. 
And  all  the  persons  of  the  Trinity  did  enter  into  a  consultation 
about  it.  If  man's  misery  were  not  very  great,  divine  wisdom 
would  not  have  been  exercised  for  his  deliverance  from  it. 
God  would  not  contrive  and  do  things  so  wonderful  in  a  tri- 
vial affair.  If  the  salvation  of  a  sinner  were  not  a  great  salva- 
tion, from  an  exceeding  great  misery,  it  is  not  to  be  supposed, 
that  God's  wisdom  should  be  more  signalized  in  this  affair  than 
in  any  other  whatever. 

But  so  it  is  ;  this  contrivance  seems  to  be  spoken  of  in  scrip- 
ture as  the  master-piece  of  divine  wisdom.  This  work  of  re- 
demption is  represented  as  most  wonderful,  and  spoken  of  in 
scripture  in  the  most  exalted  manner  of  any  work  of  God. — 
Doubtless  therefore  salvation  is  a  great  thing  ;  and  consequently 
the  misery  that  sinners  are  saved  from,  is  a  great  and  unspeak- 
able miserv.     Now  this  is  the  miserv  that  vou  are  all  in.  who 


110  WISDOM  DISPLAYED   IN  SALVATION. 

remain  in  a  natural  condition.  This  is  the  condemnation  yon 
lie  under.  This  is  the  wrath  of  God  that  abides  upon  you.  The 
wisdom  of  God  knew  it  to  be  a  very  doleful  thing  for  a  person 
to  be  in  a  natural  state,  and  therefore  did  so  exercise  itself  to 
deliver  miserable  sinners  out  of  it.  But  this  is  the  state  that 
many  among  us  do  yet  remain  in. 

Secondly.  Consider,  that  if  you  continue  in  the  state  you 
are  in,  you  will  be  so  far  from  being  the  better  for  this  contri- 
vance, that  you  will  be  as  much  more  miserable  for  it.  The 
justice  and  wisdom  of  the  way  of  salvation  will  be  your  con- 
demnation. This  is  the  condemnation,  that  light  is  come  into  the 
ivorld,  and  men  loved  darkness  rather  than  light.  John  iii.  19. 
If  you  continue  in  that  state  you  are  now  in,  it  would  have 
been  better  for  you,  if  Christ  had  never  died  for  sinners  ;  if  God 
had  left  all  mankind  to  perish,  as  he  did  the  fallen  angels. 
Your  punishment  then  would  have  been  light  in  comparison  of 
what  it  will  be  now.  You  will  have  greater  sins  by  far  to  answer 
for  ;  and  all  your  sins  will  be  abundantly  the  more  aggravated. 

Since  I  have  been  upon  this  subject,  1  have  observed,  that 
the  work  of  redemption  is  an  occasion  of  the  elect  being  brought 
to  greater  happiness  than  man  could  have  had,  if  he  had  not 
fallen.  And  it  is  also  true  as  to  reprobates,  that  it  will  be  an 
occasion  of  their  having  greater  misery  than  they  would  have 
had,  if  there  had  been  no  redemption.  2  Cor.  ii.  15.  For  we 
are  unto  God  a  sweet  savour  of  Christ,  in  them  that  are  saved, 
and  in  them  that  perish.  To  the  one  tve  are  the  savour  of  death 
unto  death  ;  and  to  the  other  we  are  the  savour  of  life  unto  life. 
If  you  perish  at  last,  you  will  be  the  more  miserable  for  the 
benefits  of  the  gospel  being  so  glorious,  and  that  because 
your  crime  in  rejecting  and  despising  them  will  be  the  more 
heinous.  Heb.  ii.  3.  How  shall  we  escape  if  we  neglect  so  great 
salvation  ? 

Thirdly.  Whilst  you  continue  an  unbeliever,  the  more  you 
hear  of  this  way  of  salvation,  your  condition  will  become  the 
more  miserable.  The  longer  you  sit  under  the  preaching  of 
the  gospel,  the  more  doleful  does  your  case  grow.  Your  guilt 
continually  increases.  For  your  refusals  of  the  gospel,  and  your 
rejections  of  this  way  of  salvation,  are  so  much  the  oftener  re- 
peated. Every  time  you  hear  the  gospel  preached,  you  are 
guilty  of  a  renewed  rejection  of  it,  the  guilt  of  which  therefore 
you  will  have  lying  upon  you.  And  the  more  you  hear  of  the 
suitableness  and  glory  of  this  way,  the  greater  is  your  guilt  who 
still  continue  to  reject  it.  Every  new  illustration  of  the  wisdom 
and  grace  of  God  in  redemption,  adds  to  your  guilt.  Matt,  xxiii. 
37.  O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem — how  often  would  I  have  gathered 
thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens  un- 
der her  wings,  but  ye  woidd  not ! What  adds  to  your  mi- 
sery is,  that  as  long  as  it  continues,  it.  is  a  growing  evil. 


WISDOM    DISrLAYED    IN    SALVATION.  HI 

Fourthly.  Consider  the  danger  there  is,  that  you  will  never 
have  any  lot  or  portion  in  this  matter ;  seeing  there  are  but 
few  that  have.  Christ  has  told  us,  that  straight  is  the  gate 
and  narrow  is  the  way  that  leadeth  unto  life,  and  few  there  be 
that  find  it.  There  have  been  but  few  in  all  ages  of  the  world. 
Many  seek ;  and  many  hope  that  they  shall  obtain.  There  are 
but  few  that  intend  to  be  damned ;  while  many  hope  that  they 
shall,  some  way  or  other,  find  means  to  escape  eternal  misery. 
But,  after  all,  there  are  but  few  saved ;  or  obtain  the  benefits 
of  redemption. 

Section  XI. 

Exhortation  to  come  to  Christ. 

I  conclude  with  an  use  of  exhortation  to  come  to  Christ, 
and  accept  of  salvation  in  this  way.  You  are  invited  to  come 
to  Christ,  heartily  to  close  with  him,  and  trust  in  him  for  salva- 
tion ;  and,  if  you  do  so,  you  shall  have  the  benefit  of  this 
glorious  contrivance.  You  shall  have  the  benefit  of  all ;  as 
much  as  if  the  whole  had  been  contrived  for  you  alone.  God 
has  already  contrived  every  thing  that  is  needful  for  your 
salvation ;  and  there  is  nothing  wanting  but  your  consent. 
Since  God  has  taken  this  matter  of  the  redemption  of  sinners 
into  his  own  hand,  he  has  made  thorough  work  of  it ;  he  has 
not  left  it  for  you  to  finish.  Satisfaction  is  already  made, 
righteousness  is  already  wrought  out :  death  and  hell  are 
already  conquered.  The  Redeemer  has  already  taken  pos- 
session of  glory,  and  keeps  it  in  his  hands  to  bestow  on  them 
who  come  to  him.  There  were  many  difficulties  in  the  way, 
but  they  are  all  removed.  The  Saviour  has  already  triumphed 
over  all,  and  is  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  to  give  eternal  life 
to  his  people. 

Salvation  is  ready  brought  to  your  door ;  and  the  Saviour 
stands,  knocks,  and  calls,  that  you  would  open  to  him,  that  he 
might  bring  it  in  to  you.  There  remains  nothing  but  your 
consent.  All  the  difficulty  now  remaining,  is  with  your  own 
heart.  If  you  perish  now,  it  must  be  wholly  at  your  door.  It 
must  be  because  you  would  not  come  to  Christ  that  you  might 
have  life  ;  and  because  you  virtually  choose  death  rather  than 
life. .  Prov.  viii.  36.  He  that  sinneth  against  me,  wrongeth 
his  own  soul :  all  they  that  hate  me,  love  death.  All  that  is 
now  required  of  you,  is,  that  your  heart  should  close  with 
Christ  as  a  Saviour.     Here  consider, 

1.  That  the  wisdom  of  God  hath  so  contrived,  that  he  hath 
forestalled  all  your  objections.  If  you  make  objections  against 
Christ,  and  the  way  of  salvation,  they  must  be  all  unreasonable, 
You  cannot  reasonably  object  that  your  sins  are  of  such  a  na* 


112  WISDOM    DISPLAYED    IN    SALVATION. 

ture,  that  God's  honour  will  not  allow  of  your  pardon.  It  is 
true,  God  insists  upon  his  own  honour.  He  is  a  God  that  will 
be  honoured,  and  his  majesty  shall  be  vindicated :  and,  when 
sinners  cast  contempt  upon  him,  his  honour  requires  vengeance. 
But  God  has  so  contrived  this  way,  that  his  honour  may  be 
repaired  by  the  punishment  of  sin,  without  the  sinners  suffering, 
how  great  soever  the  sin  be.  Herein  the  wisdom  of  this  way 
appears,  that  there  is  a  sufficiency  for  the  greatest  and  most 
heinous  transgressors. 

You  cannot  object  that  God  the  father  will  not  be  willing  to 
accept  you,  for  the  Mediator's  sake ;  for  he  hath  chosen  his 
own  Son  to  be  a  Mediator,  to  cut  off  any  such  objections.  So 
you  may  be  sure,  that  God  will  receive  you,  if  you  go  to  him 
through  Christ.  You  cannot  object,  that  God  the  father  has 
not  given  sufficient  assurance  of  salvation  to  believers  ;  for  the 
principal  things,  those  which  would  have  been  most  difficult  to 
believe,  are  already  fulfilled :  God  hath  already  given  his  Son 
to  die  for  us.  This,  before  it  was  accomplished,  was  much 
more  strange,  and  difficult  to  believe,  than  that  he  should  give 
eternal  life  to  sinners,  after  Christ  died  for  them.  Rom.  viii.  32. 
"  He  that  spared  not  his  own  Son,  but  delivered  him  up  for  us 
all,  how  shall  he  not  with  him  freely  give  us  all  things  ?" 

There  is  no  room  to  doubt,  but  that,  if  we  accept  of  Christ, 
God  will  give  eternal  life ;  for  he  hath  given  it  already  into 
the  hands  of  our  Saviour  for  us.  He  hath  intrusted  him  with 
the  whole  affair.  He  hath  given  all  things  into  his  hands,  that 
he  might  give  eternal  life  to  as  many  as  should  come  to  him. 
The  Father  hath  appointed  him  who  died  for  believers,  to  be 
their  judge,  to  have  the  whole  determination  of  the  matter, 
and  the  disposal  of  the  reward,  in  his  own  hand.  And  you 
cannot  doubt,  but  that  Christ  will  be  willing  to  bestow  eternal 
life  on  them  for  whom  he  purchased  it.  For  if  he  is  not  willing 
to  bestow  it,  surely  he  never  would  have  died  to  purchase  it. 
Who  can  think,  that  Christ  would  be  so  desirous  of  sinners 
being  saved,  as  to  undergo  so  much  for  it ;  and  not  be  willing 
to  let  them  have  it,  when  he  had  obtained  it  for  them. — 
Consider, 

2.  The  wisdom  of  God  hath  contrived  that  there  should  be 
in  the  person  of  the  Saviour  all  manner  of  attractives  to  draw 
us  to  him.  He  has  in  him,  all  possible  excellency.  He  is 
possessed  of  all  the  beauty  and  glory  of  the  Godhead.  So  that 
there  can  be  no  manner  of  excellency,  nor  degree  of  excellency, 
that  we  can  devise,  but  what  is  in  the  person  of  the  Saviour. 
But  yet  so  redundant  has  the  wisdom  of  God  been,  in  providing 
attractives  in  order  that  we  should  come  to  Christ,  it  hath  so 
ordered,  that  there  should  also  be  all  human  excellencies  in 
him.  If  there  be  any  thing  attractive  in  this  consideration, 
that  Christ  is  one  in  our  own  nature,  one  of  us,  this  is  true  of 


WISDOM     DISPLAYED    IV    SALVATION.  113 

Christ.  He  is  not  only  in  the  divine,  but  in  the  human  nature. 
He  is  truly  a  man,  and  has  all  possible  human  excellencies. 
He  was  of  a  most  excellent  spirit ;  wise  and  holy,  condescend- 
ing and  meek,  and  of  a  lowly,  benign,  and  benevolent  dispo- 
sition. 

Again:  The  wisdom  of  God  hath  chosen  a  person  of  great 
love  to  sinners,  and  who  should  show  that  love  in  the  most 
endearing  manner  possible.  What  more  condescending  love 
can  there  be,  than  the  love  of  a  divine  person  to  such  worms  of 
the  dust !  What  freer  love  can  there  be,  than  love  to  enemies  ! 
What  greater  love  can  there  be,  than  dying  love  !  And  what 
more  endearing  expression  of  love,  than  dying  for  the  beloved  ! 
And  the  wisdom  of  God  hath  so  contrived,  that  Christ  shall  sus- 
tain that  office  which  should  most  tend  to  endear  him  to  us,  and 
draw  us  to  him  :  the  office  of  a  Redeemer,  a  redeemer  from  eter- 
nal misery,  and  the  purchaser  of  all  happiness. 

And  if  all  this  be  not  enough  to  draw  us,  the  wisdom  of  God 
hath  ordered  more  ;  it  hath  provided  us  a  Saviour  that  should 
offer  himself  to  us  in  the  most  endearing  relation.  He  offers  to 
receive  us  as  friends  ;  to  receive  us  to  an  union  to  himself,  to 
become  our  spiritual  husband  and  portion  for  ever. — And  the 
wisdom  of  God  hath  provided  us  a  Saviour  that  woos  in  a  man- 
ner that  has  the  greatest  tendency  to  win  our  hearts.  His  word 
is  most  attractive.  He  stands  at  our  door  and  knocks.  He  does 
not  merely  command  us  to  receive  him :  but  he  condescends 
to  apply  himself  to  us  in  a  more  endearing  manner.  He  intreats 
and  beseeches  us  in  his  word  and  by  his  messengers. 

3.  The  wisdom  of  God  hath  contrived  that  there  should  be 
all  manner  of  attractives  in  the  benefits  that  Christ  offers  you. 
There  are  not  only  the  excellencies  of  the  person  of  Christ  to 
draw  you  to  him,  but  the  desirable  benefits  he  offers.  Here  is 
what  is  most  suitable  to  the  cravings  of  the  human  nature.  Men 
when  distressed  and  burdened,  long  for  ease  and  rest :  here  it 
is  offered  to  us  in  Christ.  Come  unto  me,  says  he,  all  ye  that 
labour  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Men 
when  in  fear  of  danger,  long  for  safety  :  here  it  is  provided  for 
us  in  Christ.  God  promises  that  he  will  become  a  shield  and 
buckler,  a  strong  rock  and  high  tower  to  those  that  trust  in  him. 
— Those  that  mourn  need  comfort :  Christ  tells  us  that  he  came 
to  comfort  those  that  mourn,  lsa.  lxi.  2. — The  blind  need  to 
have  their  eyes  opened.  The  light  is  sweet  to  men  :  Christ 
offers  to  anoint  our  eyes  with  eye-salve  that  we  may  see  glori- 
ous light.  He  will  be  our  sun,  and  the  light  of  God's  counte- 
nance.— What  is  more  dear  to  men  than  life!  Christ  hath 
purchased  for  men,  that  they  should  live  for  ever.  Psal.  xxi.  4. 
He  asked  life  of  thee,  and  thou  gavest  it  him,  even  length  of 
days  forever  and  ever. — How  greatly  is  a  crown  prized  and 
admired  by  the  children  of  men  ?     And  Christ  offers  this ; — not 

Vol.  VII.  15 


114  WISDOM  DISPLAYED  IN  SALVATION. 

a  corruptible  crown,  but  an  incorruptible  ami  far  more  glori- 
ous crown,  than  any  worn  by  earthly  kings  :  a  crown  of  glory, 
the  lustre  of  which  never  shall  fade,  nor  decay ;  with  an  ever- 
lasting kingdom. — Do  men  love  pleasures  ?  Here  are  pleasures 
for  evermore.  What  could  there  be  more  to  draw  our  hearts 
to  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  make  us  willing  to  accept  of  him  for 
our  Saviour,  with  all  his  unspeakable  benefits  ! 


SERMOtf  IV. 


JOSEPH'S  GREAT   TEMPTATION, 


AND 


GRACIOUS  DELIVERANCE. 


Genesis  xxxix.  12. 
And  he  left  his  garment  in  her  hand,  and  fled,  and  got  him  out. 

We  have  here,  and  in  the  context,  an  account  of  that  re- 
markable behaviour  of  Joseph  in  the  house  of  Potiphar,  which 
was  the  occasion  both  of  his  great  affliction,  and  also  of  his  high 
advancement  and  prosperity  in  the  land  of  Egypt. 

We  read,  in  the  beginning  of  the  chapter,  how  Joseph,  after 
he  had  been  so  cruelly  treated  by  his  brethren,  and  sold  into 
Egypt  for  a  slave,  was  advanced  in  the  house  of  Potiphar,  who 
had  bought  him.  Joseph  was  one  that  feared  God,  and  there- 
fore God  was  with  him  ;  and  so  influenced  the  heart  of  Potiphar 
his  master,  that  instead  of  keeping  him  as  a  mere  slave,  to  which 
purpose  he  was  sold,  he  made  him  his  steward  and  overseer 
over  his  house,  and  all  that  he  had  was  put  into  his  hands ;  in- 
somuch, that  we  are  told,  ver.  6,  that  he  left  all  he  had  in  his 
hand ;  and  he  knew  not  ought  that  he  had,  save  the  bread  which 
lie  did  eat. — While  Joseph  was  in  these  prosperous  circum- 
stances, he  met  with  a  great  temptation  in  his  master's  house. 
We  are  told  that,  he  being  a  goodly  person  and  well  favoured, 
his  mistress  cast  her  eyes  upon  and  lusted  after  him,  and  used 
all  her  art  to  tempt  him  to  commit  uncleanness  with  her. 

Concerning  this  temptation,  and  his  behaviour  under  it,  many 
things  are  worthy  to  be  noted.     Particularly, 

We  may  observe,  how  great  the  temptation  was,  that  he  was 
under.  It  is  to  be  considered,  that  Joseph  was  now  in  his  youth  ; 
a  season  of  life  when  persons  are  most  liable  to  be  overcome 
by  temptations  of  this  nature.  And  he  was  in  a  state  of  unex- 
pected prosperity  in  Potiphar's  house;  which  has  a  tendency  to 
lift  persons  up,  especially  young  ones,  whereby  commonly  they 
more  easily  fall  before  temptations. 


11G  TEMPTATION  AND  DELIVERANCE. 

And  then,  the  superiority  of  the  person  that  laid  the  temp- 
tation before  him,  rendered  it  much  the  greater.  She  was  his 
mistress,  and  he  a  servant  under  her.  And  the  manner  of  her 
tempting  him.  She  did  not  only  carry  herself  so  towards  Joseph, 
as  to  give  him  cause  to  suspect  that  he  might  be  admitted  to 
such  criminal  converse  with  her  ;  but  she  directly  proposed  it  to 
him ;  plainly  manifesting  her  disposition  to  it.  So  that  here 
was  no  such  thing  as  a  suspicion  of  her  unwillingness  to  deter 
him,  but  a  manifestation  of  her  desire  to  entice  him  to  it.  Yea, 
she  appeared  greatly  engaged  in  the  matter.  And  there  was 
not  only  her  desire  manifested  to  entice  him,  but  her  authority 
over  him  to  enforce  the  temptation.  She  was  his  mistress,  and 
he  might  well  imagine,  that  if  he  utterly  refused  a  compliance, 
he  should  incur  her  displeasure ;  and  she,  being  his  master's 
wife,  had  power  to  do  much  to  his  disadvantage,  and  to  render 
his  circumstances  more  uncomfortable  in  the  family. 

And  the  temptation  was  the  greater,  in  that  she  did  not  only 
tempt  him  once,  but  frequently,  day  by  day,  ver.  10.  And  at 
last  became  more  violent  with  him.  She  caught  him  by  his 
garment,  saying,  Lie  with  me. 

His  behaviour  was  very  remarkable  under  these  temptations. 
He  absolutely  refused  any  compliance  with  them  :  he  made  no 
reply  that  manifested  as  though  the  temptation  had  gained  at 
all  upon  him  :  so  much  as  to  hesitate  about  it,  or  at  all  delibe- 
rate upon  it.  He  complied  in  no  degree  either  to  the  gross 
act  she  proposed,  or  any  thing  tending  towards  it,  or  that  should 
at  all  be  gratifying  to  her  wicked  inclination.  And  he  per- 
sisted resolute  and  unshaken  under  her  continual  solicitations, 
ver.  10.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  she  spake  to  Joseph  day  by  day, 
that  he  hearkened  not  unto  her,  to  lie  by  her,  or  to  be  with  her. 
He,  to  his  utmost,  avoided  so  much  as  being  where  she  was. 
And  the  motives  and  principles,  from  which  he  acted,  manifest- 
ed by  his  reply  to  her  solicitations,  are  remarkable. — He  first 
sets  before  her,  how  injuriously  he  should  act  against  his  mas- 
ler,  if  he  should  comply  with  her  proposal :  Behold  my  master 
—hath  committed  all  that  he  hath  to  my  hand  ;  there  is  none 
greater  in  this  house  than  1 ;  neither  hath  he  kept  back  any  thing 
from  me,  but  thee,  because  thou  art  his  wife.  But  he  then  pro- 
ceeded to  inform  her  of  that,  which  above  all  things,  deterred 
him  from  a  compliance,^,  that  it  would  be  great  wickedness, 
and  sin  against  God. — How  shall  I  do  this,  and  sin  against 
God  t  He  would  not  do  any  such  thing,  as  he  would  not  injure 
his  master;  but  that  which  influenced  him  more  than  all  on  this 
occasion,  was  the  fear  of  sinning  against  God.  On  this  account 
he  persisted  in  his  resolution  to  the  last. 

In  the  text  we  have  an  account  of  his  behaviour  under  the 
last  and  greatest  temptation  that  he  had  from  her.  This  temp- 
tation was  great,  as  it  was   at  a  time  when  there  was  no  body 


TEMPTATION  AND   DELIVERANCE.  I  IT 

in  the  house,  but  he  and  his  mistress,  ver.  11 ;  there  was  an  op- 
portunity to  commit  the  fact  with  the  greatest  secrecy.  And  at 
this  time  it  seems  that  she  was  more  violent  than  ever  before. 
She  caught  him  by  the  garment,  &c.  She  laid  hold  on  him,  as 
though  she  was  resolute  to  attain  her  purpose  of  him. 

Under  these  circumstances  he  not  only  refused  her,  but  fled 
from  her,  as  he  would  from  one  that  was  going  to  assassinate 
him  ;  he  escaped  as  for  his  life.  He  not  only  would  not  be 
guilty  of  such  a  fact,  but  neither  would  he  by  any  means  be 
in  the  house  with  her,  where  he  should  be  in  the  way  of  her 
temptation. — This  behaviour  of  Joseph  is  doubtless  recorded 
for  the  instruction  of  all.  Therefore  from  the  words  I  shall 
observe,  that  it  is  our  duty,  not  only  to  avoid  those  things  that 
are  themselves  sinful,  but  also,  as  far  as  may  be,  those  things 
that  lead  and  expose  to  sin. 

Section  I. 

Why  we  should  avoid  what  tends  to  sin. 

Thus  did  Joseph  :  he  not  only  refused  actually  to  commit 
uncleanness  with  his  mistress,  who  enticed  him  ;  but  refused  to 
be  there,  where  he  should  be  in  the  way  of  temptation,  ver.  10. 
He  refused  to  lie  by  her,  or  be  with  her.  And  in  the  text  we 
are  told  that  he  fled  and  got  him  out  ;  would  by  no  means  be  in 
her  company.  Though  it  was  no  sin  in  itself,  for  Joseph  to  be 
in  the  house  where  his  mistress  was ;  but  under  these  circum- 
stances it  would  expose  him  to  sin.  Joseph  was  sensible  he 
had  naturally  a  corrupt  heart,  that  tended  to  betray  him  to  sin  ; 
and  therefore  he  would  by  no  means  be  in  the  way  of  tempta- 
tion ;  but  with  haste  he  fled,  he  ran  from  the  dangerous  place. 
Inasmuch  as  he  was  exposed  to  sin  in  that  house,  he  fled  out 
of  it  with  as  much  haste  as  if  it  had  been  on  fire  ;  or  full  of  ene- 
mies, who  stood  ready  with  drawn  swords  to  stab  him  to  the 
very  heart.  When  she  took  him  by  the  garment,  he  left  his 
garment  in  her  hands  ;  he  had  rather  lose  his  garment,  than  stay 
a  moment  there,  where  he  was  in  such  danger  of  losing  his 
chastity. 

I  said,  that  persons  should  avoid  things  that  expose  to  sin,  as 
far  as  may  be  ;  because  it  is  possible  that  persons  may  be  called 
to  expose  themselves  to  temptation  ;  and  when  it  is  so,  they 
may  hope  for  divine  strength  and  protection  under  temptation. 

It  may  be  a  man's  indispensable  duty  to  undertake  an  office, 
or  a  work,  attended  with  a  great  deal  of  temptation.  Thus  or- 
dinarily a  man  ought  not  to  run  into  the  temptation  of  being 
persecuted  for  the  true  religion  ;  lest  the  temptation  should  be 
too  hard  for  him  ;  but  should  avoid  it,  as  much  as  may  be ;  there- 
fore Christ  thus  directs  his  disciples,  Matt.  x.  k23.  When  v<- 


118  TEMPTATION  AND  DELIVERANCE. 

be  persecuted  in  one  city  fee  to  another.  Yet  the  case  may  be 
so,  that  a  man  may  be  called  not  to  flee  from  persecution-, 
but  to  run  the  venture  of  such  a  trial,  trusting  in  God  to 
uphold  him  under  it.  Ministers  and  magistrates  may  be 
obliged  to  continue  with  their  people  in  such  circumstances  ,  as 
Nehemiah  says,  Neh.  vi.  11.  Should  such  a  man  as  I  fee? 
So  the  apostles. — Yea,  they  may  be  called  to  go  into  the 
midst  of  it ;  to  those  places  where  they  cannot  reasonably  ex- 
pect but  to  meet  with  such  temptations.  So  Paul  went  up 
to  Jerusalem,  when  he  knew  beforehand,  that  there  bonds  and 
affliction  awaited  him,  Acts  xx.  '23. 

So  in  some  other  cases,  the  necessity  of  affairs  may  call  upon 
men  to  engage  in  some  business  that  is  peculiarly  attended 
with  temptations.  But  when  it  is  so  they  are  indeed  least  ex- 
posed to  sin ;  for  they  are  always  safest  in  the  way  of  duty.  Prov. 
x.  9.  He  that  walketh  uprightly,  walketh  surely.  And  though 
there  be  many  things  by  which  they  may  have  extraordinary 
temptations,  in  the  affairs  they  have  undertaken,  yet  if  they 
have  a  clear  call,  it  is  no  presumption  to  hope  for  divine  sup- 
port and  preservation  in  it. 

But  for  persons  needlessly  to  expose  themselves  to  tempta- 
tion, and  to  do  those  things  that  tend  to  sin,  is  unwarrantable, 
and  contrary  to  that  excellent  example  set  before  us.  And 
that  we  ought  to  avoid  not  only  those  things  that  are  in  them- 
selves sinful,  but  also  those  things  that  lead  and  expose  to  sin, 
is  manifest  by  the  following  arguments. 

1.  It  is  very  evident  that  we  ought  to  use  our  utmost  endea- 
vours to  avoid  sin  :  which  is  inconsistent  with  needlessly  doing 
those  things,  that  expose  and  lead  to  sin.  And  the  greater  any 
evil  is,  the  greater  care  and  the  more  earnest  endeavours,  does 
it  require  to  avoid  it.  Those  evils  that  appear  to  us  very  great 
and  dreadful,  we  use  proportionably  great  care  to  avoid. 
And  therefore  the  greatest  evil  of  all,  requires  the  greatest  and 
utmost  care  to  avoid  it. 

Sin  is  an  infinite  evil,  because  committed  against  an  infi- 
nitely great  and  excellent  Being,  and  so  a  violation  of  infinite 
obligation  :  therefore  however  great  our  care  be  to  avoid  sin, 
it  cannot  be  more  than  proportionable  to  the  evil  we  would 
avoid.  Our  care  and  endeavour  cannot  be  infinite,  as  the  evil 
of  sin  is  infinite  ;  but  yet  it  ought  to  be  to  the  utmost  of  our 
power ;  we  ought  to  use  every  method  that  tends  to  the  avoid- 
ing of  sin.  This  is  manifest  to  reason. — And  not  only  so,  but 
this  is  positively  required  of  us  in  the  word  of  God.  Josh,  xxii.5. 
"  Take  diligent  heed  to  do  the  commandment  and  the  law, 
which  Moses  the  servant  of  the  Lord  charged  you,  to  love  the 
Lord  your  God,  and  to  walk  in  all  his  ways,  and  to  keep  his  com- 
mandments, and  to  cleave  unto  him,  and  to  serve  him  with  all 
your  sou]."    Deut.  iv.   15. 16,  "  Take  ye  therefore  good  heed 


TEMPTATION  AND  DELIVERANCE.  119 

unto  yourselves,  lest  ye  corrupt  yourselves."  Chap.  xii.  30. 
"  Take  heed  to  thyself,  that  thou  be  not  snared,"  &c.  Luke 
xi.  36.  "  Take  heed  and  beware  of  covetousness."  1  Cor.  x.  12. 
"Let  him  that  thinketh  he  stande'h,  take  heed  lest  he  fall." 
Deut.  iv.  9.  u  Take  heed  to  thyself,  keep  thy  soul  diligently." 
These  and  many  other  texts  of  scripture,  plainly  require  of  us, 
the  utmost  possible  d'ligence  and  caution  to  avoid  sin. 

But  how  can  he  be  said  to  use  the  utmost  possible  diligence 
and  caution  to  avoid  sin,  that  voluntarily  does  those  things 
which  naturally  expose  and  lead  to  sin  ?  How  can  he  be  said 
with  the  utmost  possible  caution  to  avoid  an  enemy,  that  volun- 
tarily lays  himself  in  his  way  ?  How  can  he  be  said  to  use  the 
utmost  possible  caution  to  preserve  the  life  of  his  child,  that  suf- 
fers it  to  go  on  the  edge  of  precipices  or  pits  ;  or  to  play  on  the 
borders  of  a  deep  gulf;  or  to  wander  in  a  wood,  that  is  haunted 
by  beasts  of  prey  ? 

2.  It  is  evident  that  we  ought  to  avoid  those  things  that  ex- 
pose and  lead  to  sin  ;  because  a  due  sense  of  the  evil  of  sin,  and 
a  just  hatred  of  it,  will  necessarily  have  this  effect  upon  us,  to 
cause  us  so  to  do. — If  we  were  duly  sensible  of  the  evil  and  dread- 
ful nature  of  sin,  we  should  have  an  exceeding  dread  of  it  upon 
our  spirits.  We  should  hate  it  worse  than  death,  and  should 
fear  it  worse  than  the  devil  himself;  and  dread  it  even  as  we 
dread  damnation.  But  those  things  that  men  exceedingly  dread, 
they  naturally  shun  ;  and  they  avoid  those  things  that  they  ap- 
prehend expose  to  them.  As  a  child,  that  has  been  greatly  terri- 
fied by  the  sight  of  any  wild  beast,  will  by  no  means  be  per- 
suaded to  go  where  it  apprehends  that  it  shall  fall  in  its  way. 

As  sin  in  its  own  nature  is  infinitely  hateful,  so  in  its  natural 
tendency  it  is  infinitely  dreadful.  It  is  the  tendency  of  all  sin, 
eternally  to  undo  the  soul.  Every  sin  naturally  carries  hell  in  it  ! 
Therefore,  all  sin  ought  to  be  treated  by  us,  as  we  would  treat  a 
thing  that  is  infinitely  terrible.  If  any  one  sin,  yea,  the  least  sin, 
do  not  necessarily  bring  eternal  ruin  with  it,  this  is  owing  to  no- 
thing but  the  free  grace  and  mercy  of  God  to  us,  and  not  to  the 
nature  and  tendency  of  sin  itself.  But  certainly,  we  ought  not  to 
take  the  less  care  to  avoid  sin,  or  all  that  tends  to  it,  for  the 
freeness  and  greatness  of  God's  mercy  to  us,  through  which 
there  is  hope  ofpardon ;  for  that  would  be  indeed  a  most  ungrate- 
ful and  vile  abuse  of  mercy.  Were  it  made  known  to  us,  that 
if  we  ever  voluntarily  committed  any  particular  act  of  sin,  we 
should  be  damned  without  any  remedy  or  escape,  should  we  not 
exceedingly  dread  the  commission  of  such?  Should  we  not  be 
very  watchful  and  careful  to  stand  at  the  greatest  distance  from 
that  sin  :  and  from  every  thing  that  might  expose  us  to  it ;  and 
that  has  any  tendency  to  stir  up  our  lust,  or  to  betray  us  to  such 
an  act  of  sin  ?  Let  us  then  consider,  that  though  the  next  volun- 
tary act  of  known  sin.  shall  not  necessarilv  and  unavoidably  issue 


1*2U  TEMPTATION  AND  DELIVERANCE. 

in  certain  damnation  ;  yet  it  will  certainly  deserve  it.  We  shall 
thereby  really  deserve  to  be  cast  off,  without  any  remedy  or  hope  ; 
and  it  can  only  be  owing  to  free  grace,  that  it  will  not  certainly 
and  remedilessly  be  followed  with  such  a  punishment.  And 
shall  we  be  guilty  of  such  a  vile  abuse  of  God's  mercy  to  us,  as  to 
take  encouragement  from  it,  the  more  boldly  to  expose  ourselves 
to  sin  ? 

3.  It  is  evident  that  we  ought  not  only  to  avoid  sin,  but  things 
that  expose  and  lead  to  sin  :  because  this  is  the  way  we  act  in 
things  that  pertain  to  our  temporal  interest. — Men  avoid  not 
only  those  things  that  are  themselves  the  hurt  or  ruin  of  their 
temporal  interest,  but  also  the  things  that  tend  or  expose  to  it. 
Because  they  love  their  temporal  lives,  they  will  not  only  actu- 
ally avoid  killing  themselves,  but  theyare  very  careful  to  avoid 
those  things  that  bring  their  lives  into  danger  ;  though  they  do 
not  certainly  know  but  they  may  escape. 

They  are  careful  not  to  pass  rivers  and  deep  waters  on  rotten 
ice,  though  they  do  not  certainly  know  that  they  shall  fall  through 
and  be  drowned.  They  will  not  only  avoid  those  things  that 
would  be  in  themselves  the  ruin  of  their  estates — as  setting  their 
own  houses  on  fire,  and  burning  them  up  with  their  substance  ; 
taking  their  money  and  throwing  it  into  the  sea,  &c. ;  but  they 
carefully  avoid  those  things  by  which  their  estates  are  exposed. 
They  have  their  eyes  about  them  ;  are  careful  with  whom  they 
deal ;  watchful  that  they  be  not  over-reached  in  their  bargains  ; 
and  that  they  do  not  lay  themselves  open  to  knaves  and 
fraudulent  persons. 

If. a  man  be  sick  of  a  dangerous  distemper,  he  is  careful  to 
avoid  every  thing  that  tends  to  increase  the  disorder ;  not  only 
what  he  knows  to  be  mortal,  but  other  things  that  he  fears  may 
be  prejudicial  to  him.  Men  are  in  this  way  wont  to  take  care 
of  their  temporal  interest.  And  therefore,  if  we  are  not  as  care- 
ful to  avoid  sin,  as  we  are  to  avoid  injury  in  our  temporal  inte- 
rest, it  will  show  a  regardless  disposition  with  respect  to  sin  and 
duty  ;  or  that  we  do  not  much  care  though  we  do  sin  against 
God.  God's  glory  is  surely  of  as  much  importance  and 
concern  as  our  temporal  interest.  Certainly  we  should  be  as 
careful  not  to  be  exposed  to  sin  against  the  majesty  of  heaven 
and  earth,  as  men  are  wont  to  be  of  a  few  pounds ;  yea,  the 
latter  are  but  mere  trifles  compared  with  the  former. 

4.  We  are  wont  to  do  thus  by  our  dear  earthly  friends. — We 
not  only  are  careful  of  those  things  wherein  the  destruction  of 
their  lives,  or  their  hurt  and  calamity  in  any  respect,  directly 
consist ;  but  are  careful  to  avoid  those  things  that  but  remotely 
tend  to  it.  We  are  careful  to  prevent  all  occasions  of  their  loss  ; 
and  are  watchful  against  that  which  tends  in  any  wise,  to  de- 
prive them  of  their  comfort  or  good  name  ;  and  the  reason  is, 
because  they   are  very  dear  to  us.     In   this  manner,   men  are 


TEMPTATION  AND  DELIVERANCE.  121 

wont  to  be  careful  of  the  good  of  their  own  children,  and  dread 
the  approaches  of  any  mischief  that  they  apprehend  they  are, 
or  may  be  exposed  to.  And  we  should  take  it  hard  if  our 
friends  did  not  do  thus  by  us. 

And  surely  we  ought  to  treat  God  as  a  dear  friend:  we 
ought  to  act  towards  him,  as  those  that  have  a  sincere  love  and 
unfeigned  regard  to  him ;  and  so  ought  to  watch  and  be  careful 
against  all  occasions  of  that  which  is  contrary  to  his  honour 
and  glory.  If  we  have  not  a  temper  and  desire  so  to  do,  it  will 
show  that  whatever  our  pretences  are,  we  are  not  God's  sincere 
friends,  and  have  no  true  love  to  him. — If  we  should  be  offend- 
ed at  any  that  have  professed  friendship  to  us,  if  they  treated 
us  in  this  manner,  and  were  no  more  careful  of  our  interest ; 
surely  God  may  justly  be  offended,  that  we  are  no  more  care- 
ful to  his  glory. 

5.  We  would  have  God,  in  his  providence  towards  us,  not  to 
order  those  things  that  tend  to  our  hurt,  or  expose  our  interest ; 
therefore  certainly  we  ought  to  avoid  those  things  that  lead  to 
sin  against  him. 

We  desire  and  love  to  have  God's  providence  such  towards 
us,  as  that  our  welfare  may  be  well  secured.  No  man  loves  to 
live  exposed,  uncertain,  and  in  dangerous  circumstances.  While 
lie  is  so,  he  lives  uncomfortably,  in  that  he  lives  in  continual 
fear.  We  desire  that  God  would  so  order  things  concerning  us, 
that  we  may  be  safe  from  fear  of  evil ;  and  that  no  evil  may  come 
nigh  our  dwelling  ;  and  that  because  we  dread  calamity.  So 
we  do  not  love  the  appearance  and  approaches  of  it ;  and  love 
to  have  it  at  a  great  distance  from  us.  We  desire  to  have  God 
to  be  to  us  as  a  wall  of  fire  round  about  us,  to  defend  us  ;  and 
that  he  would  surround  us  as  the  mountains  do  the  vallies,  to 
guard  us  from  every  danger,  or  enemy ;  that  so  no  evil  may 
come  nigh  us. 

Now  this  plainly  shows,  that  we  ought,  in  our  behaviour  to- 
wards God,  to  keep  at  a  great  distance  from  sin,  and  from  all 
that  exposes  to  it ;  as  we  desire  God  in  his  providence  to  us, 
should  keep  calamity  and  misery  at  a  great  distance  from  us, 
and  not  to  order  those  things  that  expose  our  welfare. 

6.  Seeing  we  are  to  pray  we  may  not  be  led  into  temptation  ; 
certainly  we  ought  not  to  run  ourselves  into  it. — This  is  one 
request  that  Christ  directs  us  to  make  to  God  in  that  form  of 
prayer,  which  he  taught  his  disciples — "  Lead  us  not  into  temp- 
tation." And  how  inconsistent  shall  we  be  with  ourselves  if 
we  pray  to  God,  that  we  should  not  be  led  into  temptations; 
and  at  the  same  time,  we  are  not  careful  to  avoid  tempta- 
tion ;  but  bring  ourselves  into  it,  by  doing  those  things  that 
lead  and  expose  to  sin.  What  self-contradiction  is  it  for  a  man 
to  pray  to  God  that  he  may  be  kept  from  that  which  he  takes 
no  care  to  avoid?  By  praying  that  we  mav  be  kept  from 
Vol.  VII.  ffi 


122  lii.MPTATION  AND  DEL1V£RAN« 

temptation,  we  profess  to  God  that  being  in  temptation,  is  a 
thing  to  be  avoided ;  but  by  running  into  it,  we  show  that  we 
choose  the  contrary,  viz,  not  to  avoid  it. 

7.  The  apostle  directs  us  to  avoid  those  things  that  are  in 
themselves  lawful,  but  tend  to  lead  others  into  sin  ;  surely  then 
we  should  avoid  what  tends  to  lead  ourselves  into  sin. — The 
apostle  directs,  1  Cor.  viii.  9,  "  Take  heed  lest — this  liberty  of 
yours  become  a  stumbling-block  to  them  that  are  weak."  Rom. 
xiv.  13.  "  That  no  man  put  a  stumbling-block  or  an  occasion  to 
fall  in  his  brother's  way."  Ver.  15.  "But  if  thy  brother  be  grieved 
with  thy  meat,  nowwalkest  thou  not  charitably.  Destroy  not  him 
with  thy  meat."  Ver.  20,  21.  "  For  meat  destroy  not  the  work  of 
God.  All  things  indeed  are  pure  ;  but  it  is  evil  for  that  man  who 
eateth  with  offence.  It  is  good  neither  to  eat  flesh  nor  to 
drink  wine,  nor  any  thing  whereby  thy  brother  stumbleth,  or  is 
offended,  or  is  made  weak." — Now  if  this  rule  of  the  apostle 
be  agreeable  to  the  word  of  Christ,  as  we  must  suppose,  or  ex- 
punge what  he  says  out  of  the  canon  of  the  scripture ;  then  a 
like  rule  obliges  more  strongly  in  those  things  that  tend  to  lead 
ourselves  into  sin. 

8.  There  are  many  precepts  of  scripture,  which  directly  and 
positively  imply,  that  we  ought  to  avoid  those  things  that  tend 
to  sin. 

This  very  thing  is  commanded  by  Christ,  Matt.  xxvi.  41, 
where  he  directs  us  to  "  watch  lest  we  enter  into  temptation." 
But  certainly  running  ourselves  into  temptation,  is  the  reverse 
of  watching  against  it. — We  are  commanded  to  abstain  from 
all  appearance  of  evil ;  i.  e.  do  by  sin  as  a  man  does  by  a  thing 
the  sight  or  appearance  of  which  he  hates :  and  therefore  will 
avoid  any  thing  that  looks  like  it ;  and  will  not  come  near  or  in 
sight  of  it. 

Again,  Christ  commanded  to  separate  from  us,  those  things 
that  are  stumbling-blocks,  or  occasions  of  sin,  however  dear 
they  are  to  us.  Matt.  v.  29.  "  If  thy  right  eye  offend  thee,  pluck 
it  out  and  cast  it  from  thee."  Ver.  30.  "And  if  thy  right  hand 
offend  thee,  cut  it  off."  By  the  right  hand  offending  us,  is  not 
meant  its  paining  us  ;  but  the  word  in  the  original  signifies,  be- 
ing a  stumbling-block ;  if  thy  right  hand  prove  a  stumbling- 
block,  or  an  occasion  to  fall ;  i.  c.  an  occasion  to  sin.  Those 
things  are  called  offences  or  stumbling-blocks  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament, which  are  the  occasions  of  falling  into  sin. — Yea,  Christ 
tells  us,  we  must  avoid  them,  however  dear  they  are  to  us, 
though  as  dear  as  our  right  hand  or  right  eye.  If  there  be  any 
practice  that  naturally  tends  and  exposes  us  to  sin,  we  must 
have  done  with  it ;  though  we  love  it  never  so  well,  and  are 
never  so  loth  to  part  with  it ;  though  it  be  as  contrary  to  our 
inclination,  as  to  cut  off  our  own  right  hand,  or  pluck  out  our 
own  right  eye :  and  that  upon  pain  of  damnation  :  for  it  is  inti- 


TEMPTATION  AND  DELIVERANCE.  123 

mated  that  if  we  do  not,  we  must  go  with  two  hands  and  two 
eyes  into  hell  fire. 

Again  :  God  took  great  care  to  forbid  the  children  of  Israel 
those  things  that  tended  to  lead  them  into  sin.  For  this  reason, 
he  forbade  them  marrying  strange  wives,  (Deut.  vii.  3,  4.) 
"  Neither  shalt  thou  make  marriages  with  them, — for  they  will 
turn  away  thy  sons  from  following  me,  that  they  may  serve 
other  gods."  For  this  reason  they  were  commanded  to  destroy 
all  those  things  that  the  nations  of  Canaan  had  used  in  their 
idolatry  ;  and  if  any  were  enticed  over  to  idolatry,  they  were 
to  be  destroyed  without  mercy ;  though  ever  so  near  and  dear 
friends.  They  were  not  only  to  be  parted  with,  but  stoned 
with  stones ;  yea,  they  themselves  were  to  fall  upon  them, 
and  put  them  to  death,  though  son  or  daughter,  or  their 
bosom  friend.  (Deut.  xiii.  6,  &c.)  "  If  thy  brother, — or  thy 
son,  or  thy  daughter,  or  the  wife  of  thy  bosom,  or  thy  friend, 
which  is  as  thine  own  soul,  entice  thee  secretly,  saying,  Let  us 
go  and  serve  other  gods, — thou  shalt  not  consent  unto  him, — 
neither  shalt  thine  eye  pity  him,  neither  shalt  thou  spare,  neither 
shalt  thou  conceal  him.  But  thou  shalt  surely  kill  him  ;  thine 
hand  shall  be  first  upon  him  to  put  him  to  death." 

Again,  The  wise  man  warns  us  to  avoid  those  things  that 
tend  and  expose  us  to  sin ;  especially  the  sin  of  uncleanness. 
Prov.  vi.  27.  "  Can  a  man  take  fire  in  his  bosom  and  his  clothes 
not  be  burnt  ?  Can  one  go  upon  hot  coals  and  his  feet  not 
be  burnt  ? — So,  whosoever  touches  her,  shall  not  be  innocent." 
This  is  the  truth  held  forth  ;  avoid  those  customs  and  practices, 
that  naturally  tend  to  stir  up  lust.  And  there  are  many  exam- 
ples in  scripture,  which  have  the  force  of  precept ;  and  re- 
corded, as  not  only  worthy,  but  demand  our  imitation.  The 
conduct  of  Joseph  is  one ;  and  that  recorded  of  King  David 
is  another.  Psal.  xxxix.  1,  2.  "  I  said  1  will  take  heed  to 
my  ways,  that  I  sin  not  with  my  tongue  ;  I  will  keep  my  mouth 
with  a  bridle,  while  the  wicked  is  before  me.  I  was  dumb  with 
silence,  I  held  my  peace,  even  from  good :" — even  from  good 
that  is,  he  was  so  watchful  over  his  words,  and  kept  at  such 
a  great  distance  from  speaking  what  might  in  any  way  tend  to 
sin ;  that  he  avoided,  in  certain  circumstances,  speaking  what 
was  in  itself  lawful;  lest  he  should  be  betrayed  into  that  which 
was  sinful. 

9.  A  prudent  sense  of  our  own  weakness,  and  exposedness  to 
yield  to  temptation,  obliges  us  to  avoid  that  which  leads  or  ex- 
poses to  sin. 

Whoever  knows  himself,  and  is  sensible  how  weak  he  is,  and 
his  constant  exposedness  to  sin  ;  how  full  of  corruption  his  heart 
is,  which  like  fuel,  is  ready  to  catch  fire,  and  bring  destruction 
upon  him — how  much  he  has  in' him  to  incline  him  to  sin,  and 
how  unable  he  is  to  stand  of  himself — who  is  sensible  of  this, 


1^4  TEMPTATION  AND  DELIVERANCE. 

and  has  any  regard  of  his  duty,  will  he  not  be  very  waichf'ui 
against  every  thing  that  may  lead  and  expose  to  sin  ?  On  this 
account  Christ  directed  us,  Matt.  xxvi.  41,  To  watch  and  pray ; 
lest  we  enter  into  temptation.  The  reason  is  added,  the  flesh 
is  weak  !  He  who,  in  confidence  of  his  own  strength,  boldly 
runs  the  venture  of  sinning,  by  going  into  temptation,  manifests 
great  presumption,  and  a  sottish  insensibility  of  his  own  weak- 
ness. He  that  trusteth  in  his  own  heart  is  a  fool.  Prov. 
xxviii.  26. 

The  wisest  and  strongest,  and  some  of  the  most  holy  men 
in  the  world,  have  been  overthrown  by  such  means.  So  was 
David  ;  so  was  Solomon  ; — his  wives  turned  away  his  heart.  If 
such  persons  so  eminent  for  holiness  were  this  way  led  into  sin. 
surely  it  should  be  a  warning  to  us.  "  Let  him  that  thinketh 
he  standeth,  take  heed  lest  he  fall" 


Section  II. 
What  things  lead  and  expose  to  Sin. 

If  any  thing  be  made  out  clearly,  from  reason  and  the  word 
of  God,  to  be  our  duty,  this  would  be  enough  with  all  Christians. 
Will  a  follower  of  Christ  stand  objecting  and  disputing  against 
what  is  irrefragably  proved  and  demonstrated  to  be  his  duty. 

But  some  may  be  ready  to  inquire — How  shall  we  know 
what  things  do  lead  and  expose  to  sin  ?  Let  a  man  do  what  he 
will,  he  cannot  avoid  sinning,  as  long  as  he  has  such  a  corrupt 
heart  within  him.  And  there  is  nothing  a  man  can  do,  but 
he  may  find  some  temptation  in  it.  And  though  it  be  true, 
that  a  man  ought  to  avoid  those  things  that  lead  and  expose  to 
sin — And  that  those  things  which  have  a  special  tendency  to 
expose  men  to  sin,  are  what  we  ought  to  shun,  as  much  as  in 
us  lies — yet  how  shall  we  judge  and  determine,  what  things 
have  a  natural  tendency  to  sin ;  or  do  especially  lead  to  it  ? 

I  would  answer  in  some  particulars  which  are  plain  and  easy  ; 
and  which  cannot  be  denied  without  the  greatest  absurdity. 

1.  That  which  borders  on  those  sins,  to  which  the  lusts  of  men's 
hearts  strongly  incline  them,  is  of  this  sort.  Men  come  into  the 
world  with  many  strong  and  violent  lusts  in  their  hearts,  and 
are  exceeding  prone  of  themselves  to  transgress  ;  even  in  the 
safest  circumstances  in  which  they  can  be  placed.  And  surely 
so  much  the  nearer  they  are  to  that  sin,  to  which  they  are  na- 
turally strongly  inclined  ;  so  much  the  more  are  they  exposed. 
If  any  of  us  who  are  parents  should  see  our  children  near  the 
brink  of  some  deep  pit ;  or  close  by  the  edge  of  the  precipice  of 
a  high  mountain  ;  and  not  only  so,  but  the  ground  upon  which 
the  child  stood  slippery,  and  steeply  descending  directly  toward 
the  precipice;  should  we  not  reckon  a  child  exposed  in  such  a 


TEMPTATION    AND    DELIVERANCE  12i) 

case  ?     Should  we  not  be  in  haste  to  remove  the  child  from  its 
very  dangerous  situation  ? 

It  was  the  manner  among  the  Israelites,  to  build  their  houses 
with  flat  roofs,  so  that  persons  might  waik  on  the  tops  of  their 
houses.  And  therefore  God  took  care  to  make  it  a  law  among 
them,  that  every  man  should  have  battlements  upon  the  edges 
of  their  roofs ;  lest  any  person  should  fall  off  and  be  killed. 
Deut.  xxii.  8.  "  When  thou  buildest  a  new  house,  then  thou  shalt 
make  a  battlement  for  thy  roof,  that  thou  bring  not  blood  upon 
thine  house,  if  any  man  fall  from  thence."  And  certainly  we 
ought  to  take  the  like  care  that  we  do  not  fall  into  sin  ;  which 
carries  in  it  eternal  death.  We  should  as  it  were,  fix  a  battle- 
ment, a  guard,  to  keep  us  from  the  edge  of  the  precipice. 
Much  more  ought  we  to  take  care,  that  we  do  not  go  upon  a 
roof  that  is  not  only  without  battlements,  but  when  it  is  steep, 
and  we  shall  naturally  incline  to  fall. — Men's  lusts  are  like 
strong  enemies,  endeavouring  to  draw  them  into  sin.  If  a  man 
stood  upon  a  dangerous  precipice,  and  had  enemies  about  him, 
pulling  and  drawing  him,  endeavouring  to  throw  him  down  ; 
would  he,  in  such  a  case,  choose,  or  dare  to  stand  near  the 
edge  ?  Would  he  look  upon  himself  safe,  close  on  the  brink  1 
Would  he  not  endeavour,  for  his  own  safety,  to  keep  at  a 
distance  ? 

2.  Those  things  that  tend  to  feed  lusts  in  the  imagination, 
are  of  this  kind. — They  lead  and  expose  men  to  sin.  Those 
things  that  have  a  natural  tendency  to  excite  in  the  mind  the 
imagination  of  that  which  is  the  object  of  the  lust,  certainly 
tend  to  feed  and  promote  that  lust.  What  can  be  more  evi- 
.clent,  than  that  a  presenting  of  the  object  tends  to  stir  up  the 
appetite?  Reason  and  experience  teach  this — Therefore  all 
things,  whether  words  or  actions,  which  have  a  tendency  and 
expose  to  sin,  tend  also  to  raise  in  the  mind  imaginations  of 
what  the  lust  tends  to.  It  is  certainly  wrong  to  feed  a  lust  even 
in  the  imagination.  It  is  quite  contrary  to  the  holy  rules  of 
God's  words.  Prov.  xxiv.  9.  "  The  thought  of  foolishness  is 
sin."  Matth.  v.  28.  "  Whosoever  looketh  on  a  woman  to  lust 
after  her,  hath  committed  adultery."  A  man  by  gratifying  his 
lusts  in  his  imagination  and  thoughts,  may  make  his  soul  in  the 
sight  of  God  to  be  a  hold  of  foul  spirits ;  and  like  a  cage  of 
every  unclean  and  hateful  bird.  And  sinful  imaginations  tend 
to  sinful  actions,  and  outword  behaviour  in  the  end.  Lust  is 
always  first  conceived  in  the  imagination,  and  then  brought 
forth  in  the  outward  practice.  You  may  see  the  progress  of  it 
in  Jam.  i.  15.  Then  when  lust  hath  conceived,  it  b r in geth  forth 
sin. — Such  things  are  abominable  in  the  sight  of  a  pure  and 
holy  God.  We  are  commanded  to  keep  at  a  great  distance 
from  spiritual  pollution  ;  and  to  hate  even  the  very  "  garment 
spotted  with  the  flesh."  Jude  23. 


1*26  TEMPTATION    AND    DELIVEKAI, 

3.  Those  things  that  the  experience  and  observation  of  mau- 
kind  show  to  be  ordinarily  attended  or  followed  with  sin,  are  of 
this  sort.  Experience  is  a  good  rule  to  determine  by  in  things 
of  this  nature.  How  do  we  know  the  natural  tendency  of  any 
thing,  but  by  observation  and  experience  ?  Men  observe  and 
find,  that  some  things  are  commonly  attended  and  followed 
with  other  things ;  and  hence  mankind  pronounce,  that  they  have 
a  natural  tendency  to  them.  We  have  no  other  way  to  know 
the  tendency  of  any  thing.  Thus  men  by  observation  and  ex- 
perience know  that  the  warmth  of  the  sun,  and  showers  of  rain, 
are  attended  with  the  growth  of  plants ;  and  hence  they  learn, 
that  they  have  a  tendency  to  it.  So  they  find  by  experience, 
that  the  bite  of  some  kinds  of  serpents,  is  commonly  followed 
with  illness  and  often  with  death:  and  hence  they  learn,  that 
the  bite  of  such  serpents  has  a  natural  tendency  to  bring  dis- 
order upon  the  body,  and  exposes  to  death. — And  so  if  experi- 
ence and  common  observation  shows,  that  any  particular  prac- 
tice or  custom  is  commonly  attended  with  that  which  is  very 
sinful,  we  may  safely  conclude  that  such  a  practice  tends  to 
sin  ;  that  it  leads  and  exposes  to  it. 

Thus  we  may  determine  that  tavern-haunting  and  gaming 
are  things  that  tend  to  sin  ;  because  common  experience  and 
observation  show,  that  those  practices  are  attended  with  a  great 
deal  of  sin  and  wickedness.  The  observation  of  all  ages  and 
all  nations  with  one  voice  declares  it.  It  shows  where  taverns 
are  much  frequented  for  drinking  and  the  like,  they  are  espe- 
cially places  of  sin,  of  profaneness,and  other  wickedness :  and  it 
shows,  that  those  towns,  where  there  is  much  of  this,  are  places 
where  no  good  generally  prevails.  And  it  also  shows,  that 
those  persons  that  are  given  much  to  frequenting  taverns,  are 
most  commonly  vicious  persons.  And  so  of  gaming,  as  play- 
ing at  cards  ;  experience  shows,  that  those  persons  that  practise 
this,  do  generally  fall  into  much  sin.  Hence  these  practices 
are  become  infamous  among  all  sober  virtuous  persons. 

4.  Another  way  by  which  persons  may  determine  of  some 
things  that  they  lead  and  expose  to  sin,  is  by  their  own  experi- 
ence, or  what  they  have  found  in  themselves. — This  surely  is 
enough  to  convince  them,  that  such  things  actually  lead  and 
expose  to  sin  ;  for  what  will  convince  men,  if  their  own  experi- 
ence will  not  1  Thus  if  men  have  found  by  undeniable  experi- 
ence, that  any  practice  or  custom  stirs  up  lust  in  them,  and  has 
betrayed  them  into  foolish  and  sinful  behaviour,  or  sinful 
thoughts ;  they  may  determine  that  they  lead  to  sin.  If  they, 
upon  examining  themselves,  must  own  that  a  custom  or  prac- 
tice, has  disposed  them  to  the  omission  of  known  duty,  such  as 
secret  or  family  prayer,  and  has  indisposed  them  to  reading 
and  religious  meditation — or  if  they  find,  since  they  have  com- 
plied with  such  a  custom,  they  are  less  watchful  of  their  hearts. 


TEMPTATION  AND  DELIVERANCE.  12? 

less  disposed  to  any  thing  that  is  serious  ;  that  the  frame  of  their 
mind  is  more  light,  and  their  hearts  less  disposed  on  the  things 
of  another  world,  and  more  after  vanity — these  are  sinful 
effects  ;  and  therefore  if  experience  shows  a  custom  or  practice 
to  be  attended  with  these  things,  then  experience  shows  that 
they  lead  and  expose  to  sin. 

5.  We  may  determine  whether  a  thing  be  of  an  evil  ten- 
dency or  not,  by  the  effect  that  an  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  of 
God,  and  a  general  flourishing  of  religion,  has  with  respect 
to  it.  If  this  puts  a  stop  to  any  practice  or  custom,  and  roots 
it  out;  surely  it  argues,  that  that  practice  or  custom  is  of  no 
good  tendency.  For  if  there  be  no  hurt  in  it,  and  it  tends  to 
no  hurt,  why  should  the  Spirit  of  God  destroy  it  ?  The  Spirit 
of  God  has  no  tendency  to  destroy  any  thing  that  is  neither 
sinful  nor  has  any  tendency  to  sin.  Why  should  it  ?  Why  should 
we  suppose,  that  he  is  an  enemy  to  that  which  has  no  hurt  in 
it ;    nor  has  any  tendency  to  that  which  is  hurtful  ? 

The  flourishing  of  religion  has  no  tendency  to  abolish  or  ex- 
pel any  thing  that  is  no  way  against  religion.  That  which  is 
not  against  religion  will  not  appear  against.  It  is  a  rule  that 
holds  in  all  contraries  and  opposites  :  the  opposition  is  equal  on 
both  sides.  So  contrary  as  light  is  to  darkness,  so  contrary  is 
darkness  to  light.  So  contrary  as  the  flourishing  of  religion  is 
to  any  custom,  just  so  contrary  is  that  custom  to  the  flourishing 
of  religion.  That  custom  that  religion  tends  to  destroy,  that 
custom,  if  it  prevail,  tends  also  to  destroy  religion.  Therefore, 
if  the  flourishing  of  religion,  and  the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  of 
God,  tends  to  overthrow  any  custom,  that  takes  place  or  pre- 
vails, we  may  surely  determine,  that  that  custom  is  either  in  itself 
sinful,  or  tends  and  exposes  to  evil. 

6.  We  may  determine,  by  the  effect  that  a  general  decay  of 
religion  has  with  respect  to  them,  whether  they  be  things  of  a 
sinful  tendency  or  not.  If  they  be  things  that  come  with  a  de- 
cay of  religion,  that  creep  in  as  that  decays,  we  may  determine 
they  are  things  of  no  good  tendency.  The  withdrawing  of 
good,  does  not  let  in  good,  but  evil.  Evil,  not  good,  comes  in, 
as  good  gradually  ceases.  What  is  it  but  darkness  that  comes 
in,  as  light  withdraws  ? 

Therefore,  if  there  be  any  decay  of  religion  in  the  town,  or  in 
particular  persons,  and  upon  this,  any  certain  customs  or  prac- 
tices take  place  and  are  allowed,  which  were  wholly  abstained 
from  and  renounced,  when  religion  was  in  a  more  flourishing 
state ;  we  may  safely  conclude  that  such  customs  and  practices 
are  contrary  to  the  nature  of  true  religion  ;  and  therefore  in 
themselves  sinful,  or  tending  to  sin. 

7.  We  may  in  many  things  determine,  whether  any  custom 
be  of  a  good  tendency,  by  considering  what  the  effect  would 
be.  if  it  was  openly  and  universally  owned  and  practised.  There 


I'ZS  TEMPTATION  AND  DELIVERANCE. 

are  many  things  which  persons  practise  somewhat  secretly,  and 
which  they  plead  to  be  not  hurtful ;  but  which,  if  they  had  suit- 
able consideration  to  discern  the  consequence  of  every  body 
openly  practising  the  same,  would  soon  show  a  most  woful 
state  of  things.  If  therefore  there  be  any  custom,  that 
will  not  bear  universal  open  practice  and  profession ;  we 
may  determine  that  that  custom  is  of  an  ill  tendency.  For  if 
it  is  neither  sinful  in  itself,  nor  tends  to  any  thing  sinful,  then  it 
is  no  matter  how  open  it  is  ;  for  we  need  not  be  afraid  of  that 
custom  being  too  prevalent  and  universal,  that  has  no  ill  ten- 
dency in  it. 

Section  III. 

A  serious  Warning  to  all,  and  especially  young  People. 

Thus  I  have  mentioned  some  general  rules,  by  which  to  de- 
termine and  judge,  what  things  are  of  a  bad  and  sinful  ten- 
dency. And  these  things  are  so  plain,  that  for  a  person  to  deny 
them,  would  be  absurd  and  ridiculous.  I  would  now,  in  the 
name  of  God,  warn  all  persons  to  avoid  such  things  as  appear 
by  these  rules  to  lead  and  expose  to  sin.  And  particularly,  I 
would  take  occasion  to  warn  young  people,  as  they  would  ap- 
prove themselves  fearers  of  God,  to  avoid  all  such  things  in  com- 
pany, that  being  tried  by  these  rules,  will  appear  to  have  a 
tendency  to  sin.  Avoid  all  such  ways  of  talking  and  acting 
as  havetendencyto  this  ;  and  follow  the  example  of  Joseph.  Not 
only  gross  acts  of  uncleanness,  but  all  degrees  of  lasciviousness, 
both  in  talking  and  acting,  are  strictly  forbidden  in  scripture  ; 
as  what  should  not  be  so  much  as  once  named  among  saints 
or  Christians.  Gal.  v.  9.  "  Now  the  works  of  the  flesh  are 
manifest,  adultery,  fornication,  uncleanness,  lasciviousness." 
Eph.  v.  3,  4,  5. "  But  fornication,  and  all  uncleanness,  let  it 
not  be  once  named  among  you,  as  becometh  saints ;  neither 
filthiness,  nor  foolish  talking,  nor  jesting,  which  are  not  con- 
venient ;  for  this  ye  know,  that  no  whoremonger,  nor  unclean 
person,  hath  any  inheritance  in  the  kingdom  of  Christ  and  of 
God."  We  should  hate  even  the  garments  spotted  with  the 
flesh,  i.  e.  should  hate  and  shun  all  that,  in  the  least  degree, 
approaches  to  any  such  thing. 

And  I  desire  that  certain  customs,  too  common  among  young 
people,  may  be  examined  by  those  rules  that  have  been  men- 
tioned. That  custom  in  particular,  of  young  people  of  differ- 
ent sexes  reclining  together ,  however  little  is  made  of  it,  and 
however  ready  persons  maybe  to  laugh  at  its  being  condemn- 
ed if  it  be  examined  by  the  rules  that  have  been  mentioned 
it  will  appear,  past  all  contradiction,  to  be  one  of  those  things 
that  lead  and  expose  to  sin.  And  I  believe  experience  and 
fact  abundantly  bear  witness  to  it.     It   has  been   one  main 


TEMPTATION  AND  DELIVERANCE.  12G 

thing  that  has  led  to  the  growth  of  uncleanness  in  the  land. 
And  there  are  other  customs  and  liberties,  customarily  used 
among  young  people  in  company,  which  they  who  use  them 
know  that  they  lead  to  sin.  They  know  that  they  stir  up  their 
lusts ;  and  this  is  the  very  end  for  which  they  do  it,  to  gratify 
their  lusts  in  some  measure.  Little  do  such  persons  consider, 
what  a  holy  God  they  are  soon  to  be  judged  by,  who  abominates 
the  impurities  of  their  hearts. — If  therefore  they  do  actually  stir 
up  and  feed  lust,  then  certainly  they  tend  to  further  degrees  and 
more  gross  acts.  That  which  stirs  up  lust,  makes  it  more 
violent,  and  does  therefore  certainly  the  more  expose  persons 
to  be  overcome  by  it.  How  evident  and  undeniable  are  these 
things  ;  and  how  strange  that  any  should  make  a  derision 
of  them  ! 

Possibly  you  may  be  confident  of  your  own  strength ;  and 
may  think  within  yourself,  that  you  are  not  in  danger,  that  there 
is  no  temptation  in  these  things,  but  what  you  are  able  easily 
to  overcome.  But  you  should  consider  that  the  most  self- 
confident  are  most  in  danger.  Peter  was  very  confident,  that  he 
should  not  deny  Christ,  but  how  dreadfully  otherwise  was  the 
event !  If  others  that  have  fallen  into  gross  sins,  should  declare 
how  it  was  with  them  ;  doubtless  they  would  say,  that  they  at 
first  thought  there  was  no  danger  ;  they  were  far  from  the 
thought  that  ever  they  should  commit  such  wickedness ;  but 
yet,  by  venturing  further  and  further,  they  fell  at  last  into  the 
foulest  and  grossest  transgressions.  Persons  may  long  withstand 
temptation,  and  be  suddenly  overcome  at  last.  None  so  much 
in  danger,  as  the  most  bold.  They  are  most  safe,  who  are 
most  sensible  of  their  own  weakness ;  most  distrustful  of  their 
own  hearts ;  and  most  sensible  of  their  continual  need  of  re- 
straining grace.  Young  persons,  with  respect  to  the  sin  of  un- 
cleanness, are  dealt  with  by  the  devil  just  as  some  give  an  ac- 
count of  serpents  charming  birds  and  other  animals  down  into 
their  mouths.  If  the  serpent  takes  them  with  his  eyes,  though 
they  seem  to  be  affrighted  by  it,  yet  they  will  not  flee  away,  but 
will  keep  the  serpent  in  sight,  and  approach  nearer  and  nearer 
to  him,  till  they  fall  a  prey. 

Another  custom  that  1  desire  may  be  examined  by  the  fore- 
mentioned  rules,  is  that  of  young  people  of  both  sexes  getting 
together  in  companies  for  mirth,  and  spending  the  time  toge- 
ther till  late  in  the  night,  in  their  jollity.  I  desire  our  young 
people  to  suffer  their  ears  to  be  open  to  what  I  have  to  say 
upon  this  point,  as  I  am  the  messenger  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts  to 
them  ;  and  not  determine  that  they  will  not  hearken,  before  they 
have  heard  what  I  shall  say.  I  hope  there  are  few  persons 
among  us  so  abandoned,  as  to  determine  that  they  will  go  on  in 
a  practice,  whether  they  are  convinced  that  it  is  unlawful  or 
not ;  or  though  it  should  be  proved  to  them  to  be  unlawful  by 

Vol.  VIT.  17 


13U  TEMPTATION    AND    DELIVERANCE. 

undeniable  arguments.  Let  us  then  examine  this  custom 
and  practice  by  what  has  been  said.  It  has  been  proved  un- 
deniably, that  we  ought  not  to  go  on  in  a  practice  that  leads 
and  exposes  to  sin ;  and  rules  have  been  laid  down  to  judge 
what  does  thus  expose  and  lead  to  it,  which  1  think  are  plain 
and  undeniable.  Certainly  a  Christian  will  not  be  unwilling  to 
have  his  practices  examined  and  tried  by  the  rules  of  reason  and 
God's  word  ;  but  will  rather  rejoice  in  it.  And  I  desire  particu- 
larly that  the  practice  may  be  tried  by  that  sure  touchstone  of 
experience.  This  is  one  of  the  rules  of  trial  that  have  been 
mentioned ;  that  any  custom  which  the  experience  and  obser- 
vation of  mankind  show  to  be  ordinarily  attended  with  sin,  may 
be  concluded  to  be  unlawful.  And  if  we  look  abroad  in  the 
country,  I  doubt  not  but  these  two  things  will  be  found. 

1.  That  as  to  those  places,  where  there  is  most  of  this  car- 
ried on  among  young  people,  (as  there  is  more  of  it  in  some 
places  than  others,)  it  will  be  found,  as  a  thing  that  universally 
holds,  that  the  young  people  there  are  commonly  a  loose,  vain, 
and  irreligious  generation  ;  little  regarding  God,  heaven,  or 
hell,  or  any  thing  but  vanity.  And  that  commonly  in  those 
towns,  where  most  frolicking  is  carried  on,  there  are  the  most 
frequent  breakings  out  of  gross  sins  ;  fornication  in  particular. 

2.  If  we  go  through  the  country,  we  shall,  for  the  most  part, 
find,  that  those  persons  who  are  most  addicted  to  this  practice, 
are  the  furthest  from  serious  thought,  and  are  the  vainest  and 
loosest  upon  other  accounts.  And  whence  should  this  be,  if 
such  a  practice  was  not  sinful,  or  had  not  a  natural  tendency 
to  lead  persons  into  sin  ? 

Now,  I  appeal  to  those  who  have  made  pretences  to  serious 
religion  and  saving  piety.  You  have  formerly  pretended  to 
keep  up  religion  in  your  closets,  and  in  your  own  souls ;  now. 
seriously  ask  yourselves,  whether  or  no  you  have  not  found, 
that  this  practice  has  indisposed  you  to  serious  religion,  and 
taken  off  your  minds  from  it  ?  Has  it  not  tended  to  your  ne- 
glect of  secret  prayer  ?  And,  if  you  have  not  wholly  neglected 
it,  have  you  not  found,  that  you  have  been  abundantly  more 
ready  to  turn  it  off  in  any  manner,  and  glad  to  have  done 
with  it?  More  backward  to  reading  and  serious  meditation, 
and  such  things?  And,  that  your  mind  has  been  exceedingly 
diverted  from  religion,  and  that  for  some  time  ?  I  do  not  send 
you  far  off  to  find  out  whether  this  custom  be  not  of  bad  ten- 
dency— not  beyond  the  sea,  but  your  own  breast ;  there  let 
the  matter  be  determined. 

Let  us  now  try  this  custom  by  the  effect  which  the  out- 
pouring of  the  Spirit  of  God  on  a  people  has  with  respect  to 
it.  This  we  are  under  great  advantage  to  do ;  because  there 
has  lately  been,  in  this  place,  the  most  remarkable  outpouring 
of  the  Spirit  of  God,  that  has  ever  been  in  New  England,  and. 


TEMPTATION    \ND  DELIVERAWCE.  131 

it  may  be,  in  the  world,  since  the  apostles'  days.  And,  it  is 
well  known,  that,  before  then,  the  custom  did  prevail  in  the 
town  ;  but  after,  the  custom  was  altogether  laid  aside ;  and 
was  so  for  several  years. — No  account  can  be  given,  why  the 
Spirit  of  God,  and  the  flourishing  of  religion,  should  abolish 
such  a  custom,  unless  that  custom  be  either  in  its  nature  or 
tendency,  an  enemy  to  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  to  religion. — 
The  fruits  of  the  Spirit  of  God  are  good,  and,  therefore,  it  is 
good  that  this  custom  should  be  removed ;  for  this  is  plainly 
one  of  the  effects.  And,  if  so,  it  is  because  the  custom  is  bad, 
either  in  its  nature  or  tendency ;  otherwise,  there  would  be  no 
good  in  its  being  removed.  The  Spirit  of  God  abolished  this 
custom  for  this  reason,  because,  if  it  had  hepn  kept  up  in  the 
town,  it  would  have  had  a  direct  tendency  to  hinder  that  work 
which  the  Spirit  was  about  to  do  amongst  us.  This  was,  un- 
deniably, the  reason. 

Supposing  such  a  custom  had  been  begun,  and  set  up,  by 
the  young  people  all  over  the  town,  in  the  midst  of  the  time 
of  the  late  outpouring  of  the  Spirit,  all  of  a  sudden  ;  would 
any  wise  persons,  that  have  truly  the  cause  of  religion  at  heart, 
rejoiced  at  it  ?  Would  not  every  one  have  concluded,  without 
any  hesitation,  that  there  was  great  danger  that  it  would  take 
off  people's  minds  from  religion,  and  make  them  vain  :  and  so 
put  an  end  to  the  flourishing  of  religion  ?  Would  not  every 
considerate  person  have  thought  thus  of  it  ? .  And  if  such  a 
custom  would  have  had  an  ill  tendency  then,  so  it  will  now. 

Objection.  The  town  is  not  in  such  circumstances  now, 
as  it  was  then  :  it  might  have  done  hurt  then,  by  putting  an 
end  to  the  great  concern  ;  but,  now,  it  may  do  no  hurt :  for, 
there  is  now  no  such  great  concern  to  be  interrupted  by  it. 

Answer.  Though  the  town  is  not  in  such  circumstances 
now,  as  it  was  then,  yet  there  ought  to  be  as  much  engagedness 
of  mind  about  religion  ;  as  much  concern  among  sinners  ;  and 
as  much  engagedness  among  the  godly,  as  then  :  and  it  is  to 
our  shame  that  there  is  not.  And,  if  such  a  practice  would 
have  tended  to  destroy  such  a  religious  concern  then,  it  cer- 
tainly tends  to  prevent  it  now.  Tt  is  a  rule  that  will  hold,  that 
what  has  a  tendency  to  destroy  a  thing  when  it  is,  tends  to 
prevent  when  it  is  not.  And,  are  we  not  praying  from  Sabbath 
to  Sabbath,  and  from  day  to  day,  for  such  a  concern  again? 
And  do  not  those  who  pretend  to  be  converted,  and  yet  have 
lately  set  up  this  custom,  pray  for  the  same  ?  Are  you  a  con- 
vert, a  saint,  and  yet  not  desire  that  there  should  be  any  more 
pouring  out  of  the  Spirit  of  God  ?  The  town  has  cause  to  be 
ashamed  of  such  converts,  if  it  has  any  such.  And  if  ye  do, 
why  do  you  do  what  tends  to  prevent  it  ? 

Again ;  Let  this  practice  be  tried  by  the  effect  that  a  gene- 
ral decay  of  religion  has  Avith  respect  to  it.     Now  we  have  a 


io'J  TEMPTATION    AND  DELIVERANCE. 

trial :  it  is  now  a  time  that  religion  is  greatly  decayed  amongst 
us  ;  and  the  effect  is,  that  this  custom  comes  in  with  this  decay. 
Young  people  begin  again  to  set  up  their  old  custom  of  fro- 
Ueking,  (as  it  is  called,)  and  spending  a  great  part  of  the  night 
in  it,  to  the  violation  of  family  order.  What  is  the  reason,  if 
this  custom  is  not  bad,  either  in  its  nature  or  tendency,  that  it 
did  not  come  in  before,  when  religion  was  lively  1  Why  does 
it  stay  till  it  can  take  the  advantage  of  the  withdrawment  of 
religion  ?  This  is  a  sign  that  it  is  a  custom  that  shuns  a  spirit 
of  lively  religion,  as  darkness  shuns  the  light,  and  never  comes 
in  till  light  withdraws. 

And  here,  again,  I  would  send  persons  to  their  own  expe- 
rience. How  did  this  practice  come  in  with  you  in  particular  : 
you,  that  two  or  three  years  ago,  seemed  to  be  so  engaged  in 
religion  ?  Did  it  not  come  in,  did  you  not  begin  to  practise 
it,  as  the  sense  of  religion  wore  off?  And  what  is  the  matter  ! 
Why  did  you  not  set  up  the  practice  then,  when  your  heart 
was  taken  up  about  reading,  meditation,  and  secret  prayer  to 
God  ?  If  this  do  not  all  stand  in  the  way  of  them,  and  is  no 
hindrance  to  them,  why  was  you  not  engaged  in  both  together  ? 
What  account  can  you  give  of  it  ?  Why  did  you  leave  off' 
this  practice  and  custom,  or  abstain  from  it  ?  To  what  purpose 
is  this  changing?  One  while  it  must  be  avoided  as  evil,  and, 
another  while  practised  and  pleaded  for  as  good  ?  The  making 
such  an  alteration,  does  not  look  well,  nor  will  it  be  for  the 
honour  of  religion,  in  the  eye  of  the  world.  For,  whether  the 
practice  be  lawful  or  not,  yet  such  a  thing  will  surely  be  im- 
proved to  our  disadvantage.  For  your  avoiding  it,  then,  has 
this  appearance,  in  the  eye  of  the  country,  that  then  you  con- 
demned it :  and,  therefore,  your  now  returning  to  it,  will  appear 
to  them  as  backsliding  in  you.  Such  changelings  are  ever- 
more, in  the  eye  of  the  world,  greatly  to  the  dishonour  of  their 
profession,  let  it  be  what  it  will. 

Indeed,  this  custom,  as  it  is  practised,  does  not  only  tend  to 
sin,  but  is,  in  itself,  very  disorderly,  sinful,  and  shameful.  For 
it  is  attended  late  in  the  night,  and  in  the  dead  of  the  night. 
to  the  neglect  of  family  prayer,  and  violating  all  family  order; 
which  is  disorder  and  profaneness.  Js  it  lawful  to  rob  God 
of  his  ordinary  sacrifices,  for  the  sake  of  your  pleasure,  diver- 
sion, and  jollity  ?  Are  you  of  that  mind,  that  it  is  a  decent 
thing,  that  the  stated  worship  of  the  great  God,  should  give 
way  to  your  mirth,  and  your  diversions  ?  Is  this  the  way  of 
God's  holy  children?  Those  works  that  are  commonly  done 
in  the  dead  of  night,  seem  to  have  a  black  mark  set  upon 
them  by  the  apostle,  and  Christians  are  exhorted  to  avoid 
them,  Rom.  xiii.  12,  13.  "  Let  us  cast  off  the  works  of  dark- 
ness, and  let  us  put  on  the  armour  of  light.  Let  us  walk 
honestly,  as  in  the  day :  not  in  rioting  and  drunkenness :  not 


TEMPTATION    AND    DELIVERANCE.  133 

in  chambering  and  wantonness.1'  The  word  here  rendered 
rioting,  is  of  far  different  signification  from  the  term,  as  used 
in  our  laws  :  for  the  forcible  doing  an  unlawful  thing,  by  three 
or  more  persons  assembled  together,  for  that  purpose.  But 
the  word  here  properly  signifies,  a  disorderly  convention  of 
persons,  in  order  to  spend  their  time  together  in  pleasure  and 
jollity.  So  the  word  is  commonly  used  in  scripture.  Prov. 
xxiii.  20.  "  Be  not  amongst  riotous  eaters  of  flesh.'1  Prov. 
xxviii.  7.  "  He  that  is  a  companion  of  riotous  men,  shameth 
his  father."  Luke  xv.  13. — "  wasted  his  substance  with  riot- 
ous living." — Again,  a  black  mark  seems  to  be  set  on  such  in 
scripture,  as  in  1  Thess.  v.  5 — 8.  "  Ye  are  all  the  children  of 
light,  and  the  children  of  the  day  ;  we  are  not  of  the  night, 
nor  of  darkness.  Therefore,  let  us  not  sleep,  as  do  others  ; 
but  let  us  watch  and  be  sober.  For  they  that  sleep,  sleep  in 
the  night ;  and  they  that  be  drunken,  are  drunken  in  the  night." 
Many  of  you  that  have  lately  set  up  this  practice  of  frolick- 
ing and  jollity,  profess  to  be  children  of  the  light,  and  of  the 
day  !  and  not  to  be  the  children  of  darkness.  Therefore,  walk 
as  in  the  day  ;  and  do  not  those  works  of  darkness,  that  are 
commonly  done  at  unseasonable  hours  of  the  night.  Such 
things  are  not  only  condemned  by  the  apostle,  but  are  looked 
upon  as  infamous  in  all  ages  among  sober  people,  as  all  past 
writings  manifest.  Therefore,  it  is  a  thing  of  bad  report,  and 
so  forbidden.  Phil.  iv.  8.  Whatsoever  things  are  of  good 
report :  if  there  be  any  virtue — any  praise,  think  on  these 
things." 

Objection.  But  the  wise  man  allows  of  this  practice, 
when  he  says,  Eccles.  iii.  4,  "  There  is  a  time  to  mourn,  and 
a  time  to  dance." 

Answer.  This  is  nothing  to  the  purpose ;  for  the  utmost 
that  any  can  pretend  that  it  proves,  is,  that  it  may  be  used 
under  some  circumstances ;  but  not  at  all,  that  dancing  and 
other  things  used  by  our  young  people  in  their  frolicks,  are 
lawful,  in  those  circumstances  :  any  more  than  what  is  said  in 
the  same  chapter,  verse  3, — " there  is  a  time  to  kill"  proves 
that  it  is  lawful  for  a  man  to  commit  murder.  To  deny  that 
dancing,  under  any  circumstances  whatever,  was  lawful,  would 
be  absurd ;  for  there  was  a  religious  dancing  in  the  Jewish 
church,  which  was  a  way  of  expressing  their  spiritual  mirth. 
So  David  danced  before  the  Lord.  And  he  calls  upon  others 
to  praise  God  in  the  dance.  So  there  may  be  other  circum- 
stances wherein  dancing  may  not  be  unlawful.  But  all  this 
makes  nothing  to  the  present  purpose ;  to  prove  that  this  par- 
ticular custom  is  not  of  a  bad  tendency.  Besides,  when  the 
wise  man  says,  "there  is  a  time  to  dance,"  that  does  not 
prove,  that  the  dead  of  the  night  is  the  time  for  it.     The  same 


134  TEMPTATION   AND   DELIVERANCE. 

wise  man  doth  not  justify  carnal  mirth,  but  condemns  it.  Eccl. 
ii.  2.  "  I  said  of  laughter,  it  is  mad ;  and  of  mirth,  what 
doth  it?" 

Objection.  If  we  avoid  all  such  things,  it  will  be  the  way 
for  our  young  people  to  be  ignorant  how  to  behave  themselves 
in  company. 

Answer.  But  consider  what  this  objection  comes  to.  It 
certainly  comes  to  th\s,  viz.  That  the  pouring  out  of  the  Spirit 
of  God  upon  a  people,  tends  to  banish  all  good-conduct,  good 
breeding,  and  decent  behaviour  from  among  them  ;  and  to  sink 
them  down  into  clownishness  and  barbarity !  The  Spirit  of 
God  did  actually  put  an  end  to  this  practice  among  us. — But 
who  is  not  ashamed  to  make  such  an  objection  ?  Will  any  of 
our  young  converts  talk  thus  ?  Will  you,  that  think  you  were 
converted  by  the  late  pouring  out  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  are 
made  holy  persons,  heirs  of  eternal  life,  talk  so  blasphemouslv 
of  it  ? 

If  our  young  people  are  resolute  still  to  go  on  notwithstand- 
ing all  that  has  been  said,  I  hope  that  those  of  them  who  call 
themselves  converted,  will  first  find  out  some  rational,  satisfying 
answer  to  the  arguments  that  have  been  used  against  it.  This 
at  least  may  be  reasonably  expected  of  them,  seeing  they  make 
such  a  profession.  You  have  this  clay  been  partaking  of  the 
sacrament  of  the  Lord's  supper,  and  therein  solemnly  renewed 
your  profession. — If  after  such  light  set  before  you,  and  such 
mercy  given,  you  will  go  on,  Be  it  known  to  you,  that  your 
eating  now  and  at  other  times,  will  prove  only  an  eating  and 
drinking  judgment  to  yourselves. 

And  I  desire  heads  of  families,  if  they  have  any  government 
over  their  children,  or  any  command  of  their  own  houses,  would 
not  tolerate  their  children  in  such  practices,  nor  suffer  such 
conventions  in  their  houses. — I  do  not  desire  that  young  people 
should  be  abridged  of  any  lawful  and  proper  liberties.  But 
this  custom  can  be  of  no  benefit  or  service  in  the  world  :  it  tends 
only  to  mischief. —  Satan  doubtless  would  be  glad  to  have  such 
an  interest  among  us  as  he  used  to  have ;  and  is  therefore  stri- 
ving to  steal  in,  while  we  are  sleeping :  but  let  us  rouse  up  our- 
selves, and  vigorously  oppose  his  encroachments.  I  shall  repeat 
those  words  of  the  apostle,  Rom.  xiii.  12 — 14,  and  leave  them 
to  the  serious  consideration  of  all  persons,  old  and  young.  "  The 
night  is  far  spent,  the  day  is  at  hand  ;  let  us  therefore  cast  oft' 
the  works  of  darkness,  and  let  us  put  on  the  armour  of  light. 
Let  us  walk  honestly  as  in  the  day,  not  in  rioting  and  drunken- 
ness, not  in  chambering  and  wantonness,  not  in  strife  and  envy- 
ing. But  put  ye  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  moke  no  pro- 
vision for  the  flesh,  to  fulfil  the  lusts  thereof/' 


SERMOtf  V. 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PIIiORIM, 


THE  CHRISTIANS  LIFE  A  JOURNEY  TOWARDS  HEAVEN 


Hebrews  xi.  13, 14. 

And  confessed  that  they  were  strangers  and  pilgrims  on  the 
earth.  For  they  that  say  such  tilings  declare  plainly  that 
they  seek  a  country. 

The  Apostle  is  here  exhibiting  the  excellency  of  faith,  by  \ta 
glorious  effects,  and  happy  issue  in  the  saints  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. Having  enumerated  examples  of  Abel,  Enoch  and 
Noah,  of  Abraham  and  Sarah,  of  Isaac  and  Jacob,  he  relates 
that  all  "  these  died  in  faith,  not  having  received  the  promises, 
but  having  seen  them  afar  off,  were  persuaded  of  them  and 
embraced  them,  and  confessed  that  they  were  strangers  and 
pilgrims  on  earth.11  In  these  words  the  apostle  seems  more  im- 
mediately to  refer  to  Abraham  and  Sarah,  and  their  kindred 
who  came  with  them  from  Haran,  and  from  Ur  of  the  Chal- 
dees,  as  appears  by  the  15th  verse,  where  he  says,  "  and  truly 
if  they  had  been  mindful  of  that  country  whence  they  came 
out,  they  might  have  had  opportunity  to  have  returned." 

Two  things  may  be  here  observed. 

1.  The  confession  which  they  made  concerning  themselves 
to  it,  that  they  were  strangers  and  pilgrims  on  the  earth  ;  of  this 
we  have  a  particular  account  concerning  Abraham,  "  I  am  a 
stranger  and  a  sojourner  with  you.11*  And  it  seems  to  have 
been  a  general  sense  of  the  patriarchs,  by  what  Jacob  says  to 
Pharaoh.  "  And  Jacob  said  to  Pharaoh,  the  days  of  the  years 
of  my  pilgrimage  are  an  hundred  and  thirty  years  :  few  and  evil 
have  the  days  of  the  years  of  my  life  been,  and  have  not  attain- 
ed to  the  days  of  the  years  of  the  life  of  my  fathers  in  the  days 
of  their  pilgrimage.11!  "lama  stranger  and  a  sojourner  with 
thee,  as  all  my  fathers  were."J 

*  Gen,  xxiii,  4,  j  Gen.  xlvii.  9.  i  Psal.  xxxix.  12. 


130  THE  CHRISTIAN  PILGRIM. 

2.  The  inference  that  the  apostle  draws  from  hence,  viz.  that 
they  sought  another  country  as  their  home.  "  For  they  that 
say  such  things,  declare  plainly  that  they  seek  a  country."  In 
confessing  that  they  were  strangers,  they  plainly  declared  that 
this  is  not  their  country,  that  this  is  not  the  place  where  they  are 
at  home.  And  in  confessing  themselves  to  be  pilgrims,  they  de- 
clared plainly  that  this  is  not  their  settled  abode  ;  but  that  they 
have  respect  to  some  other  country,  which  they  seek  and  to 
which  they  are  travelling. 

Section  I. 

That  this  life  ought  to  be  so  spent  by  us,  as  to  be  only  a  journey, 
or  pilgrimage,  towards  heaven. 

Here  I  would  observe, 

1.  That  we  ought  not  to  rest  in  the  world  and  its  enjoyments, 
but  should  desire  heaven.  We  should  seek  first  the  kingdom, 
of  God*  We  ought  above  all  things  to  desire  a  heavenly 
happiness  ;  to  be  with  God ;  and  dwell  with  Jesus  Christ. 
Though  surrounded  with  outward  enjoyments,  and  settled  in 
families  with  desirable  friends  and  relations ;  though  we  have 
companions  whose  society  is  delightful,  and  children  in  whom 
we  see  many  promising  qualifications  ;  though  we  live  by  good 
neighbours,  and  are  generally  beloved  where  known  ;  yet  we 
ought  not  to  take  our  rest  in  these  things  as  our  portion.  We 
should  be  so  far  from  resting  in  them,  that  we  should  desire 
to  leave  them  all,  in  God's  due  time.  We  ought  to  possess, 
enjoy,  and  use  them,  with  no  other  view  but  readily  to  quit 
them,  whenever  we  are  called  to  it,  and  to  change  them  willingly 
and  cheerfully  for  heaven. 

A  traveller  is  not  wont  to  rest  in  what  he  meets  with,  how- 
ever comfortable  and  pleasing  on  the  road.  If  he  passes  through 
pleasant  places,  flowery  meadows,  or  shady  groves ;  he  does 
not  take  up  his  content  in  these  things,  but  only  takes  a  transient 
view  of  them  as  he  goes  along.  He  is  not  enticed  by  fine  ap- 
pearances to  put  off  the  thought  of  proceeding.  No,  but  his 
journey's  end  is  in  his  mind.  If  he  meets  with  comfortable 
accommodations  at  an  inn  ;  he  entertains  no  thoughts  of  settling 
there.  He  considers  that  these  things  are  not  his  own,  that  he  is 
but  a  stranger,  and  when  he  has  refreshed  himself,  or  tarried  for 
a  night,  he  is  for  going  forward.  And  it  is  pleasant  to  him  to 
think  that  so  much  of  the  way  is  gone. 

So  should  we  desire  heaven  more  than  the  comforts  and  en- 
joyments of  this  life.  The  apostle  mentions  it  as  an  encou- 
raging, comfortable  consideration  to  Christians,  that  they  draw 

Malt.  vi.  33. 


THE   CHRISTIAN    PILGRIM. 


vs: 


nearer  their  happiness.  "  Now  is  our  salvation  nearer  than 
when  we  believed." — Our  hearts  ought  to  be  loose  to  these 
things,  as  that  of  a  man  on  a  journey  ;  that  we  may  as  cheer- 
fully part  with  them  whenever  God  calls.  "  But  this  I  say, 
brethren,  the  time  is  short :  it  remaineth,  that  both  they  that 
have  wives,  be  as  though  they  had  none ;  and  they  that  weep, 
as  though  they  wept  not ;  and  they  that  rejoice,  as  though  they 
rejoiced  not ;  and  they  that  buy,  as  though  they  possessed  not ; 
and  they  that  use  this  world,  as  not  abusing  it ;  for  the  fashion 
of  this  world  passeth  away.'1* — These  things,  as  only  lent  to  us 
for  a  little  while,  to  serve  a  present  turn  ;  but  we  should  set  our 
hearts  on  heaven,  as  our  inheritance  for  ever. 

2.  We  ought  to  seek  heaven,  by  travelling  in  the  way  that 
leads  thither.  This  is  a  way  of  holiness.  We  should  choose 
and  desire  to  travel  thither  in  this  way  and  in  no  other ;  and 
part  with  all  those  carnal  appetites,  which  as  weights  will  tend 
to  hinder  us.  "  Let  us  lay  aside  every  weight,  and  the  sin 
which  doth  so  easily  beset  us,  and  let  us  run  with  patience  the 
race  that  is  set  before  us."!  However  pleasant  the  gratifica- 
tion of  any  appetite  may  be,  we  must  lay  it  aside,  if  it  be  any 
hindrance,  or  a  stumbling-block  in  the  way  to  heaven. 

We  should  travel  on  in  the  way  of  obedience  to  all  God's 
commands,  even  the  difficult  as  well  as  the  easy ;  denying  all 
our  sinful  inclinations  and  interests.  The  way  to  heaven  is 
ascending  ;  we  must  be  content  to  travel  up  hill,  though  it  be 
hard  and  tiresome,  and  contrary  to  the  natural  bias  of  our  flesh. 
We  should  follow  Christ ;  the  path  he  travelled  was  the  right 
way  to  heaven.  We  should  take  up  our  cross  and  follow  him, 
in  meekness  and  lowliness  of  heart,  obedience  and  charity, 
diligence  to  do  good,  and  patience  under  afflictions.  The  way 
to  heaven  is  a  heavenly  life ;  an  imitation  of  those  who  are  in 
heaven,  in  their  holy  enjoyments,  loving,  adoring,  serving,  and 
praising  God  and  the  Lamb.  Even  if  we  could  go  to  heaven 
with  the  gratification  of  our  lusts,  we  should  prefer  a  way  of 
holiness  and  conformity  to  the  spiritual  self-denying  ruhspukthe 
gospel. 

3.  We  should  travel  on  in  this  way  in  a  laborious  manner. 
Long  journeys  are  attended  with  toil  and  fatigue ;  especially 
if  through  a  wilderness.  Persons,  in  such  a  case,  expect  no 
other  than  to  suffer  hardships  and  weariness.  So  we  should 
travel  in  this  way  of  holiness,  improving  our  time  and  strength, 
to  surmount  the  difficulties  and  obstacles  that  are  in  the  way. 
The  land  we  have  to  travel  through,  is  a  wilderness  ;  there  are 
many  mountains,  rocks,  and  rough  places  that  we  must  go 
over,  and,  therefore,  there  is  a  necessity  that  we  should  lay  out 
our  strength. 

*  1  Cor.  vii,  29,  30.  \  Heb.  xii.  1. 

Vol.  VII.  18 


138  THE    CHRISTIAN    PILGRIM. 

.  4.  Our  whole  lives  ought  to  be  spent  in  travelling  this  road, 
We  ought  to  begin  early.      This  should  be  the  first  concern, 
when  persons  become  capable  of  acting.     When  they  first  set 
out  in  the  world,  they  should  set  out  on  this  journey.     And  we 
ought  to  travel  on  with  assiduity.     It  ought  to  be  the  work  of 
every  day.     We  should  often  think  of  our  journey's  end ;  and 
make  it  our  daily  work  to  travel  on  in  the  way  that  leads  to  it. 
He  who  is  on  a  journey,  is  often  thinking  of  the  destined 
place  ;  and  it  is  his  daily  care  and  business  to  get  along ;  and 
to  improve  his  time  to  get  towards  his  journey's  end.     Thus 
should  heaven  be  continually  in  our  thoughts ;  and  the  imme- 
diate entrance  or  passage  to  it,  viz.  death,  should  be  present 
with  us.     We  ought  to  persevere  in  this  way  as  long  as  we  live. 
"  Let  us  run  with  patience  the  race  that  is  set  before  us.1'* 
Though  the  road  be  difficult,  and  toilsome,  we  must  hold  out 
with  patience,  and  be  content  to  endure  hardships.     Though 
the  journey  be  long,  yet  we  must  not  stop  short ;  but  hold  on 
till  we  arrive  at  the  place  we  seek.      Nor  should  we  be  dis- 
couraged with  the  length  and  difficulties  of  the  way,  as  the 
children  of  Israel  were,  and  be  for  turning  back  again.      All 
our  thought,  and  design,  should  be  to  press  forward  till  we 
arrive. 

5.  We  ought  to  be  continually  growing  in  holiness  ;  and, 
in  that  respect,  coming  nearer  and  nearer  to  heaven.  We 
should  be  endeavouring  to  come  nearer  to  heaven,  in  being 
more  heavenly  ;  becoming  more  and  more  like  the  inhabitants 
of  heaven,  in  respect  of  holiness,  and  conformity  to  God  ;  the 
knowledge  of  God  and  Christ ;  in  clear  views  of  the  glory  of 
God,  the  beauty  of  Christ,  and  the  excellency  of  divine 
things,  as  we  come  nearer  to  the  beatific  vision.  We  should 
labour  to  be  continually  growing  in  divine  love — that  this  may 
be  an  increasing  flame  in  our  hearts,  till  they  ascend  wholly 
in  this  flame — in  obedience  and  an  heavenly  conversation ; 
that  we  may  do  the  will  of  God  on  earth,  as  the  angels  do  in 
heaven  :  in  comfort  and  spiritual  joy  ;  in  sensible  communion 
with  God  and  Jesus  Christ.  Our  path  should  be  as  "  the 
shining  light,  that  shines  more  and  more  to  the  perfect  day."1 
We  ought  to  be  hungering  and  thirsting  after  righteousness  ; 
nfter  an  increase  in  righteousness.  "  As  new-born  babes 
desire  the  sincere  milk  of  the  word,  that  ye  may  grow  there- 
by."} The  perfection  of  heaven  should  be  our  mark.  "This 
one  thing  I  do,  forgetting  those  things  which  are  behind,  and 
reaching  forth  unto  those  things  that  are  before,  I  press  to- 
ward the  mark,  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  in 
Christ.  Jesus."§ 

Heb.  sii.  1.        +  Prov.  iv.  18.       i  1  Pet,  ii.  2.        5  Phil.  iii.  13,  14. 


THE    CHRISTIAN    PILGRIM.  139 

6.  A1J  other  concerns  of  life,  ought  to  be  entirely  subordi- 
nate to  this.  When  a  man  is  on  a  journey,  all  the  steps  he 
takes  are  subordinated  to  the  aim  of  getting  to  his  journey's 
end.  And,  if  he  carries  money  or  provisions  with  him,  it  is  to 
supply  him  in  his  journey.  So  we  ought  wholly  to  subordinate 
all  our  other  business,  and  all  our  temporal  enjoyments,  to  this 
affair  of  travelling  to  heaven.  When  any  thing  we  have, 
becomes  a  clog  and  hindrance  to  us,  we  should  quit  it  imme- 
diately. The  use  of  our  worldly  enjoyments  and  possessions, 
should  be  with  such  a  view,  and  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  further 
us  in  our  way  heaven-ward.  Thus  we  should  eat,  and  drink, 
and  clothe  ourselves,  and  improve  the  conversation  and  enjoy- 
ment of  friends.  And,  whatever  business  we  are  setting  about, 
whatever  design  we  are  engaging  in,  we  should  inquire  with 
ourselves,  whether  this  business,  or  undertaking,  will  forward 
us  in  our  way  to  heaven  ?  And,  if  not.  we  should  quit  our 
design. 

Section  II. 

Why  the  Christian's  life  is  a  journey  or  pilgrimage  ? 

1.  Tins  world  is  not  our  abiding  place.  Our  continuance 
here  is  but  very  short.  Man's  days  on  the  earth,  are  as  a 
shadow.  It  was  never  designed  by  God  that  this  world  should 
be  our  home.  Neither  did  God  give  us  these  temporal  accom- 
modations for  that  end.  If  God  has  given  us  ample  estates, 
and  children,  or  other  pleasant  friends,  it  is  with  no  such 
design,  that  we  should  be  furnished  here,  as  for  a  settled  abode: 
but  with  a  design  that  we  should  use  them  for  the  present,  and 
then  leave  them  in  a  very  little  time.  When  we  are  called  to 
any  secular  business,  or  charged  with  the  care  of  a  family,  if 
we  improve  our  lives  to  any  other  purpose,  than  as  a  journey 
toward  heaven,  all  our  labour  will  be  lost.  If  we  spend  our 
lives  in  the  pursuit  of  a  temporal  happiness  ;  as  riches,  or  sen- 
sual pleasures  ;  credit  and  esteem  from  men  ;  delight  in  our 
children,  and  the  prospect  of  seeing  them  well  brought  up. 
and  well  settled,  &c. — All  these  things  will  be  of  little  signiii- 
cancy  to  us.  Death  will  blow  up  all  our  hopes,  and  will  put 
an  end  to  these  enjoyments.  "  The  places  that  have  known 
us,  will  know  us  no  more :''  and  "  the  eye  that  has  seen  us, 
shall  see  us  no  more."  We  must  be  taken  away  for  ever  from 
all  these  things ;  and  it  is  uncertain  when  :  it  may  be  soon 
after  we  are  put  into  the  possession  of  them.  And  thqn. 
where  will  be  all  our  worldly  employments  and  enjoyments, 
when  we  are  laid  in  the  silent  grave!  "  So  man  lieth  down, 
and  riseth  not  again,  till  the  heavens  be  no  more."* 

*  Job  xir.    10. 


140  THE    CHRISTIAN   PILGRIM. 

%  The  future  world  was  designed  to  be  our  settled  anu 
everlasting  abode.  There  it  was  intended  that  we  should  be 
fixed;  and  there  alone  is  a  lasting  habitation,  and  a  lasting  in- 
heritance. The  present  state  is  short  and  transitory ;  but  our 
state  in  the  other  world,  is  everlasting.  And  as  we  are  there 
at  first,  so  we  must  be  without  change.  Our  state  in  the  future 
world,  therefore,  being  eternal,  is  of  so  much  greater  import- 
ance than  our  state  here,  that  all  our  concerns  in  this  world 
should  be  wholly  subordinated  to  it. 

3.  Heaven  is  that  place  alone  where  our  highest  end,  and 
highest  good  is  to  be  obtained.  God  hath  made  us  for  him- 
self. "Of  him,  and  through  him,  and  to  him  are  all  things/" 
Therefore,  then  do  we  attain  to  our  highest  end,  when  we  are 
brought  to  God :  but  that  is  by  being  brought  to  heaven ;  for 
that  is  God's  throne,  the  place  of  his  special  presence.  There 
is  but  a  very  imperfect  union  with  God  to  be  had  in  this  world, 
a  very  imperfect  knowledge  of  him  in  the  midst  of  muchdark- 
ness  :  a  very  imperfect  conformity  to  God,  mingled  with  abun- 
dance of  estrangement.  Here  we  can  serve  and  glorify  God, 
but  in  a  very  imperfect  manner  ;  our  service  being  mingled 
with  sin,  which  dishonours  God. — But  when  we  get  to  heaven, 
(if  ever  that  be,)  we  shall  be  brought  to  a  perfect  union  with 
God,  and  have  more  clear  views  of  him.  There  we  shall  be 
fully  conformed  to  God,  without  any  remaining  sin  :  for  "  we 
shall  see  him  as  he  is."  There  we  shall  serve  God  perfectly  ; 
and  glorify  him  in  an  exalted  manner,  even  to  the  utmost  of 
the  powers  and  capacity  of  our  nature.  Then  we  shall  perfectly 
give  up  ourselves  to  God :  our  hearts  will  be  pure  and  holy 
offerings,  presented  in  a  flame  of  divine  love. 

God  is  the  highest  good  of  the  reasonable  creature  ;  and  the 
enjoyment  of  him  is  the  only  happiness  with  which  our  souls 
can  be  satisfied. — To  go  to  heaven  fully  to  enjoy  God,  is  in- 
finitely better  than  the  most  pleasant  accommodations  here. 
Fathers  and  mothers,  husbands,  wives,  or  children,  or  the  com- 
pany of  earthly  friends,  are  but  shadows  ;  but  the  enjoyment  of 
God  is  the  substance.  These  are  but  scattered  beams  ;  but  God 
is  the  sun.  These  are  but  streams ;  but  God  is  the  fountain. 
These  are  but  drops ;  but  God  is  the  ocean. — Therefore  it  be- 
comes us  to  spend  this  life  only  as  a  journey  towards  heaven,  as 
it  becomes  us  to  make  the  seeking  of  our  highest  end  and  pro- 
per good,  the  whole  work  of  our  lives ;  to  which  we  should  sub- 
ordinate all  other  concerns  of  life.  Why  should  we  labour  for, 
or  set  our  hearts  on  any  thing  else,  but  that  which  is  our  pro- 
per end,  and  true  happiness? 

4.  Our  present  state,  and  all  that  belongs  to  it,  is  designed  by 
him  that  made  all  things,  to  be  wholly  in  order  to  another 
world. — This  world  was  made  for  a  place  of  preparation  for 
another.     Man's  mortal  life  was  given  him.  that  he  might  be 


THE   CHRISTIAN  PILGRIM. 


141 


prepared  for  his  fixed  state.  And  all  that  God  has  here  given 
us,  is  given  to  this  purpose.  The  sun  shines,  and  the  rain  falls 
upon  us  ;  and  the  earth  yields  her  increase  to  us  for  this  end. 
Civil,  ecclesiastical,  and  family  affairs,  and  all  our  personal 
concerns,  are  designed  and  ordered  in  subordination  to  a  future 
world,  by  the  maker  and  disposer  of  all  things.  To  this  there- 
fore they  ought  to  be  subordinated  by  us. 


Section  III. 

Instruction  afforded  by  the  consideration,  that  life  is  a  journey, 
or  pilgrimage,  towards  heaven. 

1.  This  doctrine  may  teach  us  moderation  in  our  mourning 
for  the  loss  of  such  dear  friends,  who,  while  they  lived,  improved 
their  lives  to  right  purposes.  If  they  lived  a  holy  life,  then 
their  lives  were  a  journey  towards  heaven.  And  why  should 
we  be  immoderate  in  mourning,  when  they  are  got  to  their 
journey's  end  ?  Death,  though  it  appears  to  us  with  a  frightful 
aspect,  is  to  them  a  great  blessing.  Their  end  is  happy,  and  bet- 
ter than  their  beginning.  "  The  day  of  their  death,  is  better  than 
the  day  of  their  birth.'1''*  While  they  lived,  they  desired  hea- 
ven, and  chose  it  above  this  world,  or  any  of  its  enjoyments.  For 
this  they  earnestly  longed,  and  why  should  we  grieve  that  they 
have  obtained  it? — Now  they  have  got  to  their  Father's  house. 
They  find  more  comfort  a  thousand  times,  now  they  are  got 
home,  than  they  did  in  their  journey.  In  this  world  they  un- 
derwent much  labour  and  toil  ;  it  was  a  wilderness  they  passed 
through.  There  were  many  difficulties  in  the  way  ;  mountains 
and  rough  places.  It  was  laborious  and  fatiguing  to  travel  the 
road  ;  and  they  had  many  wearisome  days  and  nights  :  but  now 
they  have  got  to  their  everlasting  rest.  "  And  I  heard  a  voice 
from  heaven,  saying  unto  me,  Write,  blessed  are  the  dead  which 
die  in  the  Lord  from  henceforth :  yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that 
they  may  rest  from  their  labours  ;  and  their  works  do  follow 
them."t  They  look  back  upon  the  difficulties,  and  sorrows, 
and  dangers  of  life,  rejoicing  that  they  have  surmounted 
them  all. 

We  are  ready  to  look  upon  death  as  their  calamity,  and  to 
mourn,  that  those  who  were  so  dear  to  us,  should  be  in  the  dark 
grave;  that  they  are  there  transformed  to  corruption  and  worms ; 
taken  away  from  their  dear  children  and  enjoyments,  &c.  as 
though  they  were  in  awful  circumstances.  But  this  is  owing 
to  our  infirmity  ;  they  are  in  a  happy  condition,  inconceivably 
blessed.  They  do  not  mourn,  but  rejoice  with  exceeding  joy  : 
their  mouths  are  filled  with  joyful  songs,  and  they  drink  at  rivers 

*  Ecele*.  vii.  1.  +  Rev.  xiv.  13. 


14"2  THE    CHRISTIAN  PILGRIM. 

of  pleasure.  They  find  no  mixture  of  grief  that  they  have 
changed  their  earthly  enjoyments,  and  the  company  of  mortals, 
for  heaven.  Their  life  here,  though  in  the  best  circumstances, 
was  attended  with  much  that  was  adverse  and  afflictive  :  but 
now  there  is  an  end  to  all  adversity.  "  They  shall  hunger  no 
more,  nor  thirst  any  more  ;  neither  shall  the  sun  light  on  them, 
nor  any  heat.  For  the  Lamb  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  throne, 
shall  feed  them  and  shall  lead  them  unto  living  fountains  of 
waters :  and  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes."* 

It  is  true,  we  shall  see  them  no  more  in  this  world,  yet  we 
ought  to  consider  that  we  are  travelling  towards  the  same 
place  ;  and  why  should  we  break  our  hearts  that  they  have  got 
there  before  us  ?  We  are  following  after  them,  and  hope,  as 
soon  as  we  get  to  our  journey's  end,  to  be  with  them  again,  in 
better  circumstances.  A  degree  of  mourning  for  near  rela- 
tions when  departed  is  not  inconsistent  with  Christianity,  but 
very  agreeable  to  it ;  for  as  long  as  we  are  flesh  and  blood,  we 
have  animal  propensities  and  affections.  But  we  have  just 
reason  that  our  mourning  should  be  mingled  with  joy.  "  But 
I  would  not  have  you  to  be  ignorant,  brethren,  concerning 
them  that  are  asleep,  that  ye  sorrow  not,  even  as  others  that 
have  no  hope  :""t  (i.  e.)  that  they  should  not  sorrow  as  the 
Heathen,  who  had  no  knowledge  of  a  future  happiness.  This 
appears  by  the  following  verse ;  '•'•for  if  ive  believe  that  Jesus 
died  and  rose  again,  even  so  them  also  which  sleep  in  Jesus,  will 
God.  bring  with  him.'''' 

2.  If  our  lives  ought  to  be  only  a  journey  towards  heaven  : 
how  ill  do  they  improve  their  lives,  that  spend  them  in  travel- 
ling towards  hell  ? — Some  men  spend  their  whole  lives,  from 
their  infancy  to  their  dying  day,  in  going  down  the  broad  way 
to  destruction.  They  not  only  draw  nearer  to  hell  as  to  time, 
but  they  every  day  grow  more  ripe  for  destruction  ;  they  are 
more  assimilated  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  infernal  world.  While 
others  press  forward  in  the  straight  and  narrow  way  to  life,  and 
laboriously  travel  up  the  hill  toward  Zion,  against  the  inclina- 
tions and  tendency  of  the  flesh  ;  these  run  with  a  swift  career 
down  to  eternal  death.  This  is  the  employment  of  every  day. 
with  all  wicked  men  ;  and  the  whole  day  is  spent  in  it.  As 
soon  as  ever  they  awake  in  the  morning,  they  set  out  anew  in 
the  way  to  hell,  and  spend  every  waking  moment  in  it.  They 
begin  in  early  days.  "  The  wicked  are  estranged  from  the 
womb,  they  go  astray  as  soon  as  they  are  born,  speaking  lies. "J 
They  hold  on  it  with  perseverance.  Many  of  them  who  live 
to  be  old,  are  never  weary  in  it ;  though  they  live  to  be  an  hun- 
dred years  old,  they  will  not  cease  travelling  in  the  way  to  hell, 
till  they  arrive  there.  And  all  the  concerns  of  life  are  subordi- 
nated to  this  employment.     A  wicked  man  is  a  servant  of  sin  : 

*  Rov.  vii.  lfi.  17.  +  1  Tho**.  ir.  13.  .t  F?nlm  xlviii.  4. 


THE  CHRISTIAN   PILGRIM, 


14o 


his  powers  and  faculties  are  employed  in  the  service  of  sin  ;  and 
in  fitness  for  hell.     And  all  his  possessions  are  so  used  by  him 
as  to  be  subservient   to  the  same  purpose.     Men  spend  their 
time  in  treasuring  up  wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath.     Thus 
do  all  unclean  persons,  who  live  in  lascivious  practices  in  secret; 
all  malicious  persons ;  all  profane  persons,  that  neglect  the  du- 
ties of  religion.     Thus  do  all  unjust   persons ;  and  those  who 
are  fraudulent  and  oppressive  in  their  dealings.     Thus  do  all 
backbiters  and  revilers  ;  all  covetous  persons,  that   set  their 
hearts  chiefly  on  the  riches  of  this  world.     Thus  do  tavern- 
haunters,  and  frequenters  of  evil  company ;  and  many  other 
kinds  that  might  be  mentioned.     Thus  the  bulk  of  mankind  are 
hastening  onward  in  the  broad  way  to  destruction  ;  which  is,  as 
it  were,  filled  up  with  the  multitude  that  are  going  in   it   with 
one  accord.     And  they  are  every  day  going  to  hell  out  of  this 
broad  way  by  thousands.     Multitudes  are  continually  flowing 
down  into  the  great  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone,  as  some  mighty 
river  constantly  disembogues  its  water  into  the  ocean. 

3.  Hence  when  persons  are  converted  they  do  but  begin  their 
work,  and  set  out  in  the  way  they  have  to  go. — They  never  till 
then  do  any  thing  at  that  work  in  which  their  whole  lives  ought 
to  be  spent.  Persons  before  conversion  never  take  a  step  that 
way.  Then  does  a  man  first  set  out  on  his  journey,  when  he  is 
brought  home  to  Christ ;  and  so  far  is  he  from  having  done  his 
work,  that  his  care  and  labour  in  his  Christian  work  and  busi- 
ness, is  then  but  begun,  in  which  he  must  spend  the  remaining 
part  of  his  life. 

Those  persons  do  ill,  who  when  they  are  converted,  and  have 
obtained  a  hope  of  their  being  in  a  good  condition,  do  not 
strive  as  earnestly  as  they  did  before,  while  they  were  under 
awakenings.  They  ought,  henceforward,  as  long  as  they  live, 
to  be  as  earnest  and  laborious,  as  watchful  and  careful  as  ever  ; 
yea,  they  should  increase  more  and  more.  It  is  no  just  excuse, 
that  now  they  have  obtained  conversion.  Should  not  we  be 
as  diligent  that  we  may  serve  and  glorify  God,  as  that  we  our- 
selves may  be  happy  ?  And  if  we  have  obtained  grace,  yet  we 
ought  to  strive  as  much  that  we  may  obtain  the  other  degrees 
that  are  before,  as  we  did  to  obtain  that  small  degree  that  is 
behind.  The  apostle  tells  us,  that  he  forgot  what  was  behind, 
and  reached  forth  towards  what  was  before.* 

Yea,  those  who  are  converted,  have  now  a  further  reason  to 
strive  for  grace  ;  for  they  have  seen  something  of  its  excellency. 
A  man  who  has  once  tasted  the  blessings  of  Canaan,  has  more 
reason  to  press  towards  it  than  he  had  before.  And  they  who 
are  converted,  should  strive  to  "  make  their  calling  and  election 
sure."     All  those  who  are  converted  are  not  sure  of  it :  and 

1  P!iil,  iii,  13, 


144  THE  CHRISTIAN  PILGRIM. 

those  who  are  sure,  do  not  know  that  they  shall  be  always  so  ; 
and  still  seeking  and  serving  God  with  the  utmost  diligence,  is 
the  way  to  have  assurance,  and  to  have  it  maintained. 

Section  IV. 

An  exhortation,  so  to  spend  the  present  life,  that  it  may  only 
be  a  journey  toicards  heaven. 

Labour  to  obtain  such  a  disposition  of  mind  that  you  may 
choose  heaven  for  your  inheritance  and  home ;  and  may  ear- 
nestly long  for  it,  and  be  willing  to  change  this  world,  and  all 
its  enjoyments,  for  heaven.  Labour  to  have  your  heart  taken 
up  so  much  about  heaven,  and  heavenly  enjoyments,  as  that 
you  may  rejoice  when  God  calls  you  to  leave  your  best  earthly 
friends  and  comforts  for  heaven,  there  to  enjoy  God  and  Christ. 

Be  persuaded  to  travel  in  the  way  that  leads  to  heaven  ;  viz. 
in  holiness,  self-denial,  mortification,  obedience  to  all  the  com- 
mands of  God,  following  Christ's  example  ;  in  a  way  of  a  hea- 
venly life,  or  imitation  of  the  saints  and  angels  in  heaven.  Let 
it  be  your  daily  work,  from  morning  till  night,  and  hold  out  in 
it  to  the  end  ;  let  nothing  stop  or  discourage  you,  or  turn  you 
aside  from  this  road.  And  let  all  other  concerns  be  subor- 
dinated to  this.  Consider  the  reasons  that  have  been  mentioned 
why  you  should  thus  spend  your  life  ;  that  this  world  is  not 
your  abiding  place,  that  the  future  world  is  to  be  your  everlast- 
ing abode ;  and  that  the  enjoyments  and  concerns  of  this 
world,  are  given  entirely  in  order  to  another.  And  consider 
further  for  motive, 

1.  How  worthy  is  heaven  that  your  life  should  be  wholly 
spent  as  a  journey  towards  it. — To  what  better  purpose  can 
you  spend  your  life,  whether  you  respect  your  duty  or  your 
interest?  What  better  end  can  you  propose  to  your  journey, 
than  to  obtain  heaven  ?  You  are  placed  in  this  world,  with  a 
choice  given  you,  that  you  may  travel  which  way  you  please  ; 
and  one  way  leads  to  heaven.  Now  can  you  direct  your  course 
better  than  this  way  ?  All  men  have  some  aim  or  other  in 
living.  Some  mainly  seek  worldly  things ;  they  spend  their 
days  in  such  pursuits.  But  is  not  heaven,  where  is  fullness  of 
joy  for  ever,  much  more  worthy  to  be  sought  by  you  ?  How 
can  you  better  employ  your  strength,  use  your  means,  and  spend 
your  days,  than  in  travelling  the  road  that  leads  to  the  everlast- 
ing enjoyment  of  God;  to  his  glorious  presence;  to  the  new 
Jerusalem  ;  to  the  heavenly  mount  Zion  ;  where  all  your  desires 
will  be  filled,  and  no  danger  of  ever  loosing  your  happiness  ? — 
No  man  is  at  home  in  this  world,  whether  he  choose  heaven  or 
not ;  here  he  is  but  a  transient  person.  Where  can  you  choose 
vour  home  better  than  in  heaven  ? 


i'HK  CHRISTIAN   PILUKIM.  145 

'2.  This  is  the  way  to  have  death  comfortable  to  us. — To 
spend  our  lives  so  as  to  be  only  a  journeying  towards  heaven, 
is  the  way  to  be  free  from  bondage,  and  to  have  the  prospect 
and  forethought  of  death  comfortable.  Does  the  traveller  think 
of  his  journey's  end  with  fear  and  terror?  Is  it  terrible  to  him 
to  think  that  he  has  almost  got  to  his  journey's  end  ?  Were 
the  children  of  Israel  sorry,  after  forty  years'  travel  in  the  wil- 
derness, when  they  had  almost  got  to  Canaan  ?  This  is  the 
way  to  be  able  to  part  with  the  world  without  grief.  Does 
it  grieve  the  traveller,  when  he  has  got  home,  to  quit  his  staff 
and  load  of  provisions  that  he  had  to  sustain  him  by  the  way  ? 

3.  No  more  of  your  life  will  be  pleasant  to  think  of  when  you 
come  to  die,  than  has  been  spent  after  this  manner. — If  you 
have  spent  none  of  your  life  this  way,  your  whole  life  will  be 
terrible  to  you  to  think  of,  unless  you  die  under  some  great  de- 
lusion. You  will  see  then,  that  all  of  your  life  that  has  been 
spent  otherwise,  is  lost.  You  will  then  see  the  vanity  of  all 
other  aims  that  you  may  have  proposed  to  yourself.  The 
thought  of  what  you  here  possessed  and  enjoyed,  will  not  be 
pleasant  to  you,  unless  you  can  think  also  that  you  have  subor- 
dinated them  to  this  purpose. 

4.  Consider  that  those  who  are  willing  thus  to  spend  their 
lives  as  a  journey  towards  heaven,  may  have  heaven. — Heaven, 
however  high  and  glorious,  is  attainable  for  such  poor  worth- 
less creatures  as  we  are.  We  may  attain  that  glorious  region 
which  is  the  habitation  of  angels ;  yea, the  dwelling-place  of  the 
Son  of  God  ;  and  where  is  the  glorious  presence  of  the  great 
Jehovah.  And  we  may  have  it  freely ;  without  money  and 
without  price ;  if  we  are  but  willing  to  travel  the  road  that 
leads  to  it,  and  bend  our  course  that  way  as  long  as  we  live  : 
we  may  and  shall  have  heaven  for  our  eternal  resting  place. 

5.  Let  it  be  considered,  that  if  our  lives  be  not  a  journe)r 
towards  heaven,  they  will  be  a  journey  to  hell.  All  mankind, 
after  they  have  been  here  a  short  while,  go  to  either  of  the  two 
great  receptacles  of  all  that  depart  out  of  this  world  ;  the  one 
is  heaven,  whither  a  small  number,  in  comparison,  travel ;  and 
the  other  is  hell,  whither  the  bulk  of  mankind  throng.  And 
one  or  the  other  of  these  must  be  the  issue  of  our  course  in  this 
world. 

I  shall  conclude  by  giving  a  few  directions : 

1.  Labour  to  get  a  sense  of  the  vanity  of  this  world ;  on  ac- 
count of  the  little  satisfaction  that  is  to  be  enjoyed  here  :  its 
short  continuance,  and  unserviceableness  when  we  most  stand 
in  need  of  help,  viz.  on  a  death-bed. — All  men,  that  live  any 
considerable  time  in  the  world,  might  see  enough  to  convince 
them  of  its  vanity,  if  they  would  but  consider. — Be  persuaded 
therefore  to  exercise  consideration,  when  you  see  and  hear, 
from  time  to  time,  of  the  death  of  others.     Labour  to  tun 

Vol,  VII.  IP 


146  iiiii  CHRISTIAN   PILGRIM. 

your  thoughts  this  way.     See  the  vanity  of  the  world  in  such 
a  glass. 

2.  Labour  to  be  much  acquainted  with  heaven. — If  you  are 
not  acquainted  with  it,  you  will  not  be  likely  to  spend  your  life 
as  a  journey  thither.  You  will  not  be  sensible  of  its  worth,  nor 
will  you  long  for  it.  Unless  you  are  much  conversant  in  your 
mind  with  a  better  good,  it  will  be  exceeding  difficult  to  you 
to  have  your  hearts  loose  from  these  things,  and  to  use  them 
only  in  subordination  to  sometheing  else,  and  be  ready  to  part 
with  them  for  the  sake  of  that  better  good. — Labour  therefore 
to  obtain  a  realizing  sense  of  a  heavenly  world,  to  get  a  firm 
belief  of  its  reality,  and  to  be  very  much  conversant  with  it  in 
your  thoughts. 

3.  Seek  heaven  only  by  Jesus  Christ. — Christ  tells  us  that  he 
is  the  way,  and  the  truth,  and  the  life.*  He  tells  that  he  is  the 
door  of  the  sheep.  "  I  am  the  door,  by  me  if  any  man  enter  in, 
he  shall  be  saved ;  and  go  in  and  out  and  find  pasture."!  If  we 
therefore  would  improve  our  lives  as  a  journey  towards  heaven, 
we  must  seek  it  by  him,  and  not  by  our  own  righteousness;  as 
expecting  to  obtain  it  only  for  his  sake,  looking  to  him,  having 
our  dependence  on  him,  who  has  procured  it  for  us  by  his  merit. 
And  expect  strength  to  walk  in  holiness,  the  way  that  leads  to 
heaven,  only  from  him. 

4.  Let  Christians  help  one  another  in  going  this  journey. 
— There  are  many  ways  whereby  Christians  might  greatly 
forward  one  another  in  their  way  to  heaven,  as  by  religious 
conference,  &c.  Therefore  let  them  be  exhorted  to  go  this 
journey  as  it  were  in  company,  conversing  together,  and  assist- 
ing one  another.  Company  is  very  desirable  in  a  journey,  but 
in  none  so  much  as  this. — Let  them  go  united,  and  not  fall  out 
by  the  way,  which  would  be  to  hinder  one  another ;  but  use  all 
means  they  can  to  help  each  other  up  the  hill. — This  would  en- 
sure a  more  successful  travelling,  and  a  more  joyful  meeting  at 
their  Father's  house  in  glory. 

*  John  yir.  6.  t  John  x,  9. 


ADVERTISEMENT 

TO 

THE  READER  RESPECTING  THE  FIRST  SERMON 


It  was  with  no  small  difficulty  that  the  author's  youth  and 
modesty  were  prevailed  on  to  let  him  appear  a  preacher  in  our 
public  lecture,  and  afterward  to  give  us  a  copy  of  his  discourse, 
at  the  desire  of  divers  ministers  and  others  who  heard  it.  But 
as  we  quickly  found  him  a  workman  that  needs  not  to  be 
ashamed  before  his  brethren,  our  satisfaction  was  the  greater 
to  see  him  pitching  upon  so  noble  a  subject,  and  treating  it 
with  so  much  strength  and  clearness,  as  the  judicious  reader 
will  perceive  in  the  following  composure  :  a  subject  Which  se- 
cures to  God  his  great  design  in  the  work  of  fallen  man's  re- 
demption by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which  is  evidently  so  laid 
out,  as  that  the  glory  of  the  whole  should  return  to  him,  the 
blessed  ordainer,  purchaser,  and  applier ;  a  subject  which 
enters  deep  into  practical  religion  ;  without  the  belief  of  which, 
that  must  soon  die  in  the  hearts  and  lives  of  men. 

For  in  proportion  to  the  sense  we  have  of  our  dependence 
on  the  sovereign  God  for  all  the  good  we  want,  will  be  our  va- 
lue for  him,  our  application  to  him,  our  trust  in  him,  our  fear  to 
offend  him,  and  our  care  to  please  him;  as  likewise  our  grati- 
tude and  love,  our  delight  and  praise,  upon  our  sensible  expe- 
rience of  his  free  benefits. 

In  short,  it  is  the  very  soul  of  piety,  to  apprehend  and  own 
that  all  our  springs  are  in  him  ;  the  springs  of  our  present  grace 
and  comfort,  and  of  our  future  glory  and  blessedness;  and  that 
they  all  entirely  flow  through  Christ,  by  the  efficacious  influ- 
ence of  the  Holy  Spirit.  By  these  things  saints  live,  and  in  all 
these  things  is  the  life  of  our  spirits. 

Such  doctrines  as  these,  which,  by  humbling  the  minds  of 
men,  prepare  them  for  the  exaltations  of  God,  he  has  signally 
owned  and  prospered  in  the  reformed  world,  and  in  our  land 
especially  in  the  days  of  our  forefathers  ;  and  we  hope  they  will 
never  grow  unfashionable  among  us  :  for,  we  arc  well  assured, 
if  those  which  we  call  the  doctrines  of  grace  ever  come  to  be 
contemned  or  disrelished,  vital  piety  will  proportionably  lan- 
guish and  wear  away  ;  as  these  doctrines  always  sink  in  the  es 
teem  of  men  upon  the  decay  of '■prions  religrion. 


148  TO    THE    READER. 

We  cannot  therefore  but  express  our  joy  and  thankfulness, 
that  the  great  Head  of  the  church  is  pleased  still  to  raise  up 
from  among  the  children  of  his  people,  for  the  supply  of  his 
churches,  those  who  assert  and  maintain  these  evangelical  prin- 
ciples, and  that  our  churches  (notwithstanding  all  their  dege- 
neracies) have  still  a  high  value  for  such  principles,  and  for 
those  who  publicly  own  and  teach  them. 

And  as  we  cannot  but  wish  and  pray  that  tho  college  in  the 
neighbouring  colony  (as  well  as  our  own)  may  be  a  fruitful 
mother  of  many  such  sons  as  the  author,  by  the  blessing  of 
Heaven  on  the  care  of  their  present  worthy  rector ;  so  we 
heartily  rejoice  in  the  special  favour  of  Providence  in  bestow- 
ing such  a  rich  gift  on  the  happy  church  of  Northampton, 
which  has  for  so  many  lustres  of  years  flourished  under  the  in- 
fluence of  such  pious  doctrines,  taught  them  in  the  excellent 
ministry  of  their  late  venerable  pastor,  whose  gift  and  spirit,  we 
hope,  will  long  live  and  shine  in  this  his  grandson,  to  the  end 
that  they  may  abound  yet  more  in  all  the  lovely  fruits  of  evan- 
gelical humility  and  thankfulness,  to  the  glory  of  God. 

To  his  blessing  we  commit  them  all,  with  this  discourse,  and 
every  one  that  reads  it ;  and  are 

Your  Servants  in  the  Gospel, 

T.  PRINCE. 
W.  COOPER. 

Boston,  August  17,  1731. 


SERMON  VI. 


GOD  GLORIFIED  IN   MANS  DEPENDENCE 


1  Cor.  i.  29—31. 

That  no  flesh  should  glory  in  his  presence.  But  of  him  are  yc 
in  Christ  Jesus,  who  of  God  is  made  unto  us  wisdom  and. 
righteousness,  and  sanctification,  and  redemption.  That  ac- 
cording as  it  is  written,  He  that  glorieth,  let  him  glory  in  the 
Lord. 

Those  Christians  to  whom  the  apostle  directed  this  epistle, 
dwelt  in  a  part  of  the  world  where  human  wisdom  was  in  great 
repute;  as  the  apostle  observes  in  the  22d  verse  of  this  chapter. 
"  The  Greeks  seek  after  wisdom."  Corinth  was  not  far  from 
Athens,  that  had  been  for  many  ages  the  most  famous  seat  of 
philosophy  and  learning  in  the  world.  The  apostle  therefore 
observes  to  them  how  God  by  the  gospel  destroyed,  and  brought 
to  nought,  their  wisdom.  The  learned  Grecians  and  their  great 
philosophers,  by  all  their  wisdom  did  not  know  God,  they  were 
not  able  to  find  out  the  truth  in  divine  things.  But,  after  thev 
had  done  their  utmost  to  no  effect,  it  pleased  God  at  length  to 
reveal  himself  by  the  gospel,  which  they  accounted  foolishness. 
He  "  chose  the  foolish  things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  wise, 
and  the  weak  things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  things  which 
are  mighty,  and  the  base  things  of  the  world,  and  things  that 
are  despised,  yea,  and  things  which  are  not,  to  bring  to  nought 
the  things  that  are."  And  the  apostle  informs  them  in  the 
text  why  he  thus  did,  That  no  flesh  should  glory  in  his  pre- 
sence, &c.     In  which  words  may  be  observed, 

1.  What  God  aims  at  in  the  disposition  of  things  in  the  affair 
of  redemption,  viz.  that  man  should  not  glory  in  himself,  but 

alone  in  God  ;  That  no  flish  shoidd  glory  in  his  presence, 

that  according  as  it  is  written,  He  that  glorieth,  let  him  glory  in 
the  Lord. 

*  Preached  on  the  public  lecture  in  Eoston,  July  8,  1731 ;  and  published  at 

the  desire  of  several  ministers  and   others   in  Boston  who  heard  it. This  was 

the  first  piece  published  by  Mr.  Edwards. 


150  GOD    GLORIFIED    IN    MAN'S    DEPENDENCE. 

2.  How  this  end  is  attained  in  the  work  of  redemption,  viz. 
by  that  absolute  and  immediate  dependence  which  men  have 
upon  God  in  that  work,  for  all  their  good.     Inasmuch  as, 

First,  All  the  good  that  they  have  is  in  and  through  Christ : 
He  is  made  unto  us  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification,  and 
redemption.  All  the  good  of  the  fallen  and  redeemed  creature 
is  concerned  in  these  four  things,  and  cannot  be  better  distri- 
buted than  into  them  ;  but  Christ  is  each  of  them  to  us,  and  we 
have  none  of  them  any  otherwise  than  in  him.  He  is  made  of 
God  unto  us  ivisdom :  In  him  are  all  the  proper  good  and  true 
excellency  of  the  understanding.  Wisdom  was  a  thing  that 
the  Greeks  admired ;  but  Christ  is  the  true  light  of  the  world  : 
it  is  through  him  alone  that  true  wisdom  is  imparted  to  the 
mind.  It  is  in  and  by  Christ  that  we  have  righteousness :  It  is 
by  being  in  him  that  we  are  justified,  have  our  sins  pardoned, 
and  are  received  as  righteous  into  God's  favour.  It  is  by  Christ 
that  we  have  sanctification  :  We  have  in  him  true  excellency 
of  heart,  as  well  as  of  understanding;  and  he  is  made  unto  us 
inherent  as  well  as  imputed  righteousness.  It  is  by  Christ  that 
we  have  redemption,  or  the  actual  deliverance  from  all  misery, 
and  the  bestowment  of  all  happiness  and  glory.  Thus  we  have 
all  our  good  by  Christ,  who  is  God. 

Secondly,  Another  instance  wherein  our  dependence  on 
God  for  all  our  good  appears,  is  this,  That  it  is  God  that  has 
given  us  Christ,  that  we  might  have  these  benefits  through 
him  :  he  of  God  is  made  unto  us  wisdom,  righteousness,  &c. 

Thirdly,  It  is  of  him  that  we  are  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  come 
to  have  an  interest  in  him,  and  so  do  receive  those  blessings 
which  he  is  made  unto  us.  It  is  God  that  gives  us  faith  where- 
by we  close  with  Christ. 

So  that  in  this  verse  is  shown  our  dependence  on  each  per- 
son in  the  Trinity  for  all  our  good.  We  are  dependent  on 
Christ  the  Son  of  God,  as  he  is  our  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanc- 
tification, and  redemption.  We  are  dependent  on  the  Father, 
who  has  given  us  Christ,  and  made  him  to  be  these  things  to  us. 
We  are  dependent  on  the  Holy  Ghost,  for  it  is  of  him  that  ice 
are  in  Christ  Jesus  ;  it  is  the  Spirit  of  God  that  gives  faith  in 
him,  whereby  we  receive  him,  and  close  with  him. 


DOCTRINE. 

"  God  is  glorified  in  the  work  of  redemption  in  this,  that  there 
appears  in  it  so  absolute  and  universal  a  dependence  of  the 

redeemed  on  him." Here  I   propose  to  show,  1st,   That 

there  is  an  absolute  and  universal  dependence  of  the  redeemed 
on  God  for  all  their  good.  And  2dly,  That  God  hereby  is  ex- 
alted and  glorified  in  the  work  of  redemption. 


L.OD  GLORIFIED    IN     MAN^S    DEPENDENCE,  151 

I.  Tliere  is  an  absolute  and  universal  dependence  of  the  re= 
deemed  on  God.  The  nature  and  contrivance  of  our  redemp- 
tion is  such,  that  the  redeemed  are  in  every  thing  directly, 
immediately,  and  entirely  dependent  on  God  :  They  are  de- 
pendent on  him  for  all,  and  are  dependent  on  him  every  way. 

The  several  ways  wherein  the  dependence  of  one  being  may 
be  upon  another  for  its  good,  and  wherein  the  redeemed  of 
Jesus  Christ  depend  on  God  for  all  their  good,  are  these,  viz. 
That  they  have  all  their  good  of  him,  and  that  they  have  all 
through  him,  and  that  they  have  all  in  him:  That  he  is  the 
cause  and  original  whence  all  their  good  comes,  therein  it  is 
of  him ;  and  that  he  is  the  medium  by  which  it  is  obtained  and 
conveyed,  therein  they  have  it  through  him  ;  and  that  he  is  the 
good  itself  given  and  conveyed,  therein  it  is  in  him.  Now 
those  that  are  redeemed  by  Jesus  Christ  do,  in  all  these  re- 
spects, very  directly  and  entirely  depend  on  God  for  their  all. 

First,  The  redeemed  have  all  their  good  of  God.  God  is 
the  great  author  of  it.  He  is  the  first  cause  of  it ;  and  not 
only  so,  but  he  is  the  only  proper  cause.  It  is  of  God  that  we 
have  our  Redeemer.  It  is  God  that  has  provided  a  Saviour 
for  us.  Jesus  Christ  is  not  only  of  God  in  his  person,  as  he  is 
the  only  begotten  Son  of  God,  but  he  is  from  God,  as  we  are 
concerned  in  him,  and  in  his  office  of  Mediator.  He  is  the 
gift  of  God  to  us  :  God  chose  and  anointed  him,  appointed  him 
his  work,  and  sent  him  into  the  world.  And  as  it  is  God  that 
gives,  so  it  is  God  that  accepts  the  Saviour.  He  gives  the 
purchaser,  and  he  affords  the  thing  purchased. 

It  is  of  God  that  Christ  becomes  ours,  that  we  are  brought  to 
him  and  are  united  to  him.  It  is  of  God  that  we  receive  faith 
to  close  with  him,  that  we  may  have  an  interest  in  him. 
Eph.  ii.  8.  "  For  by  grace  ye  are  saved,  through  faith  ;  and  that 
not  of  yourselves,  it  is  the  gift  of  God.'''  It  is  of  God  that  we 
actually  receive  all  the  benefits  that  Christ  has  purchased.  It 
is  God  that  pardons  and  justifies,  and  delivers  from  going  down 
to  hell ;  and  into  his  favour  the  redeemed  are  received,  when 
they  are  justified.  So  it  is  God  that  delivers  from  the  domi- 
nion of  sin,  cleanses  us  from  our  rilthincss,  and  changes  us  from 
our  deformity.  It  is  of  God  that  the  redeemed  receive  all 
their  true  excellency,  wisdom,  and  holiness  :  and  that  two  ways, 
viz.  as  the  Holy  Ghost  by  whom  these  things  are  immediately 
wrought  is  from  God,  proceeds  from  him,  and  is  sent  by  him  ; 
and  also  as  the  Holy  Ghost  himself  is  God,  by  whose  operation 
and  indwelling  the  knowledge  of  God  and  divine  things,  a 
holy  disposition  and  all  grace,  are  conferred  and  upheld.  And 
though  means  arc  made  use  of  in  conferring  grace  on  men's 
souls,  yet  it  is  of  God  that  we  have  these  means  of  grace,  and 
it  is  he  that  makes  them  effectual.  It  is  of  God  that  we  have 
the  holy  scriptures :  they  are  his  word.     It  is  of  God  that  we 


I5'i  GOD  GLORIFIED  IN  MAN'S  DEPENDENCE, 

have  ordinances,  and  their  efficacy  depends  on  the  immediate 
influence  of  his  Spirit.  The  ministers  of  the  gospel  are  sent  of 
God,  and  all  their  sufficiency  is  of  him. — 2  Cor.  iv.  7.  "  We 
have  this  treasure  in  earthen  vessels,  that  the  excellency  of  the 
power  may  be  of  God,  and  not  of  us."  Their  success  depends 
entirely  and  absolutely  on  the  immediate  blessing  and  influence 
of  God. 

I.  The  redeemed  have  all  from  the  grace  of  God.  It  was  of 
mere  grace  that  God  gave  us  his  only  begotten  Son.  The 
grace  is  great  in  proportion  to  the  excellency  of  what  is  given. 
The  gift  was  infinitely  precious,  because  it  was  of  a  person 
infinitely  worthy,  a  person  of  infinite  glory  ;  and  also  because 
it  was  of  a  person  infinitely  near  and  dear  to  God.  The  grace 
is  great  in  proportion  to  the  benefit  we  have  given  us  in  him. 
The  benefit  is  doubly  infinite,  in  that  in  him  we  have  deliver- 
ance from  an  infinite,  because  an  eternal  misery,  and  do  also  re- 
ceive eternal  joy  and  glory.  The  grace  in  bestowing  this  gift 
is  great  in  proportion  to  our  unworthiness  to  whom  it  is  given  ; 
instead  of  deserving  such  a  gift,  we  merited  infinitely  ill  of  God's 
hands.  The  grace  is  great  according  to  the  manner  of 
giving,  or  in  proportion  to  the  humiliation  and  expense  of  the 
method  and  means  by  which  a  way  is  made  for  our  having  the 
gift.  He  gave  him  to  dwell  amongst  us  ;  he  gave  him  to  us 
incarnate,  or  in  our  nature  ;  and  in  the  like  though  sinless  infir- 
mities. He  gave  him  to  us  in  a  low  and  afflicted  state  ;  and  not 
only  so,  but  as  slain,  that  he  might  be   a  feast  for  our  souls. 

The  grace  of  God  in  bestowing  this  gift  is  most  free.  It 
was  what  God  was  under  no  obligation  to  bestow.  He  might 
have  rejected  fallen  man,  as  he  did  the  fallen  angels.  It  was 
what  we  never  did  any  thing  to  merit ;  it  was  given  while  we 
were  yet  enemies,  and  before  we  had  so  much  as  repented. 
It  was  from  the  love  of  God  who  saw  no  excellency  in  us  to 
attract  it ;  and  it  was  without  expectation  of  ever  being  requi- 
ted for  it. — And  it  is  from  mere  grace  that  the  benefits  of  Christ 
are  applied  to  such  and  such  particular  persons.  Those  that 
are  called  and  sanctified  are  to  attribute  it  alone  to  the  good 
pleasure  of  God's  goodness  by  which  they  are  distinguished. 
He  is  sovereign,  and  hath  mercy  on  whom  he  will  have  mercy. 

Man  hath  now  a  greater  dependence  on  the  grace  of  God 
than  he  had  before  the  fall.  He  depends  on  free  goodness  of 
God  for  much  more  than  he  did  then.  Then  he  depended  on 
God's  goodness  for  conferring  the  reward  of  perfect  obedience  ; 
for  God  was  not  obliged  to  promise  and  bestow  that  reward. 
But  now  we  are  dependent  on  the  grace  of  God  for  much 
more  ;  we  stand  in  need  of  grace,  not  only  to  bestow  glory 
upon  us,  but  to  deliver  us  from  hell  and  eternal  wrath.  Under 
the  first  covenant  we  depended  on  God's  goodness  to  give  us 
*he  reward  of  righteousness :  and  so  we  do  now  :  13 ut  we  st^nrf 


UWSJ  liLOlllVlKD  M    MANS    UEtKNUENCL.  153 

m  need  of  God's  free  and  sovereign  grace  to  give  us  that 
righteousness ;  to  pardon  our  sin,  and  release  us  from  the  guilt 
and  infinite  demerit  of  it. 

And  as  we  are  dependent  on  the  goodness  of  God  for  more 
now  than  under  the  first  covenant,  so  we  are  dependent  on  a 
much  greater,  more  free  and  wonderful  goodness.  We  are 
now  more  dependent  on  God's  arbitrary  and  sovereign  good 
pleasure.  We  were  in  our  first  estate  dependent  on  God  for 
holiness.  We  had  our  original  righteousness  from  him  ;  but 
then  holiness  was  not  bestowed  in  such  a  way  of  sovereign  good 
pleasure  as  it  is  now.  Man  was  created  holy,  for  it  became 
God  to  create  holy  all  his  reasonable  creatures.  It  would 
have  been  a  disparagement  to  the  holiness  of  God's  nature,  it 
he  had  made  an  intelligent  creature  unholy.  But  now 
when  fallen  man  is  made  holy,  it  is  from  mere  and  arbitrary 
grace :  God  may  for  ever  deny  holiness  to  the  fallen  creature  if 
he  pleases,  without  any  disparagement  to  any  of  his  perfec- 
tions. 

And  we  are  not  only  indeed  more  dependent  on  the  grace  of 
God,  but  our  dependence  is  much  more  conspicuous,  because 
our  own  insufficiency  and  helplessness  in  ourselves  is  much 
more  apparent  in  our  fallen  and  undone  state,  than  it  was  be- 
fore we  were  either  sinful  or  miserable.  We  are  more  appa- 
rently dependent  on  God  for  holiness,  because  we  are  first  sin- 
ful, and  utterly  polluted,  and  afterward  holy.  So  the  produc- 
tion of  the  effect  is  sensible,  and  its  derivation  from  God  more 
obvious.  If  man  was  ever  holy  and  always  was  so,  it  would 
not  be  so  apparent,  that  he  had  not  holiness  necessarily,  as  an 
inseparable  qualification  of  human  nature.  So  we  are  more 
apparently  dependent  on  free  grace  for  the  favour  of  God,  for 
we  are  first  justly  the  objects  of  his  displeasure,  and  afterward  are 
received  into  favour.  We  are  more  apparently  dependent  on 
God  for  happiness,  being  first  miserable,  and  afterward  happy. 
It  is  more  apparently  free  and  without  merit  in  us,  because  we 
are  actually  without  any  kind  of  excellency  to  merit,  if  there 
could  be  any  such  thing  as  merit  in  creature-excellency.  And 
we  are  not  only  without  any  true  excellency,  but  are  full  of, 
and  wholly  defiled  with,  that  which  is  infinitely  odious.  All  our 
good  is  more  apparently  from  God,  because  we  are  first  naked 
and  wholly  without  any  good,  and  afterward  enriched  with  all 
good. 

2.  We  receive  all  from  the  power  of  God.  Man's  re- 
demption is  often  spoken  of  as  a  work  of  wonderful  power  as 
well  as  grace.  The  great  power  of  God  appears  in  bringing 
a  sinner  from  his  low  state  from  the  depths  of  sin  and  misery, 
to  such  an  exalted  state  of  holiness  and  happiness.  Eph.  i.  19. 
"  And  what  is  the  exceeding  greatness  of  his  power  to  us-ward 
who  believe,  according  to  the  working  of  his  mighty  power,'" 

Vol,  VIL  20 


154  GOD  GLORIFIED  IN    MAN'jS    DEPENDENCE. 

We  are  dependent  on  God's  power  through  every  step 
of  our  redemption.  We  are  dependent  on  the  power  of  God 
to  convert  us,  and  give  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  new  na- 
ture. It  is  a  work  of  creation  :  "  If  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he 
is  a  new  creature,"  2  Cor.  v.  17.  "  We  are  created  in  Christ 
Jesus,"  Eph.  ii  10.  The  fallen  creature  cannot  attain  to  true 
holiness,  but  by  being  created  again,  Eph.  iv.  24.  "  And  that 
ye  put  on  the  new  man,  which  after  God  is  created  in  righteous- 
ness and  true  holiness."  It  is  a  raising  from  the  dead^  Colos. 
ii.  12,  13.  "  Wherein  also  ye  are  risen  with  him  through  the 
faith  of  the  operation  of  God,  who  hath  raised  him  from  the 
dead."  Yea,  it  is  a  more  glorious  work  of  power  than  mere 
creation,  or  raising  a  dead  body  to  life,  in  that  the  effect  at- 
tained is  greater  and  more  excellent.  That  holy  and  happy 
being,  and  spiritual  life  which  is  produced  in  the  work  of  con- 
version, is  a  far  greater  and  more  glorious  effect,  than  mere 
being  and  life.  And  the  state  from  whence  the  change  is 
made — a  death  in  sin,  a  total  corruption  of  nature,  and  depth 
of  misery — is  far  more  remote  from  the  state  attained,  than 
mere  death  or  non-entity. 

It  is  by  God's  power  also  that  we  are  preserved  in  a  state  of 
grace.  1  Pet.  i.  5.  "  Who  are  kept  by  the  power  of  God 
through  faith  unto  salvation."  As  grace  is  at  first  from  God, 
so  it  is  continually  from  him,  and  is  maintained  by  him,  as 
much  as  light  in  the  atmosphere  is  all  day  long  from  the  sun, 
as  well  as  at  first  dawning,  or  at  sun-rising. — Men  are  depend- 
ent on  the  power  of  God  for  every  exercise  of  grace,  and  for 
carrying  on  that  work  in  the  heart,  for  subduing  sin  and  cor- 
ruption, increasing  holy  principles,  and  enabling  to  bring  forth 
fruit  in  good  works.  Man  is  dependent  on  divine  power  in 
bringing  grace  to  its  perfection,  in  making  the  soul  completely 
amiable  in  Christ's  glorious  likeness,  and  filling  of  it  with  a 
satisfying  joy  and  blessedness  ;  and  for  the  raising  of  the  body 
to  life,  and  to  such  a  perfect  state,  that  it  shall  be  suitable  for 
a  habitation  and  organ  for  a  soul  so  perfected  and  blessed. 
These  are  the  most  glorious  effects  of  the  power  of  God,  that 
are  seen  in  the  series  of  God's  acts  with  respect  to  the 
creatures. 

Man  was  dependent  on  the  power  of  God  in  his  first  estate, 
but  he  is  more  dependent  on  his  power  now  ;  he  needs  God's 
power  to  do  more  things  for  him,  and  depends  on  a  more  won- 
derful exercise  of  his  power.  It  was  an  effect  of  the  power  of 
God  to  make  man  holy  at  the  first ;  but  more  remarkably  so 
now,  because  there  is  a  great  deal  of  opposition  and  difficulty 
in  the  way.  It  is  a  more  glorious  effect  of  power  to  make  that 
holy  that  was  so  depraved,  and  under  the  dominion  of  sin,  than 
to  confer  holiness  on  that  which  before  had  nothing  of  the  con- 
trary.    It  is  a  more  glorious  work  of  power  to  rescue  a  soul  out 


GOD  GLORIFIED  IN  MAN'S  DEPENDENCE.  L35 

of  the  hands  of  the  devil,  and  from  the  powers  of  darkness,  and 
to  bring  it  into  a  state  of  salvation,  than  to  confer  holiness 
where  there  was  no  prepossession  or  opposition.  Luke 
xi.  21,22.  "  When  a  strong  man  armed  keepeth  his  palace,  his 
goods  are  in  peace  ;  but  when  a  stronger  than  he  shall  come 
upon  him,  and  overcome  him,  he  taketh  from  him  all  his  armour 
wherein  he  trusted,  and  divideth  his  spoils."  So  it  is  a  more 
glorious  work  of  power  to  uphold  a  soul  in  a  state  of  grace  and 
holiness,  and  to  carry  it  on  till  it  is  brought  to  glory,  when  there 
is  so  much  sin  remaining  in  the  heart  resisting,  and  Satan  with 
all  his  might  opposing,  than  it  would  have  been  to  have  kept 
man  from  falling  at  first,  when  Satan  had  nothing  in  man.— Thus 
we  have  shown  how  the  redeemed  are  dependent  on  God  for 
all  their  good,  as  they  have  all  of  him. 

Secondly,  They  are  also  dependent  on  God  for  all,  as  they 
have  all  through  him.  God  is  the  medium  of  it,  as  well  as  the 
author  and  fountain  of  it.  All  we  have,  wisdom,  the  pardon 
of  sin,  deliverance  from  hell,  acceptance  into  God's  favour, 
grace  and  holiness,  true  comfort  and  happiness,  eternal  life  and 
glory,  is  from  God  by  a  Mediator ;  and  this  Mediator  is  God  : 
which  Mediator  we  have  an  absolute  dependence  upon,  as  he 
through  whom  we  receive  all.  So  that  here  is  another  way 
wherein  we  have  our  dependence  on  God  for  all  good.  God 
not  only  gives  us  the  Mediator,  and  accepts  his  mediation,  and 
of  his  power  and  grace  bestows  the  things  purchased  by  the 
Mediator;  but  he  the  Mediator  is  God. 

Our  blessings  are  what  we  have  by  purchase ;  and  the  pur- 
chase is  made  of  God,  the  blessings  are  purchased  of  him,  and 
God  gives  the  purchaser;  and  not  only  so,  but  God  is  the  pur- 
chaser. Yea,  God  is  both  the  purchaser  and  the  price  ;  for 
Christ  who  is  God,  purchased  these  blessings  for  us,  by  offering 
up  himself  as  the  price  of  our  salvation.  He  purchased  eter- 
nal life  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself.  Heb.  vii.  27.  "  He  offered 
up  himself.'1  And  chap.  ix.  26.  "  He  hath  appeared  to  take 
away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself."  Indeed  it  was  the  human 
nature  that  was  offered  ;  but  it  was  the  same  person  with  the 
divine,  and  therefore  was  an  infinite  price.. 

As  we  thus  have  our  good  through  God,  we  have  a  depen- 
dence on  him  in  a  respect  that  man  in  his  first  estate  had  not. 
Man  was  to  have  eternal  life  then  through  his  own  righteous- 
ness ;  so  that  he  had  partly  a  dependence  upon  what  was  in 
himself;  for  we  have  a  dependence  upon  that  through  which  we 
have  our  good,  as  well  as  that  from  which  we  have  it :  and 
though  man's  righteousness  that  he  then  depended  on  was  in- 
deed from  God,  yet  it  was  his  own,  it  was  inherent  in  himself; 
so  that  his  dependence  was  not  so  immediately  on  God.  But 
now  the  righteousness  that  we  are  dependent  on  is  not  in  our- 
selves, but  in  God.     We  are  saved  through  the  righteousne^ 


156  ixOD  GLORIFILL*  IN  MAN'S  DEPENDENCE, 

of  Christ :  he  is  made  unto  us  righteousness  ;  and  therefore  is 
prophesied  of,  Jer.  xxiii.  o",  under  that  name,  "  the  Lord  our 
righteousness."  In  that  the  righteousness  we  are  justified  by  is 
the  righteousness  of  Christ,  it  is  the  righteousness  of  God. 
2  Cor  v.  21.  "  That  we  might  be  made  the  righteousness  of 
God  in  him." — Thus  in  redemption  we  have  not  only  all  things 
of  God,  but  by  and  through  him,  1  Cor.  viii.  6.  "  But  to  u? 
there  is  but  one  God,  the  Father,  of  whom  are  all  things,  and 
we  in  him  ;  and  one  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  are  all  things, 
and  we  by  him." 

Thirdly ,  The  redeemed  have  all  their  good  in  God.  We 
not  only  have  it  of  him,  and  through  him,  but  it  consists  in 
him  ;  he  is  all  our  good. — The  good  of  the  redeemed  is  either 
objective  or  inherent.  By  their  objective  good,  I  mean  that  ex- 
trinsic object,  in  the  possession  and  enjoyment  of  which  they 
are  happy.  Their  inherent  good  is  that  excellency  or  pleasure 
which  is  in  the  soul  itself.  With  respect  to  both  of  which  the 
redeemed  have  all  their  good  in  God,  or,  which  is  the  same 
thing,  God  himself  is  all  their  good. 

1.  The  redeemed  have  all  their  objective  good  in  God.  God 
himself  is  the  great  good  which  they  are  brought  to  the  pos- 
session and  enjoyment  of  by  redemption.  He  is  the  highest 
good,  and  the  sum  of  all  that  good  which  Christ  purchased.  God 
is  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  ;  he  is  the  portion  of  their  souls. 
God  is  their  wealth  and  treasure,  their  food,  their  life,  their 
dwelling-place,  their  ornament  and  diadem,  and  their  everlast- 
ing honour  and  glory.  They  have  none  in  heaven  but  God  ;  he 
is  the  great  good  which  the  redeemed  are  received  to  at  death, 
and  which  they  are  to  rise  to  at  the  end  of  the  world.  The 
Lord  God  is  the  light  of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  ;  and  is  the 
"  river  of  the  water  of  life"  that  runs,  and  "  the  tree  of  life  that 
grows,  in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  God."  The  glorious  ex- 
cellencies and  beauty  of  God  will  be  what  will  for  ever  enter- 
tain the  minds  of  the  saints,  and  the  love  of  God  will  be  their 
everlasting  feast.  The  redeemed  will  indeed  enjoy  other  things; 
they  will  enjoy  the  angels,  and  will  enjoy  one  another  :  but  that 
which  they  shall  enjoy  in  the  angels,  or  each  other,  or  in  any 
thing  else  whatsoever,  that  will  yield  them  delight  and  happi- 
ness, will  be  what  shall  be  seen  of  God  in  them. 

2.  The  redeemed  have  all  their  inherent  good  in  God. 
Inherent  good  is  two-fold  ;  it  is  either  excellency  or  pleasure. 
These  the  redeemed  not  only  derive  from  God,  as  caused  by 
him,  but  have  them  in  him.  They  have  spiritual  excellency 
and  joy  by  a  kind  of  participation  of  God.  They  are  made 
excellent  by  a  communication  of  God's  excellency.  God  puts 
his  own  beauty,  i.  c.  his  beautiful  likeness,  upon  their  souls. 
They  are  made  partakers  of  the  divine  nature,  or  moral  image 
of  God,  2  Pet.  i.  4.     They  are  holy  by  being  made  partakers 


GOD  GLORIFIED  IN  MAN'S  DEPENDENCE.  ia7 

of  God's  holiness,  Heb.  xii.  10.  The  saints  are  beautiful  and 
blessed  by  a  communication  of  God's  holiness  and  joy,  as  the 
moon  and  planets  are  bright  by  the  sun's  light.  The  saint 
hath  spiritual  joy  and  pleasure  by  a  kind  of  effusion  of  God 
on  the  soul.  In  these  things  the  redeemed  have  communion 
with  God ;  that  is,  they  partake  with  him  and  of  him. 

The  saints  have  both  their  spiritual  excellency  and  blessed- 
ness by  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  his  dwelling  in  them. 
They  are  not  only  caused  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  but  are  in  him  as 
their  principle.     The  Holy  Spirit  becoming  an  inhabitant,  is  a 
vital  principle  in  the  soul.     He,  acting  in,  upon,  and  with  the 
soul,  becomes  a  fountain  of  true  holiness  and  joy,  as  a  spring 
is  of  water,  by  the  exertion  and  diffusion  of  itself.     John  iv.  14. 
"  But  whosoever  drinketh  of  the  water  that  I  shall  give  him, 
shall  never  thirst ;  but  the  water  that  I  shall  give  him,  shall  be 
in  him  a  well  of  water  springing  up  into  everlasting  life." 
Compared  with  chap.  vii.  38,  39.  "  He  that  believeth  on  me. 
as  the  scripture  hath  said,  out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of 
living  water ;  but  this  spake  he  of  the  Spirit,  which  they  that 
believe  on  him  should  receive."     The  sum  of  what  Christ  has 
purchased  for  us,  is  that  spring  of  water  spoken  of  in  the  for- 
mer of  those  places,  and  those  rivers  of  living  water  spoken  of 
in  the  latter.     And  the  sum  of  the  blessings,  which  the  redeem- 
ed shall  receive  in  heaven,  is  that  river  of  water  of  life  that 
proceeds  from  the  throne  of  God  and  the  Lamb,  Rev.  xxii.  L 
which  doubtless  signifies  the  same  with  those  rivers  of  living 
water,  explained  John  vii.  38,  39.  which  is  elsewhere  called  the 
"  river  of  God's  pleasures."     Herein  consists  the  fulness  of 
good,  which  the,  saints  receive  of  Christ.     It  is  by  partaking  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  that  they  have  communion  with  Christ  in  his 
fulness.     God  hath  given  the  Spirit,  not  by  measure  unto  him  ; 
and  they  do  receive  of  his  fulness,  and  grace  for  grace.     This 
is  the  sum  of  the  saints'  inheritance  ;  and  therefore  that  little 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  which  believers  have  in  this  world,  is  said 
to  be  the  earnest  of  their  inheritance,  2  Cor.  i.  22.     "  Who 
hath  also  sealed  us,  and  given  us  the  Spirit  in  our  hearts." 
And  chap.  v.  5.  "  Now  he  that  hath  wrought  us  for  the  self 
same  thing,  is  God,  who  also  hath  given  unto  us  the  earnest  of 
the  Spirit."     And  Eph.  i  13,  14.  "  Ye  were  sealed  with  that 
Holy  Spirit  of  promise,  which  is  the  earnest  of  our  inheritance, 
until  the  redemption  of  the  purchased  possession." 

The  Holy  Spirit  and  good  things  are  spoken  of  in  scripture 
as  the  same  ;  as  if  the  Spirit  of  God  communicated  to  the  soul, 
comprised  all  good  things.  Matt.  vii.  11.  "  How  much  more 
shall  your  heavenly  Father  give  good  things  to  them  that  ask 
him  ?"  In  Luke  it  is,  chap.  xi.  13.  "  How  much  more  shall 
your  heavenly  Father  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask 
him  7"     This  is  the  sum  of  the  blessings  that  Christ,  died  to 


158  GOD  GLORIFIED  IN    MAN'S    DEPENDENCE. 

procure,  and  the  subject  of  gospel-promises.  Gal.  iii.  13,  14. 
"  He  was  made  a  curse  for  us,  that  we  might  receive  the  pro- 
mise of  the  Spirit  through  faith."  The  Spirit  of  God  is  the 
great  promise  of  the  Father.  Luke  xxiv.  49.  "  Behold,  I  send 
the  promise  of  my  Father  upon  you."  The  Spirit  of  God 
therefore  is  called  "  the  Spirit  of  promise  ;"  Eph.  i.  33.  This 
promised  thing  Christ  received,  and  had  given  into  his  hand, 
as  soon  as  he  had  finished  the  work  of  our  redemption,  to 
bestow  on  all  that  he  had  redeemed  ;  Acts  ii.  13.  "  Therefore 
being  by  the  right  hand  of  God  exalted,  and  having  received  of 
the  Father  the  promise  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  hath  shed  forth 
this,  which  ye  both  see  and  hear."  So  that  all  the  holiness 
and  happiness  of  the  redeemed  is  in  God.  It  is  in  the  com- 
munications, indwelling,  and  acting  of  the  Spirit  of  God. 
Holiness  and  happiness  are  in  the  fruit,  here  and  hereafter, 
because  God  dwells  in  them,  and  they  in  God. 

Thus  God  has  given  us  the  Redeemer,  and  it  is  by  him  that 
our  good  is  purchased.  So  God  is  the  Redeemer  and  the 
price  ;  and  he  also  is  the  good  purchased.  So  that  all  that  we 
nave  is  of  God,  and  through  him,  and  in  him.  Rom.  xi.  36. 
"  For  of  him,  and  through  him,  and  to  him,  (or  in  him,)  are 
all  things."  The  same  in  the  Greek  that  is  here  rendered  to 
him,  is  rendered  in  him,  1  Cor.  viii.  6. 

IT.  God  is  glorified  in  the  work  of  redemption  by  this 
means,  viz.  By  there  being  so  great  and  universal  a  depen- 
dence of  the  redeemed  on  him. 

1.  Man  hath  so  much  the  greater  occasion  and  obligation 
to  notice  and  acknowledge  God's  perfections  and  all-sufficiency. 
The  greater  the  creature's  dependence  is  on  God's  perfections, 
and  the  greater  concern  he  has  with  them,  so  much  the 
greater  occasion  he  has  to  take  notice  of  them.  So  much  the 
greater  concern  any  one  has  with  and  dependence  upon  the 
power  and  grace  of  God,  so  much  the  greater  occasion  has  he 
to  take  notice  of  that  power  and  grace.  So  much  the  greater 
and  more  immediate  dependence  there  is  on  the  divine  holi- 
ness, so  much  the  greater  occasion  to  take  notice  of  and  ac- 
knowledge that.  So  much  the  greater  and  more  absolute 
dependence  we  have  on  the  divine  perfections,  as  belonging 
to  the  several  persons  of  the  Trinity,  so  much  the  greater 
occasion  have  we  to  observe  and  own  the  divine  glory  of  each 
of  them.  That  which  we  are  most  concerned  with,  is  surely 
most  in  the  way  of  our  observation  and  notice ;  and  this  kind 
of  concern  with  any  thing,  viz.  dependence,  does  especially 
tend  to  command  and  oblige  the  attention  and  observation. 
Those  things  that  we  are  not  much  dependent  upon,  it  is  easy 
to  neglect ;  but  we  can  scarce  do  any  other  than  mind  that 
which  we  have  a  great  dependrnco  on.     By  reason  of  our  so 


GOD  uLuRlFIED   IN   MAN'S   DEPENDENCE.  lo9 

great  dependence  on  God,  and  his  perfections  and  in  so  many 
respects,  he  and  his  glory  are  the  more  directly  set  in  our  view, 
which  way  soever  we  turn  our  eyes. 

We  have  the  greater  occasion  to  take  notice  of  God's 
all-sufficiency,  when  all  our  sufficiency  is  thus  every  way  of 
him.  We  have  the  more  occasion  to  contemplate  him  as  an 
infinite  good,  and  as  the  fountain  of  all  good.  Such  a  de- 
pendence on  God  demonstrates  his  all-sufficiency.  So  much 
as  the  dependence  of  the  creature  is  on  God,  so  much  the 
greater  does  the  creature's  emptiness  in  himself  appear ;  and 
so  much  the  greater  the  creature's  emptiness,  so  much  the 
greater  must  the  fulness  of  the  being  be  who  supplies  him. 
Our  having  all  of  God,  shows  the  fulness  of  his  power  and 
grace ;  our  having  all  through  him,  shows  the  fulness  of  his 
merit  and  worthiness  :  and  our  having  all  in  him,  demonstrates 
his  fulness  of  beauty,  love,  and  happiness.  And  the  redeemed, 
by  reason  of  the  greatness  of  their  dependence  on  God,  have 
not  only  so  much  the  greater  occasion,  but  obligation  to  con- 
template and  acknowledge  the  glory  and  fulness  of  God. 
How  unreasonable  and  ungrateful  should  we  be,  if  we  did  not 
acknowledge  that  sufficiency  and  glory  which  we  absolutely, 
immediately,  and  universally  depend  upon  ! 

%  Hereby  is  demonstrated  how  great  God's  glory  is  consider- 
ed comparatively,  or  as  compared  with  the  creature's. — By 
the  creature  being  thus  wholly  and  universally  dependent  on 
God,  it  appears  that  the  creature  is  nothing,  and  that  God  is  alh 
Hereby  it  appears  that  God  is  infinitely  above  us  ;  that  God's 
strength,  and  wisdom,  and  holiness,  are  infinitely  greater  than 
ours.  However  great  and  glorious  the  creature  apprehends 
God  to  be,  yet  if  he  be  not  sensible  of  the  difference  between 
God  and  him,  so  as  to  see  that  God's  glory  is  great,  compared 
with  his  own,  he  will  not  be  disposed  to  give  God  the  glory 
due  to  his  name.  If  the  creature  in  any  respects  sets  himself 
upon  a  level  with  God,  or  exalts  himself  to  any  competition 
with  him,  however  he  may  apprehend  that  great  honour  and 
profound  respect  may  belong  to  God  from  those  that  are  at  a 
greater  distance,  he  will  not  be  so  sensible  of  its  being  due 
from  him.  So  much  the  more  men  exalt  themselves,  so  much 
the  less  will  they  surely  be  disposed  to  exalt  God.  It  is  cer- 
tainly what  God  aims  at  in  the  disposition  of  things  in  redemp- 
tion, (if  we  allow  the  scriptures  to  be  a  revelation  of  God's 
mind,)  that  God  should  appear  full,  and  man  in  himself  empty, 
that  God  should  appear  all,  and  man  nothing.  It  is  God's  de- 
clared design  that  others  should  not  "  glory  in  his  presence  ;" 
which  implies  that  it  is  his  design  to  advance  his  own  compara- 
tive glory.  So  much  the  more  man  "  glories  in  God's  pre- 
sence,"  so  much  the  less  glory  is  ascribed  to  God. 

3.  By  its  being  thus  ordered,  that  the  creature  should  have 


160  GOD  GLOKIFIED  IN  MAN'S  DEPENDENCE. 

so  absolute  and  universal  a  dependence  on  God,  provision  is 
made  that  God  should  have  our  whole  souls,  and  should  be  the 
object  of  our  undivided  respect.  If  we  had  our  dependence 
partly  on  God,  and  partly  on  something  else,  man's  respect 
would  be  divided  to  those  different  things  on  which  he  had 
dependence.  Thus  it  would  be  if  we  depended  on  God  only 
for  a  part  of  our  good,  and  on  ourselves,  or  some  other  being, 
for  another  part:  Or,  if  we  had  our  good  only  from  God,  and 
through  another  that  was  not  God,  and  in  something  else  dis- 
tinct from  both,  our  hearts  would  be  divided  between  the 
good  itself  and  him  from  whom,  and  him  through  whom 
we  received  it.  But  now  there  is  no  occasion  for  this,  God 
being  not  only  he  from  or  of  whom  we  have  all  good,  but  also 
through  whom,  and  is  that  good  itself,  that  we  have  from  him 
and  through  him.  So  that  whatsoever  there  is  to  attract  our 
respect,  the  tendency  is  still  directly  towards  God,  all  unites  in 
him  as  the  centre. 


USE. 

1.  We  may  here  observe  the  marvellous  wisdom  of  God,  in 
the  work  of  redemption.  God  hath  made  man's  emptiness 
and  misery,  his  low,  lost  and  ruined  state,  into  which  he  sunk 
by  the  fall,  an  occasion  of  the  greater  advancement  of  his  own 
glory,  as  in  other  ways,  so  particularly  in  this,  that  there  is 
now  much  more  universal  and  apparent  dependence  of  man 
on  God.  Though  God  be  pleased  to  lift  man  out  of  that  dis- 
mal abyss  of  sin  and  wo  into  which  he  has  fallen,  and  exceed- 
ingly to  exalt  him  in  excellency  and  honour,  and  to  a  high 
pitch  of  glory  and  blessedness,  yet  the  creature  hath  nothing 
in  any  respect  to  glory  of;  all  the  glory  evidently  belongs  to 
God,  all  is  in  a  mere,  and  most  absolute,  and  divine  depen- 
dence on  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost.  And  each  person 
of  the  Trinity  is  equally  glorified  in  this  work  :  There  is  an 
absolute  dependence  of  the  creature  on  every  one  for  all  :  All 
is  of  the  Father,  all  through  the  Son,  and  all  in  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Thus  God  appears  in  the  work  of  redemption  as  all 
in  all.  It  is  fit  that  he  who  is,  and  there  is  none  else,  should 
be  the  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  first  and  the  last,  the  all  and  the 
only,  in  this  work. 

2.  Hence  those  doctrines  and  schemes  of  divinity  that  are 
in  any  respect  opposite  to  such  an  absolute  and  universal  de- 
pendence on  God,  derogate  from  his  glory,  and  thwart  the 
design  of  our  redemption.  And  such  are  those  schemes  that 
put  the  creature  in  God's  stead,  in  any  of  the  mentioned  res- 
pects, that  exalt  man  into  the  place  of  either  Father,  Son,  or 
Holy  Ghost,  in  any  thing  pertaining  to  our  redemption.     How 


L.UJJ   GLOUli'lEL)   IN    MAN'S    DEi'EJNDEM- K.  IGl 

ever  they  may  allow  of  a  dependence  of  the  redeemed  on  God, 
yet  they  deny  a  dependence  that  is  so  absolute  and  universal. 
They  own  an  entire  dependence  on  God  for  some  things,  but 
not  for  others  ;  they  own  that  we  depend  on  God  for  the  gift 
and  acceptance  of  a  Redeemer,  but  deny  so  absolute  a  depend- 
ence on  him  for  the  obtaining  of  an  interest  in  the  Redeemer. 
They  own  an  absolute  dependence  on  the  Father  for  giving  his 
Son,  and  on  the  Son  for  working  out  redemption,  but  not  so 
entire  a  dependence  on  the  Holy  Ghost  for  conversion,  and  a 
being  in  Christ,  and  so  coming  to  a  title  to  his  benefits.  They 
own  a  dependence  on  God  for  means  of  grace,  but  not  abso- 
lutely for  the  benefit  and  success  of  those  means  ;  a  partial 
dependence  on  the  power  of  God,  for  obtaining  and  exercising 
holiness,  but  not  a  mere  dependence  on  the  arbitrary  and  sove- 
reign grace  of  God.  They  own  a  dependence  on  the  free 
grace  of  God  for  a  reception  into  his  favour,  so  far  that  it  is 
without  any  proper  merit,  but  not  as  it  is  without  being 
attracted,  or  moved  with  any  excellency.  They  own  a  partial 
dependence  on  Christ,  as  he  through  whom  we  have  life,  as 
having  purchased  new  terms  of  life,  but  still  hold  that  the 
righteousness  through  which  we  have  life  is  inherent  in  our- 
selves, as  it  was  under  the  first  covenant.  Now  whatever 
scheme  is  inconsistent  with  our  entire  dependence  on  God  for 
all,  and  of  having  all  of  him,  through  him,  and  in  him,  it  is  re- 
pugnant to  the  design  and  tenor  of  the  gospel,  and  robs  it  of 
that  which  God  accounts  its  lustre  and  glory, 

3.  Hence  we  may  learn  a  reason  why  faith  is  that  by  which 
we  come  to  have  an  interest  in  this  redemption  ;  for  there  is 
included  in  the  nature  of  faith,  a  sensible  acknowledgment  of 
absolute  dependence  on  God  in  this  affair.  It  is  very  fit  that 
it  should  be  required  of  all,  in  order  to  their  having  the  bene- 
fit of  this  redemption,  that  they  should  be  sensible  of,  and 
acknowledge  their  dependence  on  God  for  it.  It  is  by  this 
means  that  God  hath  contrived  to  glorify  himself  in  redemp- 
tion ;  and  it  is  fit  that  he  should  at  least  have  this  glory  of 
those  that  are  the  subjects  of  this  redemption,  and  have  the 
benefit  of  it. — Faith  is  a  sensibleness  of  what  is  real  in  the 
work  of  redemption  ;  and  the  soul  that  believes  doth  entirely 
depend  on  God  for  all  salvation,  in  its  own  sense  and  act. 
Faith  abases  men,  and  exalts  God  ;  it  gives  all  the  glory  of 
redemption  to  him  alone.  It  is  necessary  in  order  to  saving 
faith,  that  man  should  be  emptied  of  himself,  be  sensible  that 
he  is  "  wretched,  and  miserable,  and  poor,  and  blind  and 
naked."  Humility  is  a  great  ingredient  of  tv-ae  faith  :  He 
that  truly  receives  redemption,  receives,  *fc  as  a  little  child, 
Mark  x:  15.  "  Whosoever  shall  not  receive  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  as  a  little  child,  he  shall  no*  enter  therein."  It  is  the 
delight  of  a  believing  soul  tA}  ab~aSe  itself  and  exalt  God  alone  • 
Vol,  VTT,  ^j 


.162  GOD  GLORIFIED  IN  MAN;S  DEPENDENCE, 

that  is  the  language  of  it,  Psalm  cxv.  1.  "  Not  unto  us,  O 
Lord,  not  unto  us,  but  to  thy  name  give  glory." 

4.  Let  us  be  ^exhorted  to  exalt  God  alone,  and  ascribe  to 
him  all  the  glory  of  redemption.  Let  us  endeavour  to  obtain, 
and  increase  in,  a  sensibleness  of  our  great  dependence  on 
God,  to  have  our  eye  on  him  alone,  to  mortify  a  self-depend- 
ent, and  self-righteous  disposition.  Man  is  naturally  exceed- 
ing prone  to  exalt  himself,  and  depend  on  his  own  power  or 
goodness ;  as  though  from  himself  he  must  expect  happiness. 
He  is  prone  to  have  respect  to  enjoyments  alien  from  God 
and  his  Spirit,  as  those  in  which  happiness  is  to  be  found. — 
But  this  doctrine  should  teach  us  to  exalt  God  alone  ;  as  by 
trust  and  reliance,  so  by  praise.  Let  him  that  glorieth,  glory 
in  the  Lord.  Hath  any  man  hope  that  he  is  converted,  and 
sanctified,  and  that  his  mind  is  endowed  with  true  excellency 
and  spiritual  beauty  ?  that  his  sins  are  forgiven,  and  he  re- 
ceived into  God's  favour,  and  exalted  to  the  honour  and  bless- 
edness of  being  his  child,  and  an  heir  of  eternal  life  ?  let  him 
give  God  all  the  glory  ;  who  alone  makes  him  to  differ  from 
the  worst  of  men  in  this  world,  or  the  most  miserable  of  the 
damned  in  hell.  Hath  any  man  much  comfort  and  strong 
hope  of  eternal  life  ?  let  not  his  hope  lift  him  up,  but  dispose 
him  the  more  to  abase  himself,  to  reflect  on  his  own  exceed- 
ing unworthiness  of  such  a  favour,  and  to  exalt  God  alone. 
Is  any  man  eminent  in  holiness,  and  abundant  in  good  works  ? 
let  him  take  nothing  of  the  glory  of  it  to  himself,  but  ascribe 
it  to  him  whose  "  workmanship  we  are,  created  in  Christ 
Jesus  unto  good  works." 


SERMON  VII. 


SINNERS  IN  THE  HANDS  OF  AN  ANORV  GOD 


Oeut.  xxxii.  35, 

—■Their  foot  shall  slide  in  due  iime.-*- 

In  this  verse  is  threatened  the  vengeance  of  God  on  the 
wicked  unbelieving  Israelites,  who  were  God's  visible  people, 
and  who  lived  under  the  means  of  grace ;  but  who,  notwith- 
standing all  God^s  wonderful  works  towards  them,  remained 
(as  ver.  28.)  void  of  counsel,  having  no  understanding  in  them. 
Under  all  the  cultivations  of  heaven,  they  brought  forth  bitter 
and  poisonous  fruit ;  as  in  the  two  verses  next  preceding  the 
text. — The  expression  I  have  chosen  for  my  text,  Their  foot 
shall  slide  in  due  time,  seems  to  imply  the  following  things, 
relating  to  the  punishment  and  destruction  to  which  these 
wicked  Israelites  were  exposed. 

1.  That  they  were  always  exposed  to  destruction  ;  as  one 
that  stands  or  walks  in  slippery  places  is  always  exposed 
to  fall.  This  is  implied  in  the  manner  of  their  destruction 
coming  upon  them,  being  represented  by  their  foot  sliding. 
The  same  is  expressed,  Psalm  Ixxiii.  18.  "  Surely  thou  didst 
set  them  in  slippery  places ;  thou  castedst  them  down  into 
destruction." 

2.  It  implies,  that  they  were  always  exposed  to  sudden 
unexpected  destruction.  As  he  that  walks  in  slippery  places  is 
every  moment  liable  to  fall,  he  cannot  foresee  one  moment 
whether  he  shall  stand  or  fall  the  next ;  and  when  he  does  fall, 
he  falls  at  once  without  warning  :  Which  is  also  expressed 
in  Psalm  Ixxiii.  18,  19.  "  Surely  thou  didst  set  them  in 
slippery  places ;  thou  castedst  them  down  into  destruction  : 
How  are  they  brought  into  desolation  as  in  a  moment !" 

*  Preached  at  Eufield,  July  H,  1741,  at  a  time  of  great  awakenings  :  and 
attended  wit.h  remarkably  impression?  no  many  of  ihp  hearer?. 


1(>J  SINNERS    IN    THE    HANDS    OF    AN    AN6KV    tiuti. 

3.  Another  thing  implied  is,  that  they  are  liable  to  fall  of 
themselves,  without  being  thrown  clown  by  the  hand  of  another ; 
as  he  that  stands  or  walks  on  slippery  ground  needs  nothing 
but  his  own  weight  to  throw  him  down. 

4.  That  the  reason  why  they  are  not  fallen  already,  and  do 
not  fall  now,  is  only  that  God's  appointed  time  is  not  come. 
For  it  is  said,  that  when  that  due  time,  or  appointed  time 
comes,  their  foot  shall  slide.  Then  they  shall  be  left  to  fall, 
as  they  are  inclined  by  their  own  weight.  God  will  not  hold 
them  up  in  these  slippery  places  any  longer,  but  will  let  them 
go  ;  and  then,  at  that  very  instant,  they  shall  fall  into  destruc- 
tion ;  as  he  that  stands  on  such  slippery  declining  ground,  on 
the  edge  of  a  pit,  he  cannot  stand  alone,  when  he  is  let  go  he 
immediately  falls  and  is  lost. 

The  observation  from  the  words  that  I  would  now  insist 
upon  is  this. — "  There  is  nothing  that  keeps  wicked  men  at 
any  one  moment  out  of  hell,  but  the  mere  pleasure  of  God  " 
— By  the  mere  pleasure  of  God,  I  mean  his  sovereign  pleasure, 
his  arbitrary  will,  restrained  by  no  obligation,  hindered  by  no 
manner  of  difficulty,  any  more  than  if  nothing  else  but  God's 
mere  will  had  in  the  least  degree,  or  in  any  respect  whatsoever, 
any  hand  in  the  preservation  of  wicked  men  one  moment. — 
The  truth  of  this  observation  may  appear  by  the  following 
considerations. 

1.  There  is  no  want  of  power  in  God  to  cast  wicked  men 
into  hell  at  any  moment.  Men's  hands  cannot  be  strong  when 
God  rises  up.  The  strongest  have  no  power  to  resist  him, 
nor  can  any  deliver  out  of  his  hands. — He  is  not  only  able  to 
cast  wicked  men  into  hell,  but  he  can  most  easily  do  it. 
Sometimes  an  earthly  prince  meets  with  a  great  deal  of  diffi- 
culty to  subdue  a  rebel,  who  has  found  means  to  fortify  himself, 
and  has  made  himself  strong  by  the  numbers  of  his  followers. 
But  it  is  not  so  with  God.  There  is  no  fortress  that  is  any  de- 
fence from  the  power  of  God.  Though  hand  join  in  hand, 
and  vast  multitudes  of  God's  enemies  combine  and  associate 
themselves,  they  are  easily  broken  in  pieces.  They  are  as  great 
heaps  of  light  chaff  before  the  whirlwind  ;  or  large  quantities 
of  dry  stubble  before  devouring  flames.  We  find  it  easy  to 
tread  on  and  crush  a  worm  that  we  see  crawling  on  the  earth  : 
so  it  is  easy  for  us  to  cut  or  singe  a  slender  thread  that  any  thing 
hangs  by  :  thus  easy  is  it  for  God,  when  he  pleases,  to  cast  his 
enemies  down  to  hell.  What  are  we,  that  we  should  think  to 
stand  before  him,  at  whose  rebuke  the  earth  trembles,  and 
before  whom  the  rocks  are  thrown  down? 

2.  They  deserve  to  be  cast  into  hell  ;  so  that  divine  justice 
never  stands  in  the  way,  it  makes  no  objection  against  God's 
using  his  power  at  any  moment  to  destroy  them.  Yea,  on  the 
contrary,  justice  calls  aloud  for  nn  infinite  punishment  of  thciv 


MNNER3    IN    THE    HANDS    OF    AN    ANGRY    GOD,  165 

sins.  Divine  justice  says  of  the  tree  that  brings  forth  such 
grapes  of  Sodom,  "Cut  it  down,  why  cumbereth  it  the 
ground  ?"  Luke  xiii.  7.  The  sword  of  divine  justice  is  every 
moment  brandished  over  their  heads,  and  it  is  nothing  but  the 
hand  of  arbitrary  mercy,  and  God's  mere  will,  that  holds  it  back. 
3.  They  are  already  under  a  sentence  of  condemnation  to 
hell.  They  do  not  only  justly  deserve  to  be  cast  down  thither, 
but  the  sentence  of  the  law  of  God,  that  eternal  and  immuta- 
ble rule  of  righteousness  that  God  has  fixed  between  him  and 
mankind,  is  gone  out  against  them,  and  stands  against  them ; 
so  that  they  are  bound  over  already  to  hell.  John  iii.  18.  "  He 
that  believeth  not  is  condemned  already."  So  that  every  un- 
converted man  properly  belongs  to  hell ;  that  is  his  place  ; 
from  thence  he  is,  John  viii.  '23.  "  Ye  are  from  beneath  :"  And 
thither  he  is  bound  ;  it  is  the  place  that  justice,  and  God's 
word,  and  the  sentence  of  his  unchangeable  law  assign  to 
him. 

4.  They  are  now  the  objects  of  that  very  same  anger  and 
wrath  of  God,  that  is  expressed  in  the  torments  of  hell.  And 
the  reason  why  they  do  not  go  down  to  hell  at  each  moment, 
is  not  because  God,  in  whose  power  they  are,  is  not  then  very 
angry  with  them  ;  as  he  is  with  many  miserable  creatures  now 
tormented  in  hell,  who  there  feel  and  bear  the  fierceness  of  his 
wrath.  Yea,  God  is  a  great  deal  more  angry  with  great  num- 
bers that  are  now  on  earth  :  yea,  doubtless,  with  many  that  are 
now  in  this  congregation,  who  it  may  be  are  at  ease,  than  he 
is  with  many  of  those  who  are  now  in  the  flames  of  hell. 

So  that  it  is  not  because  God  is  unmindful  of  their  wicked- 
ness, and  does  not  resent  it,  that  he  does  not  let  loose  his  hand 
and  cut  them  off.  God  is  not  altogether  such  an  one  as  them- 
selves, though  they  may  imagine  him  to  be  so.  The  wrath  of 
God  burns  against  them,  their  damnation  does  not  slumber ; 
the  pit  is  prepared,  the  fire  is  made  ready,  the  furnace  is  now 
hot,  ready  to  receive  them  ;  the  flames  do  now  rage  and  glow. 
The  glittering  sword  is  whet,  and  held  over  them,  and  the  pit 
hath  opened  its  mouth  under  them. 

5.  The  devil  stands  ready  to  fall  upon  them,  and  seize  them 
as  his  own,  at  what  moment  God  shall  permit  him.  They  be- 
long to  him;  he  has  their  souls  in  his  possession,  and  under  his 
dominion.  The  scripture  represents  them  as  his  goods,  Luke 
xi.  12.  The  devils  watch  them  ;  they  are  ever  by  them  at 
their  right  hand  ;  they  stand  waiting  for  them,  like  greedy 
hungry  lions  that  see  their  prey,  and  expect  to  have  it,  but  are 
for  the  present  kept  back.  If  God  should  withdraw  his  hand, 
by  which  they  are  restrained,  they  would  in  one  moment  fly 
upon  their  poor  souls.  The  old  serpent  is  gaping  for  them  ; 
hell  opens  its  mouth  wide  to  receive  them ;  and  if  God  should 
permit  it,  they  would  be  hastilv  swallowed  up  and  lost. 


L66  SINNERS    IN    THE    HANDS    OF    AN    ANGKV     GOD 

6.  There  are  in  the  souls  of  wicked  men  those  hellish  prin 
ciples  reigning,  that  would  presently  kindle  and  flame  out  into 
hell  fire,  if  it  were  not  for  God's  restraints.  There  is  laid  in 
the  very  nature  of  carnal  men.  a  foundation  for  the  torments 
of  hell.  There  are  those  corrupt  principles,  in  reigning  power 
in  them,  and  in  full  possession  of  them,  that  are  seeds  of 
hell  fire.  These  principles  are  active  and  powerful,  exceed- 
ing violent  in  their  nature,  and  if  it  were  not  for  the  restraining 
hand  of  God  upon  them,  they  would  soon  break  out,  they 
would  flame  out  after  the  same  manner  as  the  same  corrup- 
tions, the  same  enmity  does  in  the  hearts  of  damned  souls,  and 
would  beget  the  same  torments  as  they  do  in  them.  The 
souls  of  the  wicked  are  in  scripture  compared  to  the  troubled 
sea,  Isa.  lvii.  20.  For  the  present,  God  restrains  their  wicked- 
ness by  his  mighty  power,  as  he  does  the  raging  waves  of  the 
troubled  sea,  saying,  "  Hitherto  shalt  thou  come,  but  no  fur- 
ther ;M  but  if  God  should  withdraw  that  restraining  power,  it 
would  soon  carry  all  before  it.  Sin  is  the  ruin  and  misery  of 
the  soul  ;  it  is  destructive  in  its  nature  ;  and  if  God  should 
leave  it  without  restraint,  there  would  need  nothing  else  to 
make  the  soul  perfectly  miserable.  The  corruption  of  the  heart 
of  man  is  immoderate  and  boundless  in  its  fury ;  and  while 
wicked  men  live  here,  it  is  like  fire  pent  up  by  God's  re- 
straints, whereas  if  it  were  let  loose,  it  would  set  on  fire  the 
course  of  nature  ;  and  as  the  heart  is  now  a  sink  of  sin,  so  if  sin 
was  not  restrained,  it  would  immediately  turn  the  soul  into  a 
fiery   oven,  or   a  furnace  of  fire  and   brimstone. 

7.  It  is  no  security  to  wicked  men  for  one  moment,  that 
there  are  no  visible  means  of  death  at  hand.  It  is  no  security 
to  a  natural  man,  that  he  is  now  in  health,  and  that  he  does  not 
see  which  Way  he  should  now  immediately  go  out  of  the  world 
by  any  accident,  and  that  there  is  no  visible  danger  in  any 
respect  in  his  circumstances.  The  manifold  and  continual 
experience  of  the  world  in  all  ages,  shows  this  is  no  evidence, 
that  a  man  is  not  on  the  very  brink  of  eternity,  and  that  the 
next  step  will  not  be  into  another  world.  The  unseen,  un- 
thought-of  ways  and  means  of  persons  going  suddenly  out  of 
the  world  are  innumerable  and  inconceivable.  Unconverted 
men  walk  over  the  pit  of  hell  on  a  rotten  covering,  and  there 
are  innumerable  places  in  this  covering  so  weak  that  they  will 
not  bear  their  weight,  and  these  places  are  not  seen.  The  ar- 
rows of  death  fly  unseen  at  noon-day ;  the  sharpest  sight  can- 
not discern  them.  God  has  so  many  different  unsearchable 
ways  of  taking  wicked  men  Out  of  the  world  and  sending 
them  to  hell,  that  there  is  nothing  to  make  it  appear,  that  God 
had  need  to  be  at  the  expence  of  a  miracle,  or  go  out  of  the 
ordinary  course  of  his  providence,  to  destroy  any  wicked  man, 
at  anv  moment.    All  the  means  that  there  are  of  sinners  going 


SINNERS    IN    THE    HANDS    OF    AN    ANGRY    GOD.  167 

out  of  the  world,  are  so  in  God's  hands,  and  so  universally  and 
absolutely  subject  to  his  power  and  determination,  that  it  does 
not  depend  at  all  the  less  on  the  mere  will  of  God,  whether 
sinners  shall  at  any  moment  go  to  hell,  than  if  means  were 
never  made  use  of,  or  at  all  concerned  in  the  case. 

8.  Natural  men's  prudence  and  care  to  preserve  their  own 
lives,  or  the  care  of  others  to  preserve  them,  do  not  secure 
them  a  moment.  To  this,  divine  providence  and  universal 
experience  do  also  bear  testimony.  There  is  this  clear  evi- 
dence that  men's  own  wisdom  is  no  security  to  them  from 
death  ;  that  if  it  were  otherwise  we  should  see  some  difference 
between  the  wise  and  politic  men  of  the  world,  and  others, 
with  regard  to  their  liableness  to  early  and  unexpected  death : 
but  how  is  it  in  fact?  Eccles.  ii.  16.  "How  dieth  the  wise 
man  ?  even  as  the  fool. " 

9.  All  wicked  men's  pains  and  contrivance  which  they  use  to 
escape  hell,  while  they  continue  to  reject  Christ,  and  so  remain 
wicked  men,  do  not  secure  them  from  hell  one  moment.  Al- 
most every  natural  man  that  hears  of  hell,  flatters  himself  that 
he  shall  escape  it ;  he  depends  upon  himself  for  his  own  secu- 
rity ;  he  flatters  himself  in  what  he  has  done,  in  what  he  is  now 
doing,  or  what  he  intends  to  do.  Every  one  lays  out  matters 
in  his  own  mind  how  he  shall  avoid  damnation,  and  flatters 
himself  that  he  contrives  well  for  himself,  and  that  his  schemes 
will  not  fail.  They  hear  indeed  that  there  are  but  few  saved, 
and  that  the  greater  part  of  men  that  have  died  heretofore  are 
gone  to  hell ;  but  each  one  imagines  that  he  lays  out  matters 
better  for  his  own  escape  than  others  have  done.  He  does 
not  intend  to  come  to  that  place  of  torment ;  he  says  within 
himself,  that  he  intends  to  take  effectual  care,  and  to  order 
matters  so  for  himself  as  not  to  fail. 

But  the  foolish  children  of  men  miserably  delude  themselves 
in  their  own  schemes,  and  in  confidence  in  their  own  strength 
and  wisdom  ;  they  trust  to  nothing  but  a  shadow.  The  greater 
part  of  those  who  heretofore  have  lived  under  the  same  means  of 
grace,  and  are  now  dead,  are  undoubtedly  gone  to  hell ;  and  it 
was  not  because  they  were  not  as  wise  as  those  who  are  now 
alive  :  it  was  not  because  they  did  not  lay  out  matters  as  well  for 
themselves  to  secure  their  own  escape.  If  we  could  speak  with 
them,  and  inquire  of  them,  one  by  one,  whether  they  expected, 
when  alive,  and  when  they  used  to  hear  about  hell,  ever  to  be 
the  subjects  of  that  misery  :  we  doutless,  should  hear  one  and 
another  reply, "  No,  I  never  intended  to  come  here  :  I  had 
laid  out  matters  otherwise  in  my  mind ;  I  thought  I  should 
contrive  well  for  myself:  1  thought  my  scheme  good.  I  in- 
tended to  take  effectual  care ;  but  it  came  upon  me  unex- 
pected ;  I  did  not  look  for  it  at  that  time,  and  in  that  manner  : 
it.  came  as  a  thief:  Death  outwitted  me  :  God's  wrath  was  too 


168  SINNERS    IN    THE    HANDS    OF    AN    ANtiRY    GOD. 

quick  for  me.  Oh,  my  cursed  foolishness !  I  was  flattering 
myself,  and  pleasing  myself  with  vain  dreams  of  what  I  would 
do  hereafter ;  and  when  I  was  saying,  Peace  and  safety,  then 
suddenly  destruction  came  upon  me." 

10.  God  has  laid  himself  under  no  obligation,  by  any  pro- 
mise to  keep  any  natural  man  out  of  hell  one  moment.  God 
certainly  has  made  no  promisee  either  of  eternal  life,  or  of  any 
deliverance  or  preservation  from  eternal  death,  but  what  are 
contained  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  the  promises  that  are  given 
in  Christ,  in  whom  all  the  promises  are  yea  and  amen.  But 
surely  they  have  no  interest  in  the  promises  of  the  covenant  of 
grace  who  are  not  the  children  of  the  covenant,  who  do  not 
believe  in  any  of  the  promises,  and  have  no  interest  in  the  Me- 
diator of  the  covenant. 

So  that,  whatever  some  have  imagined  and  pretended  about 
promises  made  to  natural  men's  earnest  seeking  and  knocking, 
it  is  plain  and  manifest,  that  whatever  pains  a  natural  man 
takes  in  religion,  whatever  prayers  he  makes,  till  he  believes  in 
Christ,  God  is  under  no  manner  of  obligation  to  keep  him  a 
moment  from  eternal  destruction. 

So  that,  thus  it  is  that  natural  men  are  held  in  the  hand  of 
God,  over  the  pit  of  hell ;  they  have  deserved  the  fiery  pit,  and 
are  already  sentenced  to  it ;  and  God  is  dreadfully  provoked, 
his  anger  is  as  great  towards  them  as  to  those  that  are  actually 
suffering  the  executions  of  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath  in  hell, 
and  they  have  done  nothing  in  the  least  to  appease  or  abate 
that  anger,  neither  is  God  in  the  least  bound  by  any  promise 
to  hoid  them  up  one  moment  ;  the  devil  is  waiting  for  them,  hell 
is  gaping  for  them,  the  flames  gather  and  flash  about  them, 
and  would  fain  lay  hold  on  them,  and  swallow  them  up  ;  the 
fire  bent  up  in  their  own  hearts  is  struggling  to  break  out :  and 
they  have  no  interest  in  any  Mediator,  there  are  no  means 
within  reach  that  can  be  any  security  to  them.  In  short,  they 
have  no  refuge,  nothing  to  take  hold  of;  all  that  preserves  them 
every  moment  is  the  mere  arbitrary  will,  and  uncovenanted, 
unobliaed  forbearance  of  an  incensed  God. 


APPLICATION. 

The  use  of  this  awful  subject  may  be  for  awakening  uncon- 
verted persons  in  this  congregation.  This  that  you  have  heard 
is  the  case  of  every  one  of  you  that  are  out  of  Chrjst. — That 
world  'of  misery,  that  lake  of  burning  brimstone,  is  extended 
abroad  under  you.  There  is  the  dreadful  pit  of  the  glowing 
flames  of  the  wrath  of  God  ;  there  is  hell's  wide  gaping  mouth 
open;  and  you  have  nothing  to  stand  upon,  nor  any  thing  to 
take  hold  of:  the're  is  nothing  between  you  and  hell  but:  tlv 


§INNE»S   IN   THK   HANDS  Ok'  AN  ANCiKV  GOL>.  169 

air ;  it  is  only  the  power  and  mere  pleasure  of  God  that  holds 
you  up. 

You  probably  are  not  sensible  of  this  ;  you  find  you  are 
kept  out  of  hell,  but  do  not  see  the  hand  of  God  in  it;  but 
look  at  other  things,  as  the  good  state  of  your  bodiiy  constitu- 
tion, your  care  of  your  own  life,  and  the  means  you  use  for 
your  own  preservation.  But  indeed  these  things  are  nothing ; 
if  God  should  withdraw  his  hand,  they  would  avail  no  more  to 
keep  you  from  falling,  than  the  thin  air  to  hold  up  a  person 
that  is  suspended  in  it. 

Your  wickedness  makes  you  as  it  were  heavy  as  lead,  and  to 
tend  downwards  with  great  weight  and  pressure  towards  hell  ; 
and  if  God  should  let  you  go,  you  would  immediately  sink 
and  swiftly  descend  and  plunge  into  the  bottomless  gulf,  and 
your  healthy  constitution,  and  your  own  care  and  prudence,  and 
best  contrivance,  and  all  your  righteousness,  would  have  no 
more  influence  to  uphold  you  and  keep  you  out  of  hell,  than 
a  spider's  web  would  have  to  stop  a  fallen  rock.  Were  it 
not  for  the  sovereign  pleasure  of  God,  the  earth  would  not 
bear  you  one  moment ;  for  you  are  a  burden  to  it ;  the  creation 
groans  with  you ;  the  creature  is  made  subject  to  the  bondage 
of  your  corruption,  not  willingly ;  the  sun  does  not  willingly 
shine  upon  you  to  give  you  light  to  serve  sin  and  Satan  ;  the 
earth  does  not  willingly  yield  her  increase  to  satisfy  your  lusts ; 
nor  is  it  willingly  a  stage  for  your  wickedness  to  be  acted  upon  ; 
the  air  does  not  willingly  serve  you  for  breath  to  maintain  the 
flame  of  life  in  your  vitals,  while  you  spend  your  life  in  the 
service  of  God's  enemies.  God's  creatures  are  good,  and  were 
made  for  men  to  serve  God  with,  and  do  not  willingly  sub- 
serve to  any  other  purpose,  and  groan  when  they  are  abused 
to  purposes  so  directly  contrary  to  their  nature  and  end.  And 
the  world  would  spew  you  out,  were  it  not  for  the  sovereign 
hand  of  him  who  hath  subjected  it  in  hope.  There  are  black 
clouds  of  God's  wrath  now  hanging  directly  over  your  heads, 
full  of  the  dreadful  storm,  and  big  with  thunder;  and  were  it 
not  for  the  restraining  hand  of  God,  it  would  immediately 
burst  forth  upon  you.  The  sovereign  pleasure  of  God,  for 
the  present,  stays  his  rough  wind  ;  otherwise  it  would  come 
with  fury,  and  your  destruction  would  come  like  a  whirlwind, 
and  you  would  be  like  the  chaff  of  the  summer  threshing- 
floor. 

The  wrath  of  God  is  like  great  waters  that  are  dammed  for 
the  present ;  they  increase  more  and  more,  and  rise  higher  and 
higher,  till  an  outlet  is  given  ;  and  the  longer  the  stream  is 
stopped,  the  more  rapid  and  mighty  is  its  course,  when  once  it 
is  let  looose.  It  is  true,  that  judgment  against  your  evil 
works  has  not  been  executed  hitherto ;  the  floods  of  God's 
vengeance  have  been  withheld  ;  but  your  guilt  in  tho  mean 
Vol.  VII.  22. 


170  S1NJMEKS   IN   THE  HANDi  Of  AN  ANGRY  OOV, 

time  is  constantly  increasing,  and  you  are  every  day  treasuring 
up  more  wrath ;  the  waters  are  constantly  rising,  and  waxing 
more  and  more  mighty  ;  and  there  is  nothing  but  the  mere 
pleasure  of  God,  that  holds  the  waters  back,  that  are  unwilling 
to  be  stopped,  and  press  hard  to  go  forward.  If  God  should 
only  withdraw  his  hand  from  the  flood-gate,  it  would  immedi- 
ately fly  open,  and  the  fiery  floods  of  the  fierceness  and  wrath 
of  God,  would  rush  forth  with  inconceivable  fury,  and  would 
come  upon  you  with  omnipotent  power ;  and  if  your  strength 
were  ten  thousand  times  greater  than  it  is,  yea,  ten  thousand 
times  greater  than  the  strength  of  the  stoutest,  sturdiest  devil 
in  hell,  it  would  be  nothing  to  withstand  or  endure  it. 

The  bow  of  God's  wrath  is  bent,  and  the  arrow  made  ready 
on  the  string,  and  justice  bends  the  arrow  at  your  heart,  and 
strains  the  bow,  and  it  is  nothing  but  the  mere  pleasure  of 
God,  and  that  of  an  angry  God,  without  any  promise  or  obli- 
gation at  all,  that  keeps  the  arrow  one  moment  from  being 
made  drunk  with  your  blood.  Thus  all  you  that  never  passed 
under  a  great  change  of  heart,  by  the  mighty  power  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  upon  your  souls  ;  all  you  that  were  never  born 
again,  and  made  new  creatures,  and  raised  from  being  dead  in 
sin,  to  a  state  of  new,  and  before  altogether  unexperienced 
light  and  life,  are  in  the  hands  of  an  angry  God.  However 
you  may  have  reformed  your  life  in  many  things,  and  may 
have  had  religious  affections,  and  may  keep  up  a  form  of 
religion  in  your  families  and  closets,  and  in  the  house  of  God, 
it  is  nothing  but  his  mere  pleasure  that  keeps  you  from  being 
this  moment  swallowed  up  in  everlasting  destruction.  How- 
ever unconvinced  you  may  now  be  of  the  truth  of  what  you 
hear,  by  and  by  you  wilj  be  fully  convinced  of  it.  Those  that 
are  gone  from  being  in  the  like  circumstances  with  you,  sec 
that  it  was  so  with  them  ;  for  destruction  came  suddenly  upon 
most  of  them  ;  when  they  expected  nothing  of  it,  and  while 
they  were  saying,  Peace  and  safety  :  now  they  see,  that  those 
things  on  which  they  depended  for  peace  and  safety,  were 
nothing  but  thin  air  and  empty  shadows. 

The  God  that  holds  you  over  the  pit  of  hell,  much  as  one 
holds  a  spider,  or  some  loathsome  insect  over  the  fire,  abhors 
you,  and  is  dreadfully  provoked  :  his  wrath  towards  you  burns 
like  fire  ;  he  looks  upon  you  as  worthy  of  nothing  else,  but  to 
be  cast  into  the  fire  ;  he  is  of  purer  eyes  than  to  bear  to  have 
you  in  his  sight ;  you  are  ten  thousand  times  more  abominable 
in  his  eyes,  than  the  most  hateful  venomous  serpent  is  in  ours. 
You  have  offended  him  infinitely  more  than  ever  a  stubborn 
rebel  did  his  prince  ;  and  yet  it  is  nothing  but  his  hand  that  holds 
you  from  falling  into  the  fire  every  moment.  It  is  to  be  as- 
cribed to  nothing  else,  that  you  did  not  go  to  hell  the  last 
nJLrht :  that  you  was  suffered  ^o  awake  again   in  this  world. 


SINNERS  IN  THE  HANDS  OF  AN  ANGRY  GOD.        171 

after  you  closed  your  eyes  to  sleep.  And  there  is  no  other 
reason  to  be  given,  why  you  have  not  dropped  into  hell  since 
you  arose  in  the  morning,  but  that  God's  hand  has  held  you  up. 
There  is  no  other  reason  to  be  given  why  you  have  not  gone 
to  hell,  since  you  have  sat  here  in  the  house  of  God,  jgrovoking 
his  pure  eyes  by  your  sinful  wicked  manner  of  attending  his 
solemn  worship. "7  Yea,  there  is  nothing  else  that  is  to  be  given 
as  a  reason  why  you  do  not  this  very  moment  drop  down  into 
hell. 

O  sinner !  Consider  the  fearful  danger  you  are  in  :  it  is  a 
great  furnace  of  wrath,  a  wide  and  bottomless  pit,  full  of  the 
fire  of  wrath,  that  you  are  held  over  in  the  hand  of  that  God, 
whose  wrath  is  provoked  and  incensed  as  much  against  you, 
as  against  many  of  the  damned  in  hell.  You  hang  by  a 
slender  thread,  with  the  flames  of  divine  wrath  flashing  about 
it,  and  ready  every  moment  to  singe  it,  and  burn  it.  asunder  ; 
and  you  have  no  interest  in  any  Mediator,  and  nothing  to  lay 
hold  of  to  save  yourself,  nothing  to  keep  off"  the  flames  of 
wrath,  nothing  of  your  own,  nothing  that  you  ever  have  done, 
nothing  that  you  can  do,  to  induce  God  to  spare  you  one 
moment. — And  consider  here  more  particularly, 

1.  Whose  wrath  it  is  :  it  is  the  wrath  of  the  infinite  God. 
If  it  were  only  the  wrath  of  man,  though  it  were  of  the  most 
potent  prince,  it  would  be  comparatively  little  to  be  regarded. 
The  wrath  of  kings  is  very  much  dreaded,  especially  of  abso- 
lute monarchs,  who  have  the  possessions  and  lives  of  their 
subjects  wholly  in  their  power,  to  be  disposed  of  at  their  mere 
will.  Prov.  xx.  2.  "  The  fear  of  a  king  is  as  the  roaring  of 
a  lion  :  Whoso  provoketh  him  to  anger,  sinneth  against  his 
own  soul."  The  subject  that  very  much  enrages  an  arbitrary 
prince,  is  liable  to  suffer  the  most  extreme  torments  that 
human  art  can  invent,  or  human  power  can  inflict.  But  the 
greatest  earthly  potentates  in  their  greatest  majesty  and 
strength,  and  when  clothed  in  their  greatest  terrors,  are  but 
feeble,  despicable  worms  of  the  dust,  in  comparison  of  the 
great  and  almighty  Creator  and  King  of  heaven  and  earth. 
It  is  but  little  that  they  can  do,  when  most  enraged,  and  when 
they  have  exerted  the  utmost  of  their  fury.  All  the  kings  of 
the  earth,  before  God,  are  as  grasshoppers;  they  are  nothing, 
and  less  than  nothing  :  both  their  love  and  their  hatred  is  to 
be  despised.  The  wrath  of  the  great  King  of  kings,  is  as  much 
more  terrible  than  theirs,  as  his  majesty  is  greater.  Luke 
xii.  4,  5.  "  And  I  say  unto  you,  my  friends,  Be  not  afraid  of 
them  that  kill  the  body,  and  after  that,  have  no  more  that  they 
can  do.  But  I  will  forewarn  you  whom  you  shall  fear  :  fear 
him,  which  after  he  hath  killed,  hath  power  in  east  into  hell  ; 
yen.  I  say  unto  you,  Fear  him.*' 


172  SINKERS  IN   THE  HANDS  OF  AN  ANGRY  fiOD. 

2.  It  is  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath  that  you  arc  exposed  to. 
We  often  read  of  the  fury  of  God  ;  as  in  Isaiah  lix.  18.      "    Ac- 
cording to  their  deeds,  accordingly  he  will  repay  fury  to  his 
adversaries.1'     So   Isaiah  Ixvi.    15.     "For    behold,    the   Lord 
will  come  with  fire,  and  with  his  chariots  like  a  whirlwind,  to 
render  his  anger  with  fury,  and  his  rebuke  with  flames  of  fire." 
And  in  many  other  places.     So,  Rev.  xix.  15.  we  read  of  "  the 
wine  press   of  the   fierceness  and  wrath    of  Almighty  God." 
The  words  are  exceeding  terrible.     If  it  had  only  been  said, 
"  the  wrath  of  God,"  the  words  would  have  implied  that  which 
is  infinitely  dreadful  :  but  it  is  "  the  fierceness  and  wrath  of 
God."     The  fury  of  God  !  the  fierceness  of  Jehovah  !  Oh,  how 
dreadful  must  that  be  !     Who  can  utter  or  conceive  what  such 
expressions  carry  in  them  !     But  it  is  also  "  the  fierceness  and 
wrath  of  Almighty  God."     As  though  there  would  be  a  very 
great  manifestation  of  his  almighty  power  in  what  the  fierce- 
ness of  his  wrath  should  inflict,  as  though  omnipotence  should 
be  as  it  were  enraged,  and  exerted,  as  men  are  wont  to  exert, 
their  strength  in  the  fierceness  of  their  wrath.     Oh  !  then,  what 
will  be    the  consequence  !     What  will    become  of  the   poor 
worms    that  shall  suffer  it  !      Wliose   hands   can  be   strong  ? 
And  whose  heart  can  endure  ?     To  what  a  dreadful,  inexpress- 
ible, inconceivable  depth  of  misery  must  the  poor  creature  be 
sunk  who  shall  be  the  subject  of  this  ! 

Consider  this,  you  that  are  here  present,  that  yet  remain  in 
an  unregenerate  state.  That  God  will  execute  the  fierceness 
of  his  anger,  implies,  that  he  will  inflict  wrath  without  any  pity. 
When  God  beholds  the  ineffable  extremity  of  your  case,  and 
sees  your  torment  to  be  so  vastly  disproportioned  to  your 
strength,  and  sees  how  your  poor  soul  is  crushed,  and  sinks 
down,  as  it  were,  into  an  infinite  gloom  ;  he  will  have  no  com- 
passion upon  you,  he  will  not  forbear  the  executions  of  his 
wrath,  or  in  the  least  lighten  his  hand  ;  there  shall  be  no  mode- 
ration or  mercy,  nor  will  God  then  at  all  stay  his  rough  w  ind  : 
lie  will  have  no  regard  to  your  welfare,  nor  be  at  all  careful 
lest  you  should  suffer  too  much  in  any  other  sense,  than  only 
that  you  shall  not  suffer  beyond  what  strict  justice  requires. 
Nothing  shall  be  withheld,  because  it  is  so  hard  for  you  to 
bear.  Ezek.  viii.  IS.  "Therefore  will  I  also  deal  in  fury: 
mine  eye  shall  not  spare,  neither  will  I  have  pity ;  and  though 
they  cry  in  mine  ears  with  a  loud  voice,  yet  I  will  not  hear 
them."  Now  God  stands  ready  to  pity  you ;  this  is  a  day  of 
mercy  ;  you  may  cry  now  with  some  encouragement  of  obtain- 
ing mercy.  But  when  once  the  day  of  mercy  is  oast,  your 
most  lamentable  and  dolorous  cries  and  shrieks  will  be  in  vain  ; 
you  will  be  wholly  lost  and  thrown  away  of  God,  as  to  any  re- 
gard to  your  welfare.  God  will  have  no  other  use  to  put  you 
to.  but  to  suffer  misery  :  yon  shall  be  continued  in  beinsr  to  ho 


SINNERS  IN  THE  HANDS  OF  AN  ANGRY  GOD.         I'o 

other  end  ;  for  you  will  be  a  vessel  of  wrath  fitted  to  destruc- 
tion ;  and  there  will  be  no  other  use  of  this  vessel,  but  to  be 
filled  full  of  wrath.  God  will  be  so  far  from  pitying  you  when 
you  cry  to  him,  that  it  is  said  he  will  only  "  laugh  and  mock,'1 
Prov.  i.  25,  "26,  &c. 

How  awful  are  those  words,  Isa.  Ixiii.  3,  which  are  the  words 
of  the  great  God.  "  I  will  tread  them  in  mine  anger,  and  will 
trample  them  in  my  fury,  and  their  blood  shall  be  sprinkled 
upon  my  garments,  and  [  will  stain  all  my  raiment.  It  is  per- 
haps impossible  to  conceive  of  words  that  carry  in  them  greater 
manifestations  of  these  three  things,  viz.  contempt,  and  hatred, 
and  fierceness  of  indignation.  If  you  cry  to  God  to  pity  you,  he 
will  be  so  far  from  pitying  you  in  your  doleful  case,  or  showing 
you  the  least  regard  or  favour,  that  instead  of  that,  he  will 
only  tread  you  under  foot.  And  though  he  will  know  that 
you  cannot  bear  the  weight  of  omnipotence  treading  upon 
you,  yet  he  will  not  regard  that,  but  he  will  crush  you  under 
his  feet  without  mercy  ;  he  will  crush  out  your  blood,  and  make 
it  fly,  and  it  shall  be  sprinkled  on  his  garments,  so  as  to  stain 
all  his  raiment.  He  will  not  only  hate  you,  but  he  will  have 
you,  in  the  utmost  contempt  :  no  place  shall  be  thought  fit  for 
you,  but  under  his  feet  to  be  trodden  down  as  the  mire  of  the 
streets. 

3.  The  misery  you  are  exposed  to  is  that  which  God  will 
inflict  to  that  end,  that  he  might  show  what  that  wrath  of 
Jehovah  is.  God  hath  had  it  on  his  heart  to  show  to  angels 
and  men,  both  how  excellent  his  love  is,  and  also  how  terrible 
his  wrath  is.  Sometimes  earthly  kings  have  a  mind  to  show 
how  terrible  their  wrath  is,  by  the  extreme  punishments  they 
would  execute  on  those  that  would  provoke  them.  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, that  mighty  and  haughty  monarch  of  the  Chaldean 
empire,  was  willing  to  show  his  wrath  when  enraged  with 
Shadrach,  Meshech,  and  Abednego  ;  and  accordingly  gave 
orders  that  the  burning  fiery  furnace  should  be  heated  seven 
times  hotter  than  it  was  before ;  doubtless,  it  was  raised  to  the 
utmost  degree  of  fierceness  that  human  art  could  raise  it.  But 
the  great  God  is  also  willing  to  show  his  wrath,  and  magnify 
his  awful  majesty  and  mighty  power  in  the  extreme  sufferings 
of  his  enemies.  Rom.  ix.  22.  "  What  if  God,  willing  to  show 
his  wrath,  and  to  make  his  power  known,  endure  with  much 
long-suffering  the  vessels  of  wrath  fitted  to  destruction  V  And 
seeing  this  is  his  design,  and  what  he  has  determined,  even  to 
show  how  terrible  the  unrestrained  wrath,  the  fury  and  fierce- 
ness of  Jehovah  is,  he  will  do  it  to  effect.  There  will  be  some- 
thing accomplished  and  brought  to  pass  that  will  be  dreadful 
with  a  witness.  When  the  great  and  angry  God  hath  risen  up 
and  executed  his  awful  vengeance  on  the  poor  sinner,  and  the 
wretch  is  actually  suffering  the  infinite  weight  and  power  of  his 


174  SINNERS  IN  THE  HANDS  OF  AN  ANGRY  GOD. 

indignation,  then  will  God  call  upon  the  whole  universe  to  be- 
hold that  awful  majesty  and  mighty  power  that  is  to  be  seen 
in  it.  Isa.  xxxiii.  1*2 — 14.  "And  the  people  shall  be  as  the 
burnings  of  lime,  as  thorns  cut  up  shall  they  be  burnt  in  the 
fire.  Hear  ye  that  are  far  off,  what  1  have  done  ;  and  ye  that 
are  near,  acknowledge  my  might.  The  sinners  in  Zion  are 
afraid  ;  fearfulness  hath  surprised  the  hypocrites,'1  &c. 

Thus  it  will  be  with  you  that  are  in  an  unconverted  state,  if 
you  continue  in  it ;  the  infinite  might,  and  majesty,  and  terri- 
bleness  of  the  omnipotent  God  shall  be  magnified  upon  you, 
in  the  ineffable  strength  of  your  torments.  You  shall  be  tor- 
mented in  the  presence  of  the  holy  angels,  and  in  the  presence 
of  the  Lamb  ;  and  when  you  shall  be  in  this  state  of  suffering, 
the  glorious  inhabitants  of  heaven  shall  go  forth  and  look 
on  the  awful  spectacle,  that  they  may  see  what  the  wrath  and 
fierceness  of  the  Almighty  is  ;  and  when  they  have  seen  it,  they 
will  fall  down  and  adore  that  great  power  and  majesty.  Isa. 
lxvi.  '23,  24.  "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  from  one  new 
moon  to  another,  and  from  one  sabbath  to  another,  shall  all 
flesh  come  to  worship  before  me,  saith  the  Lord.  And  they 
shall  go  forth  and  look  upon  the  carcasses  of  the  men  that  have 
transgressed  against  me ;  for  their  worm  shall  not  die,  neither 
shall  their  fire  be  quenched,  and  they  shall  be  an  abhorring 
unto  all  flesh." 

4.  It  is  everlasting  wrath.  It  would  be  dreadful  to  suffer 
this  fierceness  and  wrath  of  Almighty  God  one  moment ;  but 
you  must  suffer  it  to  all  eternity.  There  will  be  no  end  to  this 
exquisite  horrible  misery.  When  you  look  forward,  you  shall 
see  a  long  for  ever,  a  boundless  duration  before  you,  which  will 
swallow  up  your  thoughts,  and  amaze  your  soul  ;  and  you  will 
absolutely  despair  of  ever  having  any  deliverance,  any  end,  any 
mitigation,  any  rest  at  all.  You  will  know  certainly  that  you 
must  wear  out  long  ages,  millions  of  millions  of  ages,  in  wrest- 
ling and  conflicting  with  this  almighty  merciless  vengeance  : 
and  then  when  you  have  so  done,  when  so  many  ages  have 
actually  been  spent  by  you  in  this  manner,  you  will  know- 
that  all  is  but  a  point  to  what  remains.  So  that  your  punish- 
ment will  indeed  be  infinite.  Oh,  who  can  express  what  the 
state  of  a  soul  in  such  circumstances  is  !  All  that  we  can  pos- 
sibly say  about  it,  gives  but  a  very  feeble,  faint  representation 
of  it :  it  is  inexpressible  and  inconceivable  :  For  "  who  knows 
the  power  of  God's  anger?" 

How  dreadful  is  the  state  of  those  that  are  daily  and  hourly 
in  the  danger  of  this  great  wrath  and  infinite  misery  !  But  this 
is  the  dismal  case  of  every  soul  in  this  congregation  that  has 
not  been  born  again,  however  moral  and  strict,  sober  and  re- 
ligious, they  may  otherwise  be.     Oh  that  vou  would  consider 


MAN'KKs  IN  THE  HANDS  OF    AN  ANGRY  GOD.  170 

it  whether  you  be  young  or  old !     There  is  reason  to  think, 
that  there  are  many  in  this  congregation  now  hearing  this  dis- 
course, that  will  actually  be  the  subjects  of  this  very  misery  to 
all  eternity.     We  know  not  who  they  are,  or  in  what  seats  they 
sit,  or  what  thoughts  they  now  have.     It  may  be  they  are  now 
at  ease,  and  hear  all  these  things  without  much  disturbance, 
and  are  now  flattering  themselves  that  they  are  not  the  persons, 
promising   themselves  that  they  shall   escape.     If  we   knew 
that  there  was  one  person,  and  but  one,  in  the  whole  congre- 
gation, that  was  to  be  the  subject  of  this  misery,  what  an  awful 
thing  would  it  be  to  think  of!     If  we  knew  who  it  was,  what 
an  awful  sight  would  it  be  to  see  such  a  person  !     How  might 
all  the  rest  of  the  congregation  lift  up  a  lamentable  and  bitter 
cry  over  him  !     But,  alas  !  instead  of  one,  how  manv  is  it  likely 
will  remember  this   discourse    in    hell?     And   it  would   be  a 
wonder,  if  some  that  are  now  present  should  not  be  in  hell  in 
a  very  short  time,  even  before  this  year  is  out.     And  it  would 
be  no  wonder  if  some  persons,  that  now  sit  here,  in  some  seats 
of  this  meeting-house,  in  health,  quiet  and  secure,  should  be 
there  before  to-morrow  morning.     Those  of  you  that  finally 
continue  in  a  natural  condition,  that  shall   keep  out  of  hell 
longest  will  be  there  in  a  little  time  !  your  damnation  does  not 
slumber ;  it  will  come  swiftly,  and,  in  all  probability,  very  sud- 
denly upon  many  of  you.     You  have  reason    to  wonder  that 
you  are  not  already  in  hell.     It  is  doubtless  the  case  of  some 
whom  you  have  seen  and  known,  that  never  deserved  hell  more 
than  you,  and  that  heretofore  appeared  as  likely  to  have  been 
now  alive  as  you.     Their  case  is  past  all  hope  ;  they  are  cry- 
ing in  extreme  misery  and  perfect  despair  ;  but  here  you  are  in 
the  land  of  the  living  and  in  the  house  of  God,  and  have  an 
opportunity  to  obtain  salvation.     What  would  not  those  poor 
damned  hopeless  souls  give  for  one  day's  opportunity  such  as 
you  now  enjoy  ! 

And  now  you  have  an  extraordinary  opportunity,  a  day 
wherein  Christ  has  thrown  the  door  of  mercy  wide  open,  and 
stands  in  calling  and  crying  with  a  loud  voice  to  poor  sinners  ; 
a  day  wherein  many  are  flocking  to  him,  and  pressing  into  the 
kingdom  of  God.  Many  are  daily  coining  from  the  east,  west, 
north  and  south  ;  many  that  were  very  lately  in  the  same  mi- 
serable condition  that  you  are  in,  are  now  in  a  happy  state, 
with  their  hearts  filled  with  love  to  him  who  has  loved  them, 
and  washed  them  from  their  sins  in  his  own  blood,  and  rejoic- 
ing in  hope  of  the  glory  of  God.  How  awlul  is  it  to  be  left 
behind  at  such  a  day  !  To  see  so  many  others  feasting,  while 
you  are  pining  and  perishing  !  To  see  so  many  rejoicing  and 
singing  for  joy  of  heart,  while  you  have  cause  to  mourn  for 
sorrow  of  heart,  and  howl  for  vexation  of  spirit !  How  can 
you  rest  one  moment  in  such  a  condition  ?  Are  not  your  soul' 


176  SINNERS   IN    THE  HANOS   OF  AN  ANGRY   GOLi. 

as  precious  as  the  souls  of  the  people  at  Suffield,*  where  they 
are  nocking  from  day  to  day  to  Christ? 

Are  there  not  many  here  who  have  lived  long  in  the  world, 
and  are  not  to  this  day  born  again  ?  and  so  are  aliens  from  the 
commonwealth  of  Israel,  and  have  done  nothing  ever  since 
they  have  lived,  but  treasure  up  wrath  against  the  day  of 
wrath?  Oh,  sirs,  your  case,  in  an  especial  manner,  is  extremely 
dangerous.  Your  guilt  and  hardness  of  heart  is  extremely 
great.  Do  you  not  see  how  generally  persons  of  your  years 
are  passed  over  and  left,  in  the  present  remarkable  and  won- 
derful dispensation  of  God's  mercy  ?  You  had  need  to  con- 
sider yourselves,  and  awake  thoroughly  out  of  sleep.  You 
cannot  bear  the  fierceness  and  wrath  of  the  infinite  God. — And 
you,  young  men,  and  y^unj^  women,  will  you  neglect  this 
precious  season  which  you  now  enjoyTwhen  so  many  others  of 
your  age  are  renouncing  all  youthful  vanities,  and  flocking  to 
Christ?  You  especially  have  now  an  extraordinary  opportu- 
nity ;  but  if  you  neglect  it,  it  will  soon  be  with  you  as  with 
those  persons  who  spent  all  the  precious  days  of  youth  in  sin, 
and  are  now  come  to  such  a  dreadful  pass  in  blindness  and 
hardness. — And  you,  children,  who  are  unconverted,  do  not 
you  know  that  you  are  going  down  to  hell,  to  bear  the  dread- 
ful wrath  of  that  God,  who  is  now  angry  with  you  every  day 
and  every  night  ?  Will  you  be  content  to  be  the  children  of 
the  devil,  when  so  many  other  children  in  the  land  are  con- 
verted, and  are  become  the  holy  and  happy  children  of  the 
King  of  kings  ? 

And  let  every  one  that  is  yet  ,of  Christ,  and  hanging  over 
the  pit  of  hell,  whether  they  be  old  men  and  women,  or  mid- 
dle aged,  or  young  people,  or  little  children,  now  hearken  to 
the  loud  calls  of  God's  word  and  providence.  This  accept- 
able year  of  the  Lord,  a  day  of  such  great  favours  to  some, 
will  doubtless  be  a  day  of  as  remarkable  vengeance  to  others. 
Men's  hearts  harden,  and  their  guilt  increases  apace  at  such  a 
day  as  this,  if  they  neglect  their  souls  ;  and  never  was  there  so 
great  danger  of  such  persons  being  given  up  to  hardness  of 
heart  and  blindness  of  mind.  God  seems  now  to  be  hastily 
gathering  in  his  elect  in  all  parts  of  the  land  ;  and  probably 
the  greater  part  of  adult  persons  that  ever  shali  be  saved,  will 
be  brought  in  now  in  a  little  time,  and  that  it  will  be  as  it  was 
on  the  great  out-pouring  of  the  Spirit  upon  the  Jews  in  the 
apostles'  days  ;  the  election  will  obtain,  and  the  rest  will  be 
blinded.  If  this  should  be  the  case  with  you,  you  will  eter- 
nally curse  this  clay,  and  will  curse  the  day  that  ever  you  was 
born,  to  see  such  a  season  of  the  pouring  out  of  God's  Spirit, 
and  will  wish  that  you  had  died  and  gone  to  hell  before  you 

*  A  town  in  the  neighbourhood. 


DINNERS  IN  THE-  HANDS  OF  AN  ANGRY  GOD.  177 

had  seen  it.  Now  undoubtedly  it  is,  as  it  was  in  the  days  of 
John  the  Baptist,  the  axe  is  in  an  extraordinary  manner  laid  at 
the  root  of  the  trees,  that  every  tree  which  brings  not  forth 
good  fruit,  may  be  hewn  down  and  cast  into  the  fire. 

Therefore,  let  every  one  that  is  out  of  Christ,  now  awake 
and  fly  from  the  wrath  to  come.  The  wrath  of  Almighty  God 
is  now  undoubtedly  hanging  over  a  great  part  of  this  congre- 
gation :  Let  every  one  fly  out  of  Sodom:  "  Haste  and  escape 
for  your  lives,  look  not  behind  you,  escape  to  the  mountain, 
lest  you  be  consumed." 


Vol.  VII,  23 


StiRMOtf  VIII.' 


THE 

WATCHM  AJVS  DUTY  AND  ACCOUNT* 


Heb.  xiii.    17, 
They  watch  for  your  souls,  as  they  that  must  give  account  - 

After  the  Apostle  had  in  this  epistle  particularly  and 
largely  insisted  on  the  great  doctrines  of  the  gospel  relating 
to  the  person,  priesthood,  sacrificeT  exaltation  and  intercession 
of  Christ,  and  the  nature,  privileges  and  benefits  of  the  new- 
dispensation  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  as  answering  to  the 
types  of  the  Old  Testament ;  He  improves  all  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  epistle  to  enforce  christian  duties  and  holy  practice;. 
as  his  manner  is  in  most  of  his  epistles.  And  after  he  had 
recommended  other  duti*^  to  the  christia»  Hebrezvsr  in  this 
verse  he  gives  them  counsel  with  regard  to  their  duty  towards 
those  that  were  set  over  them  in  ecclesiastical  authority  ;  Obey 
them  that  have  the  rule  over  youy  and  submit  yourselves. — By 
them  that  had  the  rule  over  them,  the  Apostle  means  their  ec- 
clesiastical rulers,  and  particularly  their  ministers  and  pastors 
that  preached  the  word  of  God  to  them  ;  as  is  evident  by 
verse  7.  Remember  them  that  have  the  rule  over  you,  ivho 
have  spoken  unto  you  the  word  of  God  :  and  also  by  the  words 
of  the  text,  that  immediately  follow  in  the  same  verse,  in  which 
the  employment  of  those  that  have  the  rule  over  themr  that 
they  are  to  obey  and  submit  to,  is  represented.  Concerning 
which  may  be  observed, 

1.  What  it  was  their  pastors  were  conversant  about,  in  the 
employment  they  were  charged  with,  viz.  the  souls  of  men. 
The  employments  that  many  others  were  engaged  in  were 
about  the  bodies  of  men  ;  so  it  is  with  almost  all  the  particular 
callings  that  mankind  do  follow ;  they  are  in  one  respect  or 
other  to  provide  for  men's  bodies,  or  to  furthur  their  temporal 

*  Preached  at  the  Ordination  of  the  Reverend  Mr.  Jonathan  Judd,  to  the 
Pastoral  Office  over  the  Church  of  Christ,  in  the  New  Precinct  at  Northamp- 
ton, June  8,  1743. 


THE    WATCHMAN'S    DUTY   AND    ACCOUNT.  179 

interests  ;  as  the  business  of  husbandmen,  sailors,  merchants, 
physicians,  attorneys,  and  civil  officers  and  rulers,  and  the  innu- 
merable trades  and  mechanical  arts  that  are  practised  and 
pursued  by  the  children  of  men  :  but  the  work  of  the  ministry 
is  about  the  soul,  that  part  of  man  that  is  immortal,  and  made 
and  designed  for  a  state  of  inconceivable  blessedness,  or  ex- 
treme and  unutterable  torments  throughout  all  eternity,  and 
therefore  infinitely  precious;  and  is  that  part  of  man  in  which 
the  great  distinction  lies  between  man  and  all  the  other  innu- 
merable kinds  of  creatures  in  this  lower  world,  and  by  which 
he  is  vastly  dignilied  above  them;  it  is  such  beings  as  these  that 
the  work  of  the  ministry  is  immediately  conversant  about. 

2.  How  ministers  in  the  business  they  have  to  attend  are  to 
be  employed  about  men's  souls,  they  are  to  watch  for  them  ; 
which  implies  that  they  are  committed  to  their  care  to  keep, 
that  they  may  be  so  taken  care  of  that  they  may  not  be  lost, 
?}ut  eternally  saved. 

3.  A  grand  argument  to  induce  and  oblige  them  to  faithful- 
ness in  this  employment,  they  must  give  account ;  i.  e.  they  must 
give  an  account  to  him  that  committed  those  souls  to  their 
care,  of  the  souls  they  were  betrusted  with,  and  of  the  care 
they  have  taken  of  them. 

Therefore  that  we  may  the  better  understand  the  nature  of 
that  work  of  a  minister  of  the  gospel  and  pastor  of  a  church,  and 
the  grand  inducement  to  faithfulness  in  it,  spoken  of  in  the 
text,  and  know  the  better  what  improvement  we  ought  to  make 
of  these  things,  I  would 

f.  Show  that  ministers  of  the  gospel  have  the  souls  of  men  com- 
mitted to  their  care  by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
II.  I  would  show  to  what  purpose  Christ  thus  commits  the  pre- 
cious souls  of  men  to  the  care  of  ministers. 

HI.  That  the  way  in  which  Christ  expects  that  ministers  should 
seek  that  these  purposes  may  be  obtained,  with  respect  to 
the  souls  committed  to  them,  is  by  watching  for  them. 

IV.  I  would  observe,  how  when  the  time  of  their  employment 
is  at  an  end,  they  must  give  an  account  to  him  that  commit- 
ted the  care  of  these  souls  unto  them. 
And  then  make  application  of  the  whole. 

I .  Ministers  of  the  gospel  have  the  precious  and  immortal  souls 
of  men  committed  to  their  care  and  trust  by  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

The  souls  of  men  are  his ;  he  is  the  creator  of  them  :  God 
created  all  things  by  Jesus  Christ.  He  created  not  only  the 
material  world,  but  also  those  things  that  are  immaterial  and 
invisible,  as  angels  and  the  souls  of  men.  Col.  i.  16.  For  by 
him  were  all  thinsrs  created  that  arr  in  heaven,  and  that  arc  in 


180  the  Watchman's  duty  and  accoun-i. 

earth,  visible  and  invisible  ;  whether  they  be  thrones  or  domi- 
nions, or  principalities,  or  poioers  ;  all  things  were  created  by 
him  and  for  him. 

God  is  the  creator  of  men  in  both  soul  and  body ;  but  their 
souls  are  in  a  special  and  more  immediate  manner  his  workman- 
ship, wherein  less  use  is  made  of  second  causes,  instruments  or 
means,  or  any  thing  pre-existent.     The  bodies  of  men,  though 
they  are  indeed  God's  work,  yet  they  are  formed  by  him  in  a  way 
of  propagation  from  their  natural  parents,  and  the  substance 
of  which  they  are  constituted  is   matter  that  was    pre-exist- 
ent ;  but  the  souls  of  men  are  by  God's  immediate  creation  and 
infusion,  being  in  no  part  communicated  from  earthly  parents, 
nor  formed  out  of  any  matter  or  principles  existing  before.  The 
Apostle  observes  the  difference,  and  speaks  of  earthly  fathers 
as  being  fathers  of  our  flesh,  or  our  bodies  only,  but  of  God  as 
being  the  father  of  our  spirits.     Heb.  xii.  9.  Furthermore  we 
have  had  fathers  of  our  flesh,  which  corrected  us,  and  we  gave 
them  reverence ;  shall  we  not  much   rather  be  in  subjection  to 
the  Father  of  spirits  and  live  ?  Therefore  God  is  once  and  again 
called  the  God  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh,Numb,  xvi.  22.  and  chap, 
xxvii.  16.    And  in  Eccl   xii.  7.     God  is  represented  as  having 
immediately  given  or  implanted  the  soul,  as  in  that  respect  dif- 
fering from  the  body,  that  is  of  pre-existent  matter  ;  Then  shall 
the  dust  return  to  the  earth  as  it  was,  and  the  spirit  shall  return 
unto  God  who  gave  it.     And  it  is  mentioned  in  Zech.  xii.  1.  as 
one  of  God's  glorious  prerogatives,  that  he  is  he  that  formeth 
the  spirit  of  man  within  him.     And  indeed  the  soul  of  man  is  by 
far  the  greatest  and  most  glorious  piece  of  divine  workmanship, 
of  all  the  creatures  on  this  lower  creation.  And  therefore  it  was 
the  more  meet  that,  however  second  causes  should  be  impro- 
ved, in  the  production  of  meaner  creatures  ;  yet  this,  which  is 
the  chief  and  most  noble  of  all,  and  the  crown  and  end  of  all 
the  rest,  should  be  reserved  to  be  the  more  immediate  work  of 
God's  own  hands,  and  display  of  his  power,  and  to  be  commu- 
nicated directly  from  him,  without  the  intervention  of  instru- 
ments, of  honouring  second  causes  so  much  as  to  improve  them 
in  bringing  to  pass  so  noble  an  effect.     It  is  observable  that 
even  in  the  first  creation  of  man,  when  his  body  was  formed 
immediately  by  God,  not  in  a  course  of  nature,  or  in  the  way 
of  natural  propagation  ;  yet  the  soul  is  represented  as  being  in 
a  higher,  more  direct  and  immediate  manner  from  God,  and  so 
communicated  that  God  did  therein  as  it  were  communicate 
something  of  himself:    The   Lord  God  formed  man  (i.  e.  his 
body)  of  the  dust  of  the  ground,  (a  mean  and  vile  original)  and 
breathed  into  his  nostrils  the  breath  of  life ;  (whereby  something 
was  communicated  from  an  infinitely  higher  source,  even  God's 
own  living  spirit  or  divine  vital  fullness)  and  so  man  became  a 
living  smd. 


THE  WATCHMAN'S  DUTY  AND  ACCOUN'I.  181 

The  souls  of  men  being  thus  in  a  special  manner  from  God, 
God  is  represented  as  having  a  special   propriety  in  them, 
Ezek.  xviii.  4.    Behold  all  souls  are  mine  :   As  the  soul  of  the 
father,  so  also  the  soul  of  the  son  is  mine. 

And  as  the  souls  of  men  are  more  directly  from  God,  by  the 
more  special  and  immediate  exercise  of  his  divine  power  as  a 
creator,  and  are  what  he  challenges  as  his  by  a  special  propri- 
ety, and  are  the  most  noble  part  ot  the  lower  creation,  and  arc 
infinitely  distinguished  from  all  other  creatures  here  below  in 
that  they  are  immortal  beings ;  so  they  are,  above  all  other 
creatures  which  God  hath  made  in  this  world,  the  subjects  of 
God's  care  and  special  providence. 

Divines  are  wont  to  distinguish  between  God's  common  and 
special  providence.  His  common  providence  is  that  which  he 
exercises  towards  all  his  creatures)  rational  and  irrational,  ani- 
mate and  inanimate,  in  preserving  them,  and  disposing  of  them 
by  his  mighty  power,  and  according  to  his  sovereign  pleasure. 
His  special  providence  is  that  which  he  exercises  towards  his 
intelligent  rational  creatures,  as  moral  agents :  of  which  sort 
are  mankind  alone,  of  all  the  innumerable  kinds  of  creatures 
in  this  lower  world  :  and  in  a  special  manner  the  souls  of  men  ; 
for  in  them  only  is  immediately  seated  reason  and  intelligence, 
and  a  capacity  of  moral  agency  :  and  therefore  they  in  a  pecu- 
liar manner  are  the  subjects  of  God's  special  providence  that 
he  exercises  in  this  lower  world.  And  it  is  to  be  observed  that 
God's  common  providence  is  subordinated  to  his  special  pro- 
vidence ;  and  all  things  in  this  world  are  governed  and  disposed 
of  in  subordination  to  the  great  ends  God  has  to  obtain  with 
respect  to  the  souls  of  men.  And  it  is  further  to  be  observed, 
that  as  the  creation  of  the  world  was  committed  to  the  Son  of 
God  by  the  Father,  so  is  the  government  of  it ;  and  in  a  pe- 
culiar manner  the  affairs  of  God's  special  providence,  are  left 
in  his  hands ;  and  so  the  souls  of  men,  that  are  the  peculiar 
subjects  of  his  special  providence,  are  committed  to  his  care ; 
and  more  especially  such  souls  as  are  of  Christ's  visible  king- 
dom or  church,  which  is  often  in  the  scripture  represented  as 
the  field  and  vineyard  that  he  is  the  owner  of,  and  has  taken 
the  care  of. — And  what  Christ's  value  is  for  men's  souls  appears 
by  what  he  has  done  and  suffered  for  them. 

But  these  souls  that  Christ  has  made,  and  that  are  commit- 
ted into  his  hands  of  the  Father,  and  that  are  so  precious  in  his 
account,  he  commits  to  the  care  of  ministers.  There  is  a  cer- 
tain order  of  men  that  are  so  dignified  and  honoured  by  him, 
as  to  have  so  great  a  trust  reposed  in  them.  He,  as  it  were, 
brings  those  souls  as  an  infinitely  precious  treasure,  and  com- 
mits them  to  them  to  take  care  of;  as  a  prince  commits  his 
treasure,  his  jewels,  and  most  precious  things  into  the  hands  of 
one  of  the  dignified  servants  of  his  household  :  or  as  the  father 


182  the  watchman's  duty  and  account. 

of  a  family,  when  he  goes  a  journey  into  a  far  country,  leaves 
his  family  to  the  care  of  a  steward. 

I  come  now  in  the 
2d  place,  to  inquire  to  what  purpose  Christ  commits  the  pre- 
cious souls  of  men  to  the  care  of  ministers. 
I  answer  in  two  things, 

1.  He  commits  men's  souls  to  ministers  to  keep  and  take 
care  of  them  for  him,  that  by  their  means  they  may  answer  their 
end  in  glorifying  him.  God  has  made  all  things  for  himself,  he 
has  created  them  for  his  glory  ;  but  more  especially  those  crea- 
tures that  he  has  endued  with  understanding,  as  he  has  done 
the  souls  of  men  :  it  is  by  them  that  God  has  his  glory  from  all 
his  creatures,  as  they  are  the  eye  of  the  creation  to  behold  the 
glory  of  God  manifested  in  the  other  creatures,  and  the  mouth 
of  the  creation  to  praise  him  and  ascribe  to  him  the  glory  that 
is  displayed  in  them.  The  other  creatures  glorify  God  passively 
and  eventually,  as  God  glorifies  himself  in  them,  as  they  are 
the  subjects  of  the  exercise  of  his  power  and  wisdom  in  their 
creation  and  preservation,  and  in  those  events  that  are  brought 
to  pass  in  his  disposal  of  them.  Thus  God  glorifies  himself  in 
his  works  that  are  manifest  in  the  irrational  and  inanimate  cre- 
ation, in  the  view  of  his  rational  creatures  that  he  has  made  ca- 
pable of  beholding  and  admiring  them,  and  adoring,  loving 
and  praising  him  for  them  :  But  they  only  are  capable  of  glo- 
rifying him  actively  and  immediately ;  therefore  all  the  other 
creatures  do,  as  it  were,  bring  their  tribute  of  glory  to  them, 
through  their  hands,  to  be  offered  to  their  Creator.  And  there- 
fore the  souls  of  men  are  beings  that,  with  regard  to  the  glory 
of  God,  the  great  end  of  all  things,  are  of  immensely  greater 
importance  than  all  other  creatures  in  this  lower  world.  But 
these,  with  respect  to  this  their  great  end,  are  committed  to 
the  care  and  keeping  of  ministers ;  and  therefore  Christ  has 
furnished  them  with  proper  means  to  bring  them  to  this  end  ; 
he  has  given  them  all  needful  instructions  ;  they  have  a  perfect 
rule  and  directory  to  guide  them  in  this  great  affair ;  and  has 
enjoined  them  the  duties  they  are  to  perform  in  their  office  in 
every  particular,  and  the  manner  in  which  they  are  to  perform 
these  duties,  in  the  charge  which  he  has  left  them  ;  and  has  fur- 
nished them  with  all  needful  helps  for  the  instruction  of  those 
souls  that  are  committed  to  them,  to  lead  them  to  answer  their 
great  end,  in  duly  glorifying  their  Creator ;  and  all  proper  means 
for  the  exciting  and  engaging  them  to  attend  to,  and  follow 
those  instructions,  as  also  means  for  their  help  and  assistance 
in  it,  that  they  may  do  it  the  more  easily  and  effectually. 

2.  They  are  committed  to  their  care  and  keeping  that  they 
may  not  be  eternally  lost,  but  may  have  everlasting  life.  These 
souls,  as  I  observed  before,  are  immortal  and  made  for  eternitv ; 


THE   WATCHMAN'S  DUTY  AND  ACCOUNT.  l&J 

they  are  set  in  this  world  between  two  opposite  eternal  states, 
the  one  a  state  of  exceeding  and  eternal  glory  and  blessedness, 
the  other  a  state  of  unutterable  and  unalterable  misery  :  and  as 
they  are  by  nature  they  are  liable  to  either ;  by  their  original 
guilt  and  corruption  they  are  exposed  to  perish  forever,  in  to- 
tal and  perfect  destruction  and  misery  :  but  Christ,  from  his 
knowledge  of  the  infinite  worth  of  souls,  and  his  great  compas- 
sion and  love  to  them,  has,  by  his  own  precious  blond,  made 
way  for  their  escape,  and  at  this  infinite  expense,  has  procured 
unspeakable  exaltation  and  perfect  blessedness  for  them  in 
heaven  to  all  eternity  ;  which  by  this  means  they  have  opportu- 
nity  to  obtain.     But  yet  it  remains  uncertain  what  will  become 
of  them,  until  Christ's  redemption  be  applied  to  them,  or  they 
are  actually  cast  into  hell ;  there  is  an  opportunity  given,  a  time 
of  probation,  until  the  great  and  unalterable  event  shall  deter- 
mine one  way  or  the  other.     In  the  mean  time  there  is  a  space 
for  the  use  of  means,  and  the  exercise  of  care,  prudence  and 
diligence  for  our  own  souls  and  the  souls  of  others;  that  they 
may  not  fail  of  the  grace  of  God,  but  may  escape  that  infinitely 
dreadful  destruction  that  they  are  naturally  in  danger  of,  and 
may  indeed  obtain  that  infinite  privilege  of  eternal  life,  that  is 
offered  through  the  purchase  of  Jesus  Christ.  And  now  in  this 
grand  affair,  and  to  this  great  purpose  of  an  escape  from  eter- 
nal misery,  and  the  obtaining  everlasting  glory,  Christ  has 
committed  the  precious  souls  of  men  to  the  care  of  ministers ; 
that  by  their  means  they  may  have  the  benefit  of  his  redemp- 
tion, and  might  obtain  that  which  he  has  suffered  so  much  to 
procure.     Christ  knew  that  notwithstanding  all  that  he  had 
done  to  procure  life  for  souls,  they  would  need  much  care  to 
be  taken  of  them,  and  many  means  to  be  used  with  them,  in 
order  to  their  being  indeed  preserved  from  eternally  perishing, 
and  actually  brought  to  the  possession  of  life  :  and  therefore  he 
has  appointed  a  certain  order  of  men,  whose  whole  business  it 
might  be  to  take  care  of  immortal  souls  ;  and  into  their  hands 
has  committed  these  souls,  and  has  betrusted  them  with  the 
ordinances  of  his  house,  and  means  that  he  has  provided  for 
their  salvation  ;  that  nothing  might  be  wanting  that  they  need 
for  their  furniture  for  this  great  business ;   he  has  as  it  were 
committed  to  them  his  goods,  and  has  given  them  in  some  re- 
spects the  keys  of  his  stores  and  treasury  ;  to  them  are  commit- 
ted the  oracles  of  God  and  treasure  of  the  gospel.  2.  Cor.  iv.  7. 
We  have  this  treasure  in  earthen  vessels.  And  Chap.  v.  18.  19. 
And  all  things  are  of  Gody  who  hath  reconciled  us  to  himself  by 
Jesus  Christ  ;  and  hath  given  to  us  the  ministry  of  reconcilia- 
tion^ to  wit,  that  God  was  in  Christ  reconciling  the  world  unto 
himself  not  imputing  their  trespasses  unto  them,  and  hath  com- 
mitted, to  ns  the  work  of  reconciliation, 


184  the  watchman's  duty  and  account. 

And  as  the  word  of  God,  so  the  sacraments  that  he  has  ap- 
pointed, and  the  discipline  of  his  house,  he  has  committed  to 
them,  to  be  administered  by  them  ;  and  has  subjected  the  souls 
themselves  that  they  have  the  care  of  to  them,  as  far  as  is  ne- 
cessary to  put  them  under  the  greatest  advantage  effectually  to 
care  for  their  salvation,  and  has  left  a  charge  to  their  people  to 
obey  them  and  submit  themselves,  as  in  the  verse  of  my  text. 

I  now  proceed 
III.  To  observe,  that  the  way  in  which  he  who  has  committed 
souls  to  ministers,  expects  they  should  seek  that  these  purposes 
may  be  obtained  with  respect  to  them,  is  by  watching  for  them. 

Though  great  things  have  been  done  by  Christ  to  make  way 
for  the  salvation  of  those  precious  souls,  and  although  Christ 
has  furnished  ministers  with  all  proper  means  to  keep  them  ; 
yet  they  are  in  such  circumstances  in  this  world,  that  there  is 
need  of  the  exercise  of  great  watchfulness,  and  the  utmost 
care  and  diligence,  in  those  that  have  the  care  of  them,  to 
prevent  their  being  lost :  for  they  are  in  the  midst  of  snares, 
and  encompassed  round  with  dangers  on  every  side  ;  they  are 
in  the  enemy's  country,  where  there  are  multitudes  every 
where  that  are  strong  and  subtil,  and  exceeding  blood-thirsty 
and  cruel,  that  are  indefatigably,  day  and  night,  seeking  the 
destruction  of  these  souls. 

If  a  prince  should  commit  some  great  treasure,  consisting 
of  most  precious  jewels,  to  the  care  of  a  subject,  to  keep  for 
him,  and  carry  through  an  enemy's  country,  and  bring  home 
safe  to  his  palace,  and  knew  that  the  enemies  by  the  way 
would  be  sensible  that  the  treasure  was  committed  to  him,  and 
would  be  aware  of  the  great  value  of  it,  and  therefore  would 
be  exceeding  greedy  of  it,  and  incessant  in  their  endeavours 
to  get  it  from  him  ;  would  not  the  prince  expect  that  he,  with 
whom  he  had  entrusted  this  treasure,  should  use  great  care  in 
keeping  it  ?  Would  he  be  esteemed  faithful  to  his  trust,  in  the 
care  of  so  great  a  treasure,  and  in  such  circumstances,  with- 
out keeping  up  a  continual  watch  ?  They  that  have  the  care 
of  a  city  in  time  of  war,  and  especially  at  a  time  when  the  city 
is  encompassed  by  enemies  that  lay  siege  to  it,  are  wont,  if 
faithful,  to  maintain  incessant  vigilance  to  defend  it :  the 
watchmen  of  the  city  in  such  a  case  had  need  to  watch  strictly, 
for  they  have  the  care  of  the  lives  of  men. — Ministers  arc 
from  time  to  time  represented  in  Scripture  as  the  watchmen 
that  have  the  care  of  the  city  of  God  ;  as  Cant.  iii.  3.  and  v. 
7.  Isai.  Iii.  8.  and  lxii.  6.  and  in  other  places.  These  watch- 
men have  not  only  the  care  of  the  lives  of  men's  bodies,  but  of 
their  souls,  which  are  infinitely  more  precious.  It  is  expected 
of  them  that  they  should  behave  themselves  as  those  that  both 
kept   and   built   the  city  of  Jerusalem,  in  NehemiaK's   time. 


THE  WATCHMAN'S  DUTV   AND  ACCOUNT.  ISO 

while  they  were  continually  observed  by  malicious  and  subtil 
enemies,  that  diligently  sought  by  all  means  to  circumvent 
them,  and  to  destroy  the  city  and  people  ;  who  with  one  hand 
wrought  in  the  work,  and  with  the  other  hand  held  a  weapon  ; 
holding  spears  from  the  rising  of  the  morning  until  the  stars  ap- 
peared ;  and  had  a  trumpet  always  at  hand  to  sound,  to  give 
warning  of  any  appearing  danger,  and  did  not  put  off  their 
clothes,  nor  lay  up  their  weapons,  day  nor  night,  Neh.  iv.  from 
the  16  verse  to  the  end. 

Ministers  are  appointed  to  be  shepherds  over  Christ's  flock ; 
and  he  commits  his  flock  to  their  care  to  keep  them,  and  lead 
them  through  a  great  and  howling  wilderness,  full  of  hungry 
wolves  and  roaring  lions.  And  is  there  not  need  of  a  strict 
and  constant  watch  in  the  shepherds  in  such  a  case,  as  they 
would  preserve  the  lives  of  the  sheep,  and  lead  them  to  the 
land  of  their  rest? 

I  come  now  to, 

IV.  The  last  thing  in  the  doctrinal  handling  of  the  text, 
viz.  That  ministers  hereafter  must  give  account  to  him  that 
committed  men's  precious  souls  to  their  care. 

Christ's  committing  souls  to  ministers'  care  and  charge,  and 
betrusting  them  with  them  as  servants  or  stewards,  necessarily 
supposes  them  to  be  accountable  to  their  master  with  respect 
to  the  charge  committed  to  them. 

He  that  has  a  treasure  committed  to  him  by  the  owner,  and 
takes  the  care  and  charge  of  it,  not  as  his  own  possession,  but 
only  to  improve  or  keep  for  an  appointed  time,  for  him  to 
whom  the  proper  possession  belongs,  must  return  that  treasure 
to  the  owner  when  his  time  is  out,  and  is  accountable  to  him 
how  he  has  fulfilled  that  which  he  undertook  ;  and  if  any 
precious  jewel  be  missing,  he  must  give  an  account  of  it. — So 
must  ministers  give  an  account  of  the  souls  committed  to  their 
care. 

The  office  and  work  of  ministers  is  not  to  last  always  ;  their 
care  of  souls  is  but  for  a  limited  season ;  and  when  that  is  ex- 
pired, they  must  return  to  their  master  to  give  an  account. 

After  what  manner  they  must  be  called  to  an  account,  may 
be  shown  in  these  two  things, 

1.  The  event  of  things  with  regard  to  the  souls  committed 
to  them  will  be  inquired  into.  As  there  are  so  many  precious 
souls  committed  to  their  care  by  Christ,  so  hereafter  it  will  be 
inquired  what  is  become  of  those  souls.  As  if  a  person  has  a 
number  of  precious  jewels  committed  to  him  to  keep ;  when 
the  time  of  his  betrustrnent  is  out,  and  he  comes  to  return  the 
instrusted  treasure,  the  state  of  it  will  be  examined,  that  it  may 
be  seen  whether  any  jewel  be  lacking  or  not ;  and  if  any  be 
missing,  an  account  must  be  given  what  is  become  of  it.  The 
charge  of  a  minister  is  in  scripture  represented  bv  that  of  a 

Vol,  VIL  24 


180  THE  watchman's  duty  and  account. 

steward,  to  whom  the  householder,  when  going  into  a  far  coun- 
try commits  his  goods,  and  when  he  returns,  expects  that  the 
steward  should  give  an  account  of  his  stewardship.  In  such 
a  case  the  householder  looks  into  the  state  of  his  goods  that  he 
left  behind  under  the  steward's  care.  The  master  in  the  para- 
ble, Matt.  xxv.  14,  &c.  when  he  returns  from  his  journey,  has 
his  goods,  that  he  committed  to  the  care  of  his  servants, 
brought  forth  and  laid  before  him. 

2.  It  will  be  inquired  how  far  the  event  that  shall  be  found, ' 
with  regard  to  souls  committed  to  them,  was  owing  to  their 
faithfulness  or  unfaithfulness  in  that  care  and  watch  that  was 
appointed  them.  If  any  precious  soul  be  found  lacking,  it  will 
be  inquired  how  this  comes  to  pass  :  they  must  give  an  account 
what  they  have  done  with  this  and  that  soul  that  is  missing, 
whether  they  were  lost  through  their  neglect  or  no  ;  they  must 
give  an  account  what  care  they  have  taken,  and  what  diligence 
they  have  used,  and  whether  or  no  they  can  wash  their  hands 
from  guilt  with  respect  to  them  :  it  shall  be  examined  by  an 
eye  that  is  as  a  flame  of  fire,  whether  the  blood  of  the  souls 
that  are  lost  is  not  indeed  to  be  found  in  their  skirts. — We  find 
in  the  parable  of  the  great  supper,  that  the  servants  that  are 
sent  out  to  invite  guests,  return  from  time  to  time  to  their  mas- 
ter to  give  him  an  account  both  of  the  event  in  their  success 
with  respect  to  some  that  they  were  sent  to,  and  unsuccessful- 
ness  with  regard  to  others  ;  and  also  of  their  own  doings  and 
faithfulness,  whereby  they  are  clear  of  the  guilt  of  their  unsuc- 
cessfulness,  and  are  commended  to  the  gracious  reward  of 
their  success.  Luke  xiv.  20,  21.   I  now  come  to  the 

APPLICATION. 

Iii  which  I  shall  only  address  myself  to  those  who  are  princi- 
pally concerned  in  the  great  and  solemn  affair  of  this  day,  viz. 
to  him  who  is  now  solemnly  to  be  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry  in  this  place,  and  to  those  whose  souls  are  to  be  com- 
mitted to  his  care. 

1.  I  would  apply  myself  to  you,  dear  sir,  to  whose  care  the 
great  Redeemer  and  Head  of  the  church  is  this  clay  committing 
a  number  of  precious  souls  in  this  place.  I  besech  you  now  to 
suffer  the  word  of  exhortation  on  this  solemn  occasion  ;  suffer 
me  to  put  you  in  mind  how  great  the  person  is,  with  whom  you 
are  immediately  and  chiefly  concerned  in  the  affair  of  this  day  ; 
even  the  great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep,  and  glorious  Lord  of 
heaven  and  earth,  who  is  to  be  your  and  our  judge.  You  pre- 
sent yourself  this  day  before  him  to  receive  at  his  hands  a 
sacred  depositum,  a  great  treasure,  a  number  of  souls  that  are 
to  exist  throughout  all  eternity,  each  one  of  which  is  infinitely 
more  precious  than  all  the  precious  gems  that  the  earth  affords. 
And  I  beseech  you  to  consider  to  how  great  a  purpose  he    s 


THE  WATCHMAN'S  DUTY    AND  ACCOUNT.  187 

about  to  commit  them  to  your  care  and  keeping ;  it  is  that 
they,  by  means  of  your  faithful  care  and  watchfulness,  may  be 
saved  with  an  everlasting  salvation.  You  may  judge  how 
much  Christ  will  insist  upon  it  that  you  should  exercise  great 
diligence  and  strictness  in  the  care  you  take  of  them,  by  the 
value  he  himself  has  manifested  of  the  souls  of  men,  by  what 
he  has  done  and  suffered  for  them  :  he  has  shown  how  precious 
he  has  judged  immortal  souls  to  be,  in  that  he,  though  a  per- 
son of  infinite  glory,  did  not  think  his  own  blood,  his  life,  his 
soul,  too  precious  to  be  offered  up  as  a  price  for  them  to  redeem 
them,  that  they  might  obtain  that  salvation  in  order  to  which 
he  now  is  about  to  commit  a  number  of  them  to  your  care, 
and  to  betrust  you  with  the  means  that  he  has  provided  for 
that  end  ;  committing  to  you  his  holy  oracles,  and  the  food  of 
his  house,  which  is  his  own  body  and  blood,  that  therewith  you 
might  feed  these  souls;  and  in  some  sense  committing  to  you 
the  keys  of  his  stores  and  treasures,  that  you  might  supply  and 
enrich  them,  and  be  a  means  of  their  eternal  wealth  and 
glory. 

Consider,  dear  sir,  how  great  an  honour  he  does  you  whom 
God  the  Father  hath  made  head  of  the  whole  universe,  and 
Lord  of  all  things  to  the  church  ;  that  after  he  has  provided  for 
the  salvation  of  souls  by  his  dying  pains  and  precious  blood, 
and  the  Father  has  committed  to  him  all  power  in  heaven  and 
earth,  that  he  might  actually  bestow  eternal  life  on  them  that 
he  died  for  ;  he  should  call  you  to  be  a  co-worker  with  him, 
and  should  commit  precious  souls  to  your  care,  that  you  might 
be  the  instrument  of  bringing  them  home  to  him,  and  bringing 
that  to  pass  with  respect  to  them,  for  which  his  soul  travailed 
in  the  agonies  of  death,  and  in  ineffable  conflicts  with  the  dread- 
ful wrath  of  God.  You  are  now  about  to  receive  the  precious 
treasure  at  his  hands,  which  you  are  to  keep  for  him  :  you  pre- 
sent yourself  here  before  the  Lord  for  this  end,  that  you  may 
as  it  were  reach  forth  your  hand  and  take  this  great  depositum 
with  solemn  vow  diligently  and  faithfully  to  keep  it,  and  devote 
yourself  to  that  service  ;  so  that  if  it  be  possible  for  you  to  pre- 
vent it,  no  one  of  those  infinitely  precious  jewels  may  be  lost, 
but  that  you  may  return  them  all  safe  to  him  from  whose  hands 
you  receive  them. 

Consider  the  example  of  your  glorious  Lord  and  master. 
There  was  a  number  of  the  souls  of  men  committed  by  the  fa- 
ther into  his  hands,  that  he  might  take  care  for  their  salvation. 
And  after  what  manner  did  he  execute  his  office?  How  did 
he  lay  out  himself  for  the  salvation  of  those  souls  ?  What 
great  things  did  he  do?  And  what  great  things  did  he  suffer? 
How  hard  was  the  labour  he  went  through  ?  And  how  greatly 
did  he  deny  himself?  How  did  this  great  shepherd  of  the 
sheep  behave  himself  when  he  saw  the  wolf  coming  to  dnstroA 


188  the  watchman's  duty  and  account. 

the  sheep  ;  he  did  not  flee  to  save  his  own  life,  and  so  leave  the 
sheep  to  become  a  prey  ;  but  from  pity  and  love  to  the  sheep, 
interposed  himself  between  them  and  their  enemy,  stood  be- 
tween them  and  harm,  and  encountered  the  wolf,  and  in  the 
conflict  gave  his  own  life  to  save  their's,  John  x.  11 — 15. — We 
read  of  Christ's  travailing  for  souls,  Isai.  liii.  10, 11.  It  pleased 
the  Lord  to  bruise  him,  he  hath  put  him  to  grief.  When  thou 
shalt  make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin,  he  shall  see  his  seed. 
— He  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul,  and  shall  be  satisfied. 
And  how  did  he  travail  for  this  seed  of  his  ?  Look  into  the 
garden  of  Gethsemane,  and  there  behold  him  lying  on  the  earth, 
with  his  body  covered  over  with  clotted  blood,  fallen  down  in 
lumps  to  the  ground,  with  his  soul  exceeding  sorrowful,  even 
unto  death,  and  offering  up  strong  crying  and  tears  together 
with  his  blood :  and  look  to  the  cross,  where  he  endured  yet 
far  more  extreme  agonies,  and  drank  up  the  bitter  cup  of  God's 
wrath,  and  shed  the  remainder  of  his  blood,  lingeringly  drained 
out  through  his  tortured  hands  and  feet,  and  extravated  out  of 
his  broken  heart  into  his  bowels,  and  there  turned  into  blood 
and  water,  through  the  vehement  fermentation  occasioned  by 
the  weight  of  grief  and  extremity  of  agony  of  soul,  under  which 
he  cried  out  with  that  loud  and  lamentable  and  repeated  cry. 
Thus  he  travailed  in  birth  with  his  seed ;  thus  he  laboured  and 
suffered  for  the  salvation  of  those  souls  that  the  Father  had  com- 
mitted to  him.  This  is  the  example  of  the  great  shepherd. 
And  though  it  is  not  required  of  under-shepherds  that  they 
should  endure  sufferings  of  such  a  degree  or  nature ;  for  Christ 
has  suffered  them  to  that  end,  that  both  ministers  and  people 
might  escape  them  ;  yet  surely  he  expects  that,  as  they  would 
approve  themselves  as  his  disciples  and  followers,  and  co-workers 
with  him  in  seeking  the  salvation  of  the  same  souls,  they  should 
not  be  backward  to  go  through  any  labours  or  sufferings  which 
may  be  requisite  in  them,  in  order  to  their  most  effectually 
promoting  the  great  end  of  his  sufferings,  with  regard  to  the 
souls  that  he  has  committed  to  them. 

And  as  you,  dear  sir,  are  to  stand  in  Christ's  stead  towards 
this  people,  and  to  act  as  his  ambassador  ;  should  you  not  show 
the  like  spirit,  the  like  love  to  souls,  and  imitate  him  in  his  rea- 
diness to  labour  and  deny  yourself  and  suffer,  yea  to  spend 
and  be  spent  for  them  ?  like  the  ble^    d  apostle.  2  Cor.  xii.  15. 

The  case  with  you,  sir,  is  as  if  the  head  of  a  family,  that  was 
a  great  prince,  with  a  number  of  children  in  a  strange  land, 
when  going  home  to  receive  a  kingdom,  should  leave  his  chil- 
dren behind  him,  and  commit  them  to  the  care  of  a  servant, 
safely  to  conduct  them  through  a  dangerous  wilderness,  and 
bring  them  home  to  him  ;  in  which  case,  he  has  their  health  and 
lives  committed  to  his  care,  as  well  as  their  future  glory  in  his 
kingdom.     With  what  care  and  watchfulness  would  it  be  ex- 


THE  WATCHMAN'S  DUTY    AND  ACCOUNT.  189 

pected  of  a  servant  that  he  should  execute  his  office  in  such  a 
case  !"  and  surely  if  he  fails  of  being  thoroughly  careful  and 
watchful,  after  he  has  taken  upon  him  so  great  a  charge,  and 
any  sad  disaster  should  be  the  consequence  of  his  unfaithful- 
ness ;  it  will  most  .justly  be  required  of  him  that  he  should  an- 
swer it,  and  he  will  inexcusably  fall  under  his  master's  heaviest 
displeasure. 

And  suffer  me,  sir,  to  put  you  in  mind  of  the  account  you 
must  give  to  your  master  of  these  souls  he  seems  this  day  to  be 
about  to  commit  to  you  :    You  are  to  watch  for  these  souls  as 
one  that  must  give  account.     If  any  one  of  these  souls  should 
be  missing   hereafter,  having  been  lost  under  your  ministry,  it 
will  be  demanded  of  you   another  day,  by  your  great    Lord, 
"  What  is  become  of  such  a  soul  ?    Here  are  not  all  the  souls 
that   I  committed  to  you   to  bring  home  to  me  ;  there  is  such 
an  one  missing;  what  is  become  of  it?  has  it  perished  through 
your  neglect  ?"  If  you  are  able  to  say  at  that  time, "  Lord,  it  was 
not  through  my  neglect ;  I  have  done  what  in  me  lay  for  his 
salvation  ;  I  ceased  not  to  warn  and  counsel  and  reprove  him, 
and  faithfully  set  before  him  his  danger,  and  have  not  forborne 
to  declare  thy  whole  counsel  to  him  ;  I  have  not  neglected  this 
and  other  souls  that  thou  didst  commit  to  me,  to  gratify  my 
sloth,  or  pursue  my  worldly  interest;  I  have  given  myself  wholly 
to  this   work    labouring  therein  night  and  day  ;  I  have  been 
ready,  Lord,  as  thou  knowest,  to  sacrifice  my  own  ease  and  pro- 
fit, and  pleasure,  and  temporal  convenience,  and  the  goodwill  of 
my  neighbours,  for  the  sake  of  the  good  of  the  souls  I  had  the 
charge  of;  I  have  not  led  this  soul  into  any  snare  by  my  ill  exam- 
ple ;  I  have  neglected  no  means  of  thine  appointment,  either  pub- 
lic or  private,  to  turn  him  from  sin  to  God ;  I  sought  out  acceptable 
words,  and  studied  for  the  most  likely  means  to  be  used  for  his 
saving  good  ;  but  he  would  not  hearken,  but  turned  a  deaf  ear  ; 
under  all  was  stupid  and  obstinate,  and  went  oh  carelessly  and 
frowardly  in  the  imagination  of  his  heart."    If  you  are  able  to 
say  in  like  manner  as  Christ  did  to  the  Father,  with  respect  to 
the  souls  that  were   committed  to  him ;  those  that  thou  gavest 
me  I  have  kept,  and  none  of  them  is  lost,  but  the  son  of  perdi- 
dition  ;  you  will  be  able  to  hold  up  your  head  with  comfort  be- 
fore your  Judge,  your   account  will  be  accepted,  you  shall  be 
acquitted,  and  your  unsuccessful  faithfulness  shall  be  rewarded. 
But  if  when  it  shall  be  demanded  of  you  what  is  become  of 
such  and  such  souls?  You  shall  be  dumb,   having  nothing  to 
say,  your  conscience  flying  in  your  face,  and  it  shall  appear 
that  it  has  been  much  owing   to  your  unfaithfulness ;  O  how 
amazing  will  your  case  be  !  What  confusion  and  astonishment 
will  fill  your  soul  before  your  great  master  and  Judge  !     And 
remember  that  the  blood  of  such  souls  will  be  required  at  voui 
hands,  Ezek.  xxxiii.  6. 


190  THE  WATCHiVlAN's  DUTY  AND  ACCOUNT. 

And  suffer  me\  dear  brother,  to  tell  you,  that  you  must  another 
day  meet  these  souls  that  you  are  now  going  to  take  the  charge 
of,  before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ;  and  if  by  means  of  your 
faithfulness  towards  them,  in  your  work,  you  shall  meet  them 
at  the  right  hand  of  Christ  in  glory,  how  joyful  a  meeting  will 
it  be  to  you  !  They  will  be  indeed  your  crown  of  rejoicing  in 
that  day.  But  if  you  behold  them  with  devils  at  the  left  hand, 
in  horror  and  despair,  your  conscience  accusing  you  of  unfaith- 
fulness towards  them,  and  it  appears  that  they  are  lost  through 
your  neglect,  how  amazing  will  the  sight  of  them  be  to  you  ! 

Your  master  and  mine  is  this  day  calling  me  to  resign  the 
pastoral  care  of  a  number  of  souls  into  your  hands,  that  have 
hitherto  been  committed  to  my  care :  It  is  with  cheerfulness 
that  I  can  now  resign  them  to  the  care  of  one,  concerning 
whom  I  can  have  so  much  hope  that  he  will  be  faithful  in  his 
care  of  them.  May  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  enable  you  to  dis- 
charge your  duty  towards  them  more  faithfully  than  I  have 
done,  and  make  you  a  far  greater  blessing  to  them  ;  and  may 
you  come  with  them  at  the  day  of  judgment  before  Christ  with 
exceeding  joy,  and  in  robes  of  glory,  and  say  then  as  Christ 
himself  will  say  to  the  Father,  when  he  shall  come  with  all  the 
souls  that  were  given  him  of  the  Father,  and  present  them  be- 
fore him  in  perfect  glory,  here  am  I,  and  the  children  which 
thou  hast  given  me. 

2.  I  would  appiy  myself  to  those  whose  souls  are  now  about 
to  be  committed  to  the  care  of  that  servant  of  Christ  that  is  now 
to  be  ordained  to  the  pastoral  office  in  this  place. 

Beloved  brethren,  and  dear  children,  It  is  your  immortal  souls 
that  is  the  precious  treasure  that  the  great  Creator  and  Saviour 
of  souls  seems  now  to  be  about  to  commit  to  the  care  of  him 
whom  you  have  chosen  to  be  your  pastor.  And  indeed  it  is  a 
great  charge,  an  high  betrustment ;  and  he  ought  to  use  his  ut- 
most care  and  diligence  that  you  may  not  be  eternally  lost. 
But  if  your  pastor  should  exercise  such  care  that  you  may  be 
saved,  surely  you  ought  to  take  care  for  the  salvation  of  your 
own  souls :  It  nearly  concerns  him  that  you  should  be  saved ; 
but  much  more  nearly  does  it  concern  you.  Let  your  minister 
be  never  so  careful  and  watchful,  if  you  take  no  care  for  your- 
selves, his  faithfulness  and  diligence  will  signify  nothing,  unless 
it  be  to  harden  you,  and  aggravate  your  damnation.  In  such  a 
case,  the  more  care  and  pains  he  takes  for  your  salvation,  the 
greater  will  your  eternal  misery  be  ;  for  all  will  be  only  a  savour 
of  death  unto  death.  Those  people  are  like  to  sink  the  deepest 
into  hell  hereafter,  that  go  to  hell  from  under  the  care  of  the 
most  faithful  ministers,  that  have  taken  the  most  pains  to  save 
them  from  goine  to  hell.  The  preciousness  of  your  souls  has 
now  been  made  use  of  as  an  argument  with  your  chosen  pas- 
tor to  take  care  for  vour  salvation  :  but.  much  more  mnv  it  be 


THE  watchman's  dutv  and  account.  191 

Used  as  an  argument  with  you  to  seek  your  own  salvation ;  for 
therein  lies  the  preciousness  of  your  souls,  in  their  being  of  infi- 
nite worth  to  yourselves,  appearing  in  the  infinite  loss  you  will 
sustain  if  they  are  lost,  and  your  infinite  gain  if  they  are  saved  ; 
herein  lies  that  preciousness  of  the  soul  that  Christ  speaks  of, 
Matt.  xvi.  26.  For  what  is  a  man  profited,  if  he  shall  gain  the 
whole  world,  and  loose  his  own  soul  ?  Or  what  shall  a  man  give 
in  exchange  for  his  soul  ? 

It  is  not  only  your  minister  that  is  concerned  in  the  work 
that  he  is  to  perform  among  you,  but  you  also  are  infinitely 
concerned  in  it :  And  it  is  not  only  he,  but  you  also  that  are  in- 
finitely concerned  in  the  account  that  he  has  to  give  of  the  dis- 
charge of  his  office  among  you.     You  must  all  of  you  hereafter 
meet  your  minister  before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ ;  and  if 
then  it  shall  be  found  that  he  has  been  faithful,  and  that   you 
have  made  an  ill  improvement  of  his  ministry,  and  so  failed  of 
the  grace  of  God,  the  sight  of  the  devil  will  not  be  so  terrible 
to  you  at  that  day  as  the  sight  of  your  minister ;  for  he  will  rise 
up  in  judgment  against  you,  and  your  pastor,  that  above  all 
other  persons  in  the  world,  excepting  yourselves,  is  concerned 
to  endeavour  your  salvation,  will  then  above  all  other  persons 
appear  against  you  before  the  Judge  to  witness  against  you  and 
condemn  you.     But  how  joyful  will  it  be  to  you,  as  well  as  to 
him,  if  he  renders  his  account  with  joy,  for  these  reasons  that 
he  has  been  both  faithful  and  successful  with  respect  to  you, 
and  appears  with  you  in  glory  at  the  right  hand  of  Christ,  and 
has  to  say  to  the  great  judge  concerning  himself  and  you,  Here 
am  1,  and  the  children  which  thou  hast  given  me  !  What  a  joyful 
meeting  of  minister  and  people  will  there  be !  And  how  will 
you  be  each  others  crown  of  rejoicing  !     But  if  your  souls  pe- 
rish, you  will   be  present  when  it  shall  be  required  by  Jesus 
Christ    of  your  minister    to  give   an  account   of  such    and 
such   souls  that  are  lost,  which  were  committed  to  his  care ; 
and  how  dreadful  will  it  be  to  you,  if  you  shall  then  hear  him 
boldly  and  truly  say  before  the  Judge,  "  Lord,  thou  knowest 
that  I  have  sincerely  and  faithfully  endeavoured  their  salvation, 
I  have  not  been  slack  nor  negligent  towards  them,  I  have  ear- 
nestly watched  for  their  souls,  and  diligently  and  unweariedly 
used  all  the  means  with  them    that  thou  didst  appoint ;  they 
perished  not  through  my  neglect,  but  through  their  own  obsti- 
nate negligence  and  wickedness  !"     In  such  a  case  your  minis1 
ter  will  be  acquitted  and  justified,  but  you  will  be  condemned 
with  a  most  aggravated  condemnation,  and  your  blood  will  be 
upon  your  own  head.     Ezek.  xxxiii.  2,  3,  4.   Son  of  man,  speak 
to  the  children  of  thy  people,  and  say  unto  them,  when  I  bring 
the  sword  upon  a  land,  if  the  people  of  the  land\talie  a  man  of 
their  coasts  and  set  him  for  their  watchman,  if  when  he  see  the 
sword  come  upon  the  land,  he  blow  the  trumpet  and  warn  the 


1U2  THE  WATCHMAN'S  DUTY  AND  ACCOUNT 

people  ;  then  whosoever  heareth  the  sound  of  the  trumpet  and 
taketh  not  warning,  if  the  sword  come  and  take  him  away, 
his  blood  shall  be  upon  his  own  head.  The  good  account 
your  minister  has  to  give  of  his  own  faithfulness,  will  incense 
the  displeasure  of  the  Judge  towards  you.  Luke  xiv.  17.  So 
the  servant  came  and  showed  his  lord  these  things  :  Then  the 
master  of  the  house  being  angry,  said  to  his  servant,  go  out 
quickly,  &c. 

And  if  you  would  have  the  account  your  minister  shall  have 
to  give  concerning  you  to  be  profitable  and  joyful  to  you,  do 
not  neglect  your  duty  towards  him ;  endeavour  by  all  means  in 
your  power  to  put  him  under  the  best  advantage  for  servicea- 
bleness  and  success  among  you  :  do  what  in  you  lies  to  encour- 
age his  heart  and  strengthen  his  hands.  This  I  know  to  be  a 
thing  of  vast  importance,  as  you  would  have  your  pastor  a  bless- 
ing to  you,  and  the  successful  instrument  of  the  salvation  of 
your  souls  and  the  souls  of  your  children  :  therefore  suffer  me  to 
be  a  little  particular  with  you  upon  this  head.  I  may  be  the 
more  bold  towards  you  as  you  hitherto  have  been  of  the  flock  that 
Christ  has  committed  to  my  care,  and  I  hope  some  of  you  my 
spiritual  children  ;  therefore  as  my  beloved  children  I  counsel 
and  warn  you. 

If  you  would  meet  your  minister  with  comfort  another  day. 
do  not  neglect  doing  what  belongs  to  you  comfortably  to  sup- 
port him,  so  as  to  enable  him  to  attend  on  his  great  work  with- 
out distraction,  and  to  give  himself  wholly  to  the  business  of 
seeking  and  promoting  the  eternal  welfare  and  happiness  of 
you  and  your  children  ;  without  being  disheartened  by  the  diffi- 
culties and  indigencies  of  straitened  circumstances,  or  being 
diverted  by  exercising  care,  and  taken  off  by  involving  himself 
in  worldly  business  for  his  necessary  support.  While  we  are 
in  the  body  our  heavenly  Father  knows  that  we  have  need  of 
these  things,  and  the  way  that  he  hath  provided  for  ministers1 
supply,  is  by  their  partaking  of  the  temporal  good  things  of 
the  people  to  whom  they  minister  spiritual  things.  1  Cor.  ix.  4, 
&.C.  Have  we  not  power  to  eat  and  to  drink  ?  Have  toe  not  pow- 
er to  lead  about  a  sister,  a  wife  ?— Have  we  not  power  to  forbear 
working  ?  Who  goeth  a  warfare  any  time  at  his  own  charges  ? 
Who  planteth  a  vineyard  and  eateth  not  of  the  fruit  thereof/ 
Or  ivho  feedeth  a  flock,  and  eateth  not  of  the  milk  of  the  flock  ? 
Say  I  these  things  as  a  man  ?  Or  saith  not  the  law  the  same 
also  ?  For  it  is  written  in  the  law  of  Moses,  Thou  shalt  not 
muzzle  the  mouth  of  the  ox  that  treadeth  out  the  corn.  Doth  God 
take  care  for  oxen  ?  Or  saith  he  it  altogether  for  our  sokes  ? 
For  our  sokes,  no  doubt,  this  is  written ;  that  he  that  ploweth 
should  plow  in  hope,  and  that  he  that  thresheth  in  hope,  should 
be  partaker  of  his  hope.  If  we  have  sown  unto  you  spiritual 
things*  is  it  a  great  thing  if  we  shall  reap  your  carnal  things  ? 


THE   WATCHMAN'S  DUTtf   AND  ACCOUNT.  193 

—Do  ye  not  know  that  they  which  minister  about  holy  things, 
live  of  the  things  of  the  temple,  and  they  that  ivait  at  the  altar, 
are  partakers  with  the  altar  ?  Even  so  hath  the  Lord  ordained, 
that  they  which  preach  the  Gospel  shall  live  of  the  Gospel. 
1  Tim.  v.  17,  18.  Let  the  elders  that  rule  well  be  counted  wor- 
thy of  double  honour ;  especially  they  who  labour  in  word  and 
doctrine  :  For  the  scripture  saith,  Thou  shalt  not  muzzle  the  ox 
that  treadeth  out  the  corn.  And  the  labourer  is  worthy  of  his  re- 
ward. 2  Tim.  ii.6.  The  husbandman  that  laboureth  must  be 
first  partaker  of  the  fruits.  Gal.  vi.  6.  Let  him  that  is  taught  in 
the  word  communicate  to  him  that  teacheth  in  all  good  things. 
Christ  would  not  have  minister's  time  and  thoughts  taken  up 
about  providing  temporal  good  things  for  their  own  support, 
but  would  have  them  wholly  provided  for  by  their  people. 
Matt.  x.  9,  10.  Provide  neither  gold,  nor  silver,  nor  brass  in 
your  purses,  nor  script  for  your  journey,  neither  two  coats  a 
piece,  neither  shoes,  nor  yet  staves  ;  for  the  workman  is  wor- 
thy of  his  meat.  Agreeable  to  these  directions  he  gave  the 
twelve  aposlles,  are  the  directions  he  gave  the  seventy,  when 
he  sent  them  out.  Luke  x.  7.  In  the  same  house  remain,  eating 
and  drinking  such  things  as  they  give ;  for  the  labourer  is 
worthy  of  his  hire. 

You  see  what  great  care  Christ  has  taken  in  this  matter,  and 
how  full  and  abundant  the  scripture  is  in  commands  and  direc- 
tions concerning  the  support  of  ministers. 

I  know  you  are  small,  and  in  your  new  beginnings  in  this 
place,  and  not  so  able  as  many  other  congregations.  But  if 
we  may  give  credit  to  the  word  of  God,  for  you  well  and  com- 
fortably to  support  your  pastor,  is  not  the  way  to  be  poorer. 
Prov.  iii.  9, 10.  Honour  the  Lord  with  thy  substance,  and  with  the 
first  fruits  of  all  thine  increase  ;  so  shall  thy  barns  be  filled  with 
plenty,  and  thy  presses  shall  burst  out  with  new  wine.  To  give 
to  the  Lord  is  not  the  way  to  be  poor,  but  the  way  to  be  sup- 
plied by  the  Lord.  Christ  now  is  not  personally,  and  in  his 
human  nature,  here  upon  earth,  to  be  supported  by  temporal 
good  things  from  his  disciples,  as  once  he  was  :  but  though  he 
be  now  gone  from  hence  into  a  far  country,  yet  he  has  not  left 
his  disciples  without  opportunity  in  this  way  of  showing  their 
love  to  him ;  for  there  are  two  sorts  of  persons  that  he  has  ap- 
pointed to  be  his  receivers,  viz.  his  indigent  members,  and  his 
ministers  ;  as  of  old  God  appointed  the  poor  and  the  Levite  to 
receive  the  tithes  and  other  offerings  that  were  made  to  the 
Lord,  Deut.  xvi.  11, 14.  and  ch.  xiv.  28,29.  and  xxiv.  10, 11, 12. 
What  is  given  to  ministers  is  a  sacrifice  to  God  :  so  the  apostle 
represents  what  was  sent  to  him  for  his  supply  from  the  Philip- 
pia?is,  Ph\\.  iv.  18.  Having  received  o/"Epaphroditus?//e  things 
tvhich  were  sent  from  you,  an  odour  of  a  sweet  smell,  a  sacri- 
fice acceptable,  well  pleasing  to  God.     And  Christ,  when    he 

Vol.  VII.  25 


J'Jl  tilK    WAT*  HMAN  S  DUTY  AM)  ACCOUNT. 

sent  forth  his  disciples  to  preach,  and   had  directed  that  titt 
should  take  no  provision  for  themselves,  because  the  labourer  is 
worthy  of  his  reward,  he  says  Matth.  x.  40.  He  that  receiveth 
you  receiveth  me,  and  he  that  receiveth  me  receiveth  him  that 
sent  me. 

And  since  what  is  given  to  your  pastor  is  given  to  Christ,  you 
may  be  assured  that  you  cannot  consult  your  own  temporal,  as 
well  as  spiritual  interest  better,  than  by  liberally  supplying  of 
him ;  for  he  that  lendeth  to  the  Lord  shall  be  repayed  again 
with  large  interest.  And  as  to  your  ability,  if  there  be  but  a 
cheerful,  ready  mind,  the  greatest  difficulty  is  got  over ;  if  you 
find  this,  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  God  will  make  the  duty  of 
supporting  your  minister  in  other  respects  easy  to  you  :  God 
loves  a  willing  offering,  and  a  cheerful  giver;  if  you  will  do  your 
part  in  opening  your  hearts  and  hands,  God  will  do  his  part  in 
finding  you  wherewithal.  But  if  a  people  grudge  what  they 
do,  are  always  full  of  fears  how  they  shall  pay  their  rates, 
and  excessively  cautious  lest  they  should  run  themselves  into 
difficulty,  and  straiten  themselves  and  families  by  giving  to 
Christ,  no  wonder  it  proves  difficult :  it  is  the  way  to  meet  with 
nothing  else  but  difficulties  in  their  outward  circumstances  ; 
for  there  is  that  scattereth,  and  yet  increaseth  ;  but  to  withhold 
more  than  is  meet,  tends  only  to  poverty,  Prov.  xi.  24. 

The  Jews,  in  the  days  of  the  prophet  Haggai,  were  few  in 
number,  and  were  under  difficult  and  straitened  circumstances  ; 
and  they  made  it  an  excuse  why  they  should  not  be  at  the  ex- 
pense that  was  requisite  in  order  to  build  the  house  of  God, 
and  set  up  his  worship ;  and  so  for  a  time  neglected  it.  And 
in  the  mean  time  none  of  their  affairs  prospered  ;  they  sowed 
much  and  brought  in  little;  they  eat, but  they  had  not  enough  : 
they  drank,  but  were  not  filled  with  drink  :  they  clothed 
them,  but  there  was  none  warm  ;  and  he  that  earneth  wages, 
earneth  wages  to  put  it  into  a  bag  with  holes  :  they  looked  for 
much,  and  To  it  came  to  little  ;  and  the  heaven  was  stayed  from 
dew,  and  the  earth  was  stayed  from  her  fruit.  Hag.  chap.  i. 
So  in  the  days  of  the  prophet  Malachi  it  was  a  time  of  scar- 
city, and  the  people  thought  themselves  thereby  excused  from 
paying  tithes  for  the  support  of  the  Levites,  and  so  robbed 
God  of  his  due ;  but  got  nothing  by  it,  but  God  cursed 
them  with  a  curse  ;  they  made  that  scarcity  and  want  the  ex- 
cuse for  their  backwardness  to  support  God"s  ministers,  which 
was  its  punishment ;  and  God  tells  them  by  the  prophet  that 
if  they  would  cheerfully  do  their  duty  in  that  respect  it  would 
be  a  sure  way  to  have  their  wants  plentifully  supplied.  Mai.  iii.  1, 
9, 10.  "  Ye  are  cursed  with  a  curse,  for  ye  have  robbed  me,  even 
this  whole  nation.  Bring  ye  all  the  tithes  into  the  store-house, 
that  there  may  be  meat  in  mine  house  ;  and  prove  me  now  here- 
with, saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  if  1  will  not  open  you  the  windows 


THE  WATCHMAN 'ft  DV  i\  AND   ACC00NT.  195 

of  heaven,  and  pour  you  out  a  blessing,  that  there  shall  not  be 
room  enough  to  receive  it."  What  can  God  say  more  to  en- 
courage a  people  cheerfully  to  run  the  venture  of  expending 
what  is  necessary  for  the  comfortable  and  honourable  support 
of  the  ministry  ? 

And  here  let  me  warn  you  in  particular,  that  you  do  not  only 
do  pretty  well  by  your  minister  for  a  while  at  first,  while  the 
relation  between  you  and  him  is  a  new  thing,  and  then  after- 
ward, when  your  minister's  necessities  are  increased,  begin  to 
fail,  as  it  too  frequently  happens. 

Some  may  be  ready  to  say,  it  is  no  wonder  ministers  should 
be  forward  to  urge  such  a  duty  as  this,  wherein  their  own  tem- 
poral interest  is  so  much  concerned,  a  covetous  disposition 
will  make  them  love  to  harp  upon  this  string. — 1  have  not  been 
much  in  insisting  on  this  duty  in  my  own  pulpit,  where  it  would 
especially  concern  my  temporal  interest ;  and  blessed  be  God 
that  1  have  had  no  more  occasion. — But  whatever  any  may 
judge  of  the  secrets  of  my  heart,  with  regard  to  the  principles 
that  I  have  been  influenced  by,  in  what  I  have  now  said;  it  is 
enough  for  you  to  whom  I  have  spoke  it,  that  I  have  demon- 
strated that  what  1  have  delivered  is  the  mind  of  God  ;  and  also 
(if  there  be  any  truth  in  his  word)  that  what  I  have  recom* 
mended  is  not  only  for  the  temporal  interest  of  your  minister, 
but  also  for  your  own  both  temporal  and  spiritual  interest. 

Another  article  of  advice  that  I  would  give  you,  is,  to  beware 
that  you  do  not  weaken  your  minister's  hands,  and  wound  your- 
selves by  contention.  You  are  but  a  small  people,  and  you 
will  be  a  very  foolish  people  indeed  if  you  are  divided  against 
yourselves.  Contention  among  a  people  hinders  all  manner 
of  comfort  and  prosperity  either  of  soul  or  body  ;  it  makes  them 
a  torment  to  themselves  and  one  another  ;  it  puts  them  every 
way  under  disadvantages,  and  weakens  the  whole  body  like  a 
consumption. 

There  are  two  sorts  of  contention  I  would  warn  you  against. 

1.  Avoid  contention  among  yourselves  about  your  own  tem- 
poral affairs  :  this  will  exceedingly  tend  to  render  a  minister's 
labours  ineffectual ;  and  it  is  what  greatly  damps  the  spirit  and 
discourages  the  heart  of  a  minister,  to  see  his  people  divided 
into  parties,  and  envying  one  another,  and  entertaining  mutual 
prejudices,  jealousies  and  grudges,  and  so  backbiting  and  re- 
proaching one  another,  and  carrying  on  secret  plots  and  designs 
one  against  another. 

%  Avoid  quarrelling  with  your  minister  in  matters  of  church 
discipline.  This  is  a  common  thing,  but  a  most  unchristian 
thing,  and  tends  greatly  to  weaken  the  hands  of  a  minister  in 
the  whole  of  his  work,  and  render  all  to  no  purpose.  The  ex- 
ercise of  the  discipline  of  God's  house  is  the  most  difficult  part 
of  that  great  work  that  a  minister  has  to  do :  and  it  bfvomf^  n 


196  the  watchman's  duty  and  account. 

christian  people  to  their  utmost  to  strengthen  their  ministers 
hands  in  this  difficult  business,  and  say  as  the  people  said  to 
Ezra  the  priest,  with  respect  to  the  affair  of  purging  the  church 
of  Israel  from  the  scandal  of  those  that  had  married  strange 
wives,  Ezra  x.  4.  Arise,  for  this  matter  belongeth  to  thee  ;  we 
also  ivill  be  with  thee  :  Be  of  good  courage  and  do  it. 

To  conclude,  If  you  would  have  your  minister  successful 
among  you,  and  a  blessing  to  you,  and  if  you  would  be  a  happy 
people,  then  love  one  another  and  love  your  minister.  There 
are  some  professors,  in  some  of  our  towns,  that  are  anti-minis- 
terial men ;  they  seem  to  have  a  disposition  to  dislike  men  of 
that  order  ;  they  are  apt  to  be  prejudiced  against  them  ;  and  to 
be  suspicious  of  them,  and  talk  against  them  ;  and  it  seems  to 
be  as  it  were  natural  to  them  to  be  unfriendly  and  unkind 
towards  their  own  ministers,  and  to  make  difficulty  for  them. 
But  I  do  not  believe  there  is  a  true  christian  on  earth  that  is  of 
this  character;  on  the  contrary  the  feet  of  them  that  bring  good 
tidings,  and  publish  the  Gospel  of  salvation  are  beautiful  in  the 
eyes  of  all  the  true  children  of  Zion ;  and  every  one  that  re- 
ceives Christ,  and  whose  heart  is  governed  by  a  supreme  love 
to  him,  has  a  disposition  to  receive,  love,  and  honour  his  mes- 
sengers. It  was  the  distinguishing  mark  by  which  God  mani- 
fested the  person  he  had  chosen  to  be  the  wife  of  Isaac,  that 
type  of  Christ,  that  it  was  the  damsel  that  should  give  kind 
and  friendly  entertainment  to  Abraham'' s  servant  or  steward 
that  was  sent  to  espouse  hei  and  bring  her  home  to  Isaac  ;  and 
therein  was  a  type  of  the  Gospel  ministry,  Gen.  xxiv.  14,  &c. 
See  to  it  that  you  thus  entertain  the  steward  of  the  house  of 
God  that  comes  on  this  blessed  errand  to  you. 

If  you  and  your  minister  thus  live  in  peace,  it  will  be  the  way 
for  you  to  be  a  happy  society,  to  flourish  and  prosper  with  all 
manner  of  prosperity,  to  have  Christ  dwelling  among  you  ;  and 
for  things  to  be  brought  to  so  blessed  an  event  at  last,  as  that 
he  that  is  the  great  shepherd  of  the  sheep,  that  purchased  the 
gouls  of  men  with  his  blood,  and  your  pastor  that  has  the  care 
of  your  souls  committed  to  him,  and  yourselves  and  children, 
all  shall  rejoice  together  in  another  world,  agreeable  to  John 
iv.  36.  And  he  that  reapeth  receiveth  wages,  and  gather •eth  fruit 
unto  life  eternal ;  that  both  he  that  soiveth  and  he  that  reapeth 
may  rejoice  together. 


MISCELLANEOUS 


T^^a®w^ 


ON  IMPORTANT 


THEOLOGICAL  SUBJECTS. 


ADVERTISEMENT  TO  THIS  EDITION. 


The  judiciousness  of  the  "advice'1  given  to  Dr.  Edwards, 
and  with  which  he  complied,  may  be  justly  questioned,  re- 
specting the  "  large  quotations1'  referred  to  by  Dr.  Erskine,  as 
they  greatly  swelled  the  publication,  and  thereby  impeded 
the  circulation  of  the  President's  original  and  very  valuable 
thoughts.  However,  in  the  present  edition  of  his  works,  it 
would  be  extremely  improper  to  insert  "  long  quotations"  out 
of  Tillotson,  Jones  on  the  Canon,  ozc.  indiscriminately,  and 
without  abridgment ;  not  only  because  these  authors  are  so 
common  in  England,  compared  with  America,  but  also  be- 
cause it  will  be  more  satisfactory  to  the  biblical  student  to 
consult  the  originals  themselves,  and  to  see  the  arguments  in 
their  proper  connexion.  This  equally  applies  to  the  senses 
of  "  Observations,11  and  to  that  of  the  subsequent  "  Remarks." 
The  latter  of  these  were  before  cast  into  distinct  chapters, 
and  the  former  are  now  reduced  to  their  proper  heads,  by 
which  they  acquire  a  more  interesting  aspect,  and  from  the 
circumstance  of  an  easy  connexion,  an  additional  persuasive 
force. 

It  is  certain  that  many  of  the  original  "  Observations"  and 
of  the  "  Remarks  on  important  Theological  Controversies," 
were  inserted  in  the  author's  common-place  book  prior  to  the 
composition  of  some  of  his  elaborate  publications  on  the  same 
subjects,  when  his  thoughts  appear  in  a  more  mature  state, 
and  in  a  more  connected  form.  Of  course,  where  the  subjects 
coincided,  he  would  avail  himself  of  the  substance  of  such 
adversaria  in  those  treatises.  On  these  grounds,  independent 
of  other  considerations — and  especially  from  a  due  regard  to 
the  author's  reputation,  which  is  deservedly  high — it  is  ob- 
viously necessary,  that  a  selection  more  choice  and  scrupulous 
be  now  made.  And  it  may  be  confidently  asserted  that  these 
two  series;  as  they  now  stand,  form  a  very  valuable  part  of 
the  author's  work. 


PREFACE. 


President  Edwards  has  left  many  manuscript  volumes  of 
observations,  on  almost  all  subjects  in  divinity,  which  either 
occurred  to  him  from  his  own  meditation,  or  from  the  books 
he  read.  He  wrote  these  volumes,  not  with  any  design  they 
should  ever  be  published  in  their  present  form,  but  that  he 
might  retain  thoughts  which  appeared  to  him  worth  preserving, 
both  for  his  own  improvement,  and  for  the  instruction  and  edi- 
fication of  others.  The  judicious  author  of  the  life  of  this  great 
and  good  man,  gave  his  opinion,  that,  from  these  manuscripts, 
a  number  of  volumes  might  be  published,  which,  though  more 
imperfect  than  if  the  author  had  prepared  them  for  public  view, 
would  aiford  much  new  light  and  entertainment  to  the  church 
of  Christ.  The  high  and  well-merited  reputation,  not  only  of 
the  books  prepared  for  the  press  of  the  President,  but  of  the 
sermons  published  since  his  death,  have  occasioned  many  soli- 
citations to  his  son,  Dr.  Edwards,  of  New  Haven,  to  collect  and 
print  such  part  of  those  manuscripts  as  might  be  generally  use- 
ful. In  compliance  with  these  requests,  he  has  not  grudged 
the  labour  of  transcribing  this  volume  of  miscellanies,  which,  if 
it  prove  acceptable,  will  be  followed  by  more,  as  the  Doctor's 
health  and  leisure  permit. 

Many  important  and  original  thoughts  occur,  on  the  evidences 
of  Revealed  Religion. — Moral  and  religious  knowledge  only 
from  revelation. — Christ  and  his  apostles  taught  not  that  the 
last  judgment  was  near. — Jesus's  prophecies,  a  proof  that  he 
was  the  Christ,  and  that  he  was  God. — Propriety  of  the  general 
judgment. — Reasonableness  of  some  particular  doctrines. — 
Miracles  of  Jesus  not  opposed  by  counterfeit  miracles. — Mira- 
cles of  Jesus  superior  to  those  under  the  old  testament. — Much 
instruction  concisely  conveyed  by  scripture  metaphors. — Excel- 
lencies of  scripture  history. — The  propriety  of  gradual  improve- 
ment in  understanding  the  scriptures. — The  propriety  of  room 
being  left  for  discovering  truth  by  scripture  consequences. — The 
necessity  of  divine  revelation  vindicated. — Jesus  proved  the 
Christ,  from  his  destroying  heathen  idolatry  according  to  scrip- 
ture prophecy. — Propagation  of  Mahometanism  not  parallel  to 
that  of  Christianity. — State  of  the  Jewish  nation,  an  evidence  of 
revealed  religion. — Observations  on  Christ's  miracles. — Equally 
striking  and  judicious  are  many  of  the  reflections  on  the  mys- 
teries of  revelation — On  the  trinity  and  the  divinity  of  Christ, 


^00  PREFACE. 

—Many,  therefore,  who  relish  solid  reasoning  on  religious  sub- 
jects, though  not  adorned  with  the  beauties  of  eloquence,  will 
deem  themselves  much  indebted  to  Dr.  Edwards  for  gathering 
these  fragments,  that  nothing  might  be  lost. 

Some,  who  have  purchased  and  read  Archbishop  Tillotson's 
sermons,  Stapferi  Theologia  Polemica,  Bennet's  Inspiration  of 
the  Scriptures,  Grotius  de  Veritate  Religionis  Christians,  Sir 
Isaac  Newton's  Chronology,  Religion  of  Jesus  delineated,  Deism 
revealed,  and  Jones  on  the  Canon,  may  possibly  wish  that  the 
large  quotations  from  them  had  been  omitted.  But  Dr.  Ed- 
wards was  advised  to  publish  them,  as  they  may  prove  an  anti- 
dote to  the  deistical  notions  spreading  in  some  parts  of  Ameri- 
ca, where  these  books  are  in  few  hands.  These  passages  may 
lead  some  to  read  these  books,  who  otherwise  would  not  have 
known  them.  The  President's  originality  of  genious,  and  at- 
tachment to  Calvinist  principles,  did  not  hinder  his  seeking  and 
finding  instruction  in  their  writings,  whose  system  of  theology 
was  very  opposite  to  his.  It  were  well,  if  in  this  he  was  imita- 
ted by  all  who  possess  distinguished  talents,  and  who  boast  of 
liberality  of  sentiment. 

JOHN  ERSKINE, 

Edinburgh,  Sept.  30,  1793. 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS 


ON    IMPORTANT 


THEOLOGICAL,    SUBJECTS, 

ORIGINAL  AND   COLLECTED. 


PART  I. 


OBSERVATIONS    ON    THE   FACTS    AND    EVIDENCES    OF    CHRIS- 
TIANITY,   AND    THE   OBJECTIONS    OF    INFIDELS. 


CHAPTER  I. 


General  Observations. 

§  1.  1  suppose  it  will  be  acknowledged  by  the  Deists,  that  the 
Christian  religion  is  the  most  rational  and  pure  that  ever  was 
established  in  any  society  of  men  ;  and  that  they  will  except 
only  themselves,  as  serving  God  in  a  manner  more  according 
to  the  will  than  the  Christian  manner.  But  can  any  believe 
that  God  has  so  wholly  thrown  away  mankind,  that  there 
never  yet  has  been  a  society  of  men,  that  have  rightly  paid 
respect  to  their  Creator  ? 

It  is  easily  proved  that  the  highest  end  and  happiness  of 
man,  is  to  view  GouVs  excellency,  to  love  him,  and  receive 
expressions  of  his  love.  This  love,  including  all  those  other 
affections  which  depend  upon,  and  are  necessarily  connected 
with  it,  we  express  in  worship.  The  highest  end  of  society 
among  men,  therefore,  must  be,  to  assist  and  join  with  each 
other  in  this  employment.  But  how  comes  it  to  pass,  that  this 
end  of  society  was  never  yet  obtained  among  Deists  ?  Where 
was  ever  any  social  worship  statedly  performed  by  them  1 
And  were  they  disposed  socially  to  express  their  love  and 
honour,  which  way  would  they  go  about  it  ?  They  have  no- 
thing from   God  to  direct  them.     Doubtless  there  would  bf1 

Vol.  VII.  26 


'JU'J  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSKKVATK 

perpetual  dissensions  about  it,  unless  they  were  disposed  to 
fall  in  with  the  Christian  model.  We  may  be  convinced,  there- 
fore, that  revelation  is  necessary  to  right  social  worship. 

§  2.  There  never  was  any  religion  but  that  which  we  profess, 
and  those  formed  from  it,  that  pretended  to  inform  us  of  the 
nature  of  God ;  that  there  is  but  one  God,  how  the  world 
came  into  being,  and  how  God  governs  it.  What  other  re- 
ligion discovered  God's  great  designs  ;  what  is  his  will,  and 
how  he  should  be  served  ?  declared  the  reward  of  obedience, 
and  punishment  of  disobedience  ;  the  nature  of  man's  hap- 
piness, and  the  end  for  which  he  was  made  ?  that  gave  us 
good  moral  rules;  told  us  what  will  become  of  the  world 
hereafter  ;  explained  how  we  came  to  be  sinful  and  miserable, 
and  how  we  may  escape  sin  and  misery  ?  gave  an  account  of 
the  great  revolutions  of  the  world,  and  the  successions  of 
God's  works  in  the  universe ;  and  where  his  true  worshippers 
have  been,  and  what  has  befallen  them  ;  or  informed  us  how 
the  world  came  to  apostatize  from  the  true  worship  of  God  ' 
Christianity  is  the  only  religion  that  ever  pretended  that  there 
should  a  time  come,  when  it  should  be  the  religion  of  the 
world  in  general. 

§  3.  The  Jewish  religion,  as  at  present  professed,  most  cer- 
tainly differs  from  what  reason  evidently  declares  to  be  the 
essence  of  religion.  It  does  not  state  aright  the  highest  end 
and  happiness  of  man,  his  chief  business  and  greatest  misery, 
and  the  true  worship  of  God.  Undoubtedly  the  Messiah  was 
to  come  to  advance  the  best  interest  and  true  happiness  of 
mankind,  which  certainly  consist  in  what  the  gospel  declares 
our  Jesus  advanced,  and  not  in  what  the  Jews  expect  the 
Messiah  will  do. 

§  4.  I  think  it  certain,  that  seeing  the  miracles  of  Christ  were 
done,  for  three  years  and  a  half,  so  publicly  all  over  Judea  ; 
and  seeing  there  was  such  violent  opposition  there,  so  soon 
after,  against  the  Christians  ;  if  the  matters  of  fact  had  been 
false,  they  would  have  been  denied  by  the  Jews  generally  ; 
and  if  this  had  been  the  case,  we  should  have  known  it.  The 
Jews  afterward  would  much  more  have  denied  them  ;  which 
it  is  evident  they  did  not.  If  they  had,  they  would  have  been 
also  denied  by  the  Heathens  who  wrote  against  the  Christians. 
But  they  were  not  denied.  It  is  impossible  that  the  whole 
world  should  have  turned  Christian,  in  three  hundred  years 
after  the  facts  were  so  publicly  done,  if  they  had  been  gene- 
rally false.  If  the  Jews  had  denied  the  matters  of  fact  at  first, 
they  would  undoubtedly  have  denied  them  at  this  day,  seeing 
they  are  so  tenacious  of  the  traditions  of  their  fathers.  Christ's 
resurrection  was  openly  published  within  a  few  days  after  his 
death,  on  the  day  of*  Pentecost.     It  is  undoubted,  that  the 


.MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  !203 

number  of  the  Christians  increased  every  where  exceedingly 
from  that  time ;  so  that  a  considerable  alteration  was  speedily 
made  by  it  in  the  face  of  the  world.  Whether  the  matters  of 
fact  were  written  or  no,  they  were  universally  talked  of.  The 
conversion  of  the  Roman  empire  to  the  Christian  religion,  was 
the  most  remarkable  thing  that  ever  happened  among  the 
nations  of  the  world  ;  and  it  would  be  unaccountable  that  it 
should  have  happened  upon  the  story  of  a  few  obscure  men. 
without  inquiring  into  the  matters  related. 

§  5.  I  am  convinced  of  the  necessity  of  a  revelation,  con- 
sidering how  negligent,  dull,  and  careless  about  a  future  hap- 
piness, 1  should  be,  if  I  was  left  to  discover  that  happiness  by 
unassisted  reason  :  especially  if  there  were  no  revelation  at  all. 
about  what  is  pleasing  to  God  ;  how  he  accepts  our  services : 
after  what  manner  he  loves  his  servants :  how  he  will  pardon 
sin,  &,c. 

§  6.  It  is  certain  that  Jesus  Christ  had  none  of  the  advan- 
tages of  education,  to  get  learning  and  knowledge  ;  and  it  is 
also  certain,  that  every  where  in  his  speeches,  he  showed  an 
uncommon  insight  into  'things,  a  great  knowledge  of  the  true 
nature  of  virtue  and  morality,  and  what  was  most  acceptable  to 
God,  vastly  beyond  the  rest  of  the  nation — take  Scribes  and 
Pharisees  and  all.  And  how  did  he  come  by  it?  how  did  he 
get  it  at  Nazareth  ?  Those  who  have  not  an  education  in 
these  days,  may  get  much  by  books,  which  are  so  common  : 
but  books  of  learning  were  not  to  be  had  then.  Yea,  it  is  evi- 
dent that  he  knew  vastly  more  than  any  of  the  philosophers 
and  wise  men  in  the  whole  world,  by  those  rational  descrip- 
tions which  he  gave  of  God  and  his  attributes  ;  of  his  govern- 
ment and  providence  ;  and  of  man's  nature,  business,  end, 
and  happiness  ;  of  what  is  pleasing  to  God  ;  of  the  immortality 
of  the  soul,  and  a  future  state.  How  knew  he,  so  exactly, 
truths  perhaps  demonstrable  by  reason,  but  never  found  out 
before  ?  &c. 

§  7.  That  Christ  was  really  dead,  appears  from  many  con- 
siderations. It  is  very  unreasonable  to  imagine,  that  he  feign- 
ed himself  dead ;  for,  what  reason  had  he  to  think  that  he 
should  have  success,  if  he  did  ?  or  to  expect  they  would  take 
him  down  before  he  was  quite  dead  ?  Or,  if  he  had  had  such  a 
design,  it  was  impossible  that  he  should  act  his  part  so  ac- 
curately, as  not  to  be  discovered  or  suspected.  Besides,  if  he 
was  not  dead  when  they  took  him  down  from  the  cross,  he 
was  very  near  it ;  and,  no  doubt  but  his  grievous  wounds,  the 
loss  of  blood,  and  fasting  so  long,  would  have  extinguished  his 
life  before  the  third  day.  And  if  then  he  only  rose  out  of  a 
swoon,  how  came  he  perfectly  sound  at  once  ?  Doubtless,  his 
hands  and  feet  were  much  torn  by  bearing  his  weight  so  lonp 


•■204  -OELLANEOUS    OBSERVATION 

on  iron  spikes  driven  through  them.  And  if  he  rose  from  the 
dead  in  no  supernatural  sense,  whither  did  he  go  when  he 
rose  ?  What  became  of  him  ?  We  have  no  account  of  his 
dying  again  :  nor  was  he  yet  to  be  found  after  a  few  weeks. 

§  8.  If  Christianity  was  not  true,  it  would  never  afford 
so  much  matter  for  rational  and  penetrating  minds  to  be  exer- 
cised upon.  If  it  were  false,  such  minds  would  find  it  empty, 
and  it  would  be  a  force  upon  the  intellect  to  set  upon  medi- 
tating upon  that  which  has  no  other  order,  foundation,  and 
mutual  dependence  to  be  discovered  in  its  parts,  than  what  is 
accidental.  A  strong  and  piercing  mind  would  feel  itself  ex- 
ceedingly bound  and  hindered.  But  in  fact,  there  is  the  like 
liberty  in  the  study  of  Christianity,  and  as  much  improvement 
of  the  mind,  as  in  the  study  of  natural  philosophy,  or  any  study 
whatsoever  ;  yea,  a  great  deal  more.  And  whatever  may  be 
said  about  Mahometan  divinity,  I  cannot  be  convinced  but 
that  a  mind  that  has  the  faculty  and  habit  of  clear  and  distinct 
reasoning,  would  find  nothing  but  chains,  fetters,  and  confu- 
sion, if  it  should  pretend  to  fix  its  reason  upon  it. 

§  9.  Seeing  the  beauty  of  the  corporeal  world  consists 
chiefly  in  representing  spiritual  beauties,  and  the  beauties  of 
minds  are  infinitely  the  greatest  ;  we  therefore  may  conclude, 
that  God,  when  he  created  the  world,  showed  his  own  per- 
fection and  beauties  far  the  most  charmingly  and  clearly,  in 
the  spiritual  part  of  the  world.  But  seeing  spiritual  beauty 
consists  principally  in  virtue  and  holiness  ;  and  seeing  there  is 
so  little  of  this  beauty  to  be  seen  now  on  earth  ;  hence  we  may 
fairly  conclude,  that  there  has  been  a  great  fall  and  defection 
in  this  part  of  the  spiritual  world,  from  its  primitive  beauty  and 
charms. 

Corollary.  Seeing  this  is  so  agreeable  to  the  account  that 
the  Christian  religion  gives  of  the  matter ;  and  seeing  it  is  evi- 
dent from  many  arguments,  that  God  intends  not  to  give  over 
man  as  lost,  but  has  a  merciful  intention  of  restoring  him  to 
his  primitive  beauty  ;  and  seeing  we  are  told  this,  and  the 
manner  of  it,  in  the  Christian  religion  alone ;  and  seeing  the 
account  is  so  rational  :  it  is  a  great  confirmation  of  the  truth 
of  Christianity. 

§  10.  It  is  a  convincing  argument  for  the  truth  of  the 
Christian  religion,  and  that  it  stands  upon  a  most  sure  basis, 
that  none  have  ever  yet  been  able  to  prove  it  false,  though 
there  have  been  many  men  of  all  sorts,  many  fine  wits  and 
men  of  great  learning,  that  have  spent  themselves  and  ran- 
sacked the  world  for  arguments  against  it,  and  this  for  many 
ages. 

§  11.  It  is  exceedingly  improbable,  that  it  should  ever  enter 
into  the  head  of  any  mortal,  to  invent  such  a  strange  system 


.MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  "205 

of  visions,  as  that  of  the  Revelation  of  Saint  John,  of  which 
he  himself  could  give  no  account  of  the  meaning  or  design, 
and  did  not  pretend  to  it.  What  design  could  he  have  in  it  1 
But  if  he  had  a  design,  the  frame  of  the  visions  is  not  a  whit 
like  a  random  invention,  without  any  view  or  design  as  to  in- 
terpretation. 

§  12.  It  does  not  seem  to  me  at  all  likely,  that  any  person 
among  the  Jews,  so  long  ago,  should  have  so  perfect  a  know- 
ledge of  nature,  and  the  secret  springs  of  human  affections,  as 
to  be  able  to  feign  any  thing  so  perfectly  and  exquisitely  agree- 
able to  nature,  as  the  incidents  in  Joseph's  history,  and  the 
other  histories  of  the  Bible  ;  particularly  the  history  of  Genesis. 

§  13.  Such  kind  of  miracles,  as  healing  the  sick,  the  blind, 
the  deaf,  dumb,  lame,  &c. ;  and  creating  bread  and  flesh,  and 
turning  water  into  wine,  are  greater  than  those  that  are  so 
much  more  pompous,  as  causing  universal  darkness,  dividing 
the  sea,  the  shaking  and  burning  of  Mount  Sinai,  &c.  The 
healing  of  the  sick  and  distracted,  do  more  especially  manifest 
divine  power,  for  this  cause,  that  we  have  reason  to  conclude 
mankind  especially  are  subject  to  God's  providence,  and  that 
their  health  and  the  exercise  of  their  reason,  are  alone  in  his 
hands,  and  that  it  is  not  in  the  power  of  any  evil  spirit  to  give 
them  and  take  them  at  his  pleasure,  however  great  power  he 
may  be  supposed  to  have  over  the  inanimate  creatures. 

When  a  person  appears,  that  has  evidently  the  whole  course 
of  nature  at  all  times  subject  to  his  command,  so  that  he  can 
alter  it  how  and  when  he  pleases,  we  have  the  greatest  reason 
to  think  that  person  has  divine  authority,  and  that  the  author 
and  upholder  of  nature  favours  him,  and  gives  approbation  to 
what  he  pretends  thereby.  For  we  know,  that  the  course  of 
nature  is  God's  established  course  of  acting  upon  creatures  ; 
and  we  cannot  think  that  he  would  give  power  to  any  evil 
spirit  to  alter  it  when  he  pleases,  for  evil  purposes.  But 
Christ  manifestly  had  the  course  of  nature  so  subject  to  his 
will  and  command. 

§  14.  It  would  not  have  been  proper  for  Christ  constantly 
to  dwell  among  men  after  his  resurrection.  Men  would  be 
exceedingly  apt  to  fall  into  idolatry ;  and,  because  they  saw 
the  man  Christ  Jesus,  would  be  apt  to  direct  their  worship  to 
the  human  nature.  Therefore,  we  are  not  to  see  the  man 
Christ  Jesus  till  we  are  perfected,  and  are  not  liable  to  temp- 
tation on  such  occasions.  For  this  reason,  probably,  it  was 
not  convenient  for  Christ  to  appear  in  great  majesty  and  glory 
when  on  earth,  but  the  contrary  ;  for  this  reason,  Christ  en- 
deavoured to  hide  his  transfiguration,  and  many  other  mira- 
cles, till  after  he  was  risen  ;  and,  for  this  reason,  he  did  not 
converse  constantly  with  his  disciples  after  his  resurrection,  as 


;j06  miscellaneous  observations 

before.      All  these  things  were  done  in  a  manner  the  most 
wise  and  fit  that  can  be  imagined. 

§  15.  If  human  reason,  by  any  thing  that  has  happened 
since  the  creation,  be  really  very  much  corrupted  ;  and,  if 
God  is  still  propitious,  and  does  not  throw  us  off,  but  reserves 
us  for  that  end  for  which  he  made  us ;  it  cannot  be  imagined 
that  he  would  leave  us  to  our  reason,  as  the  only  rule  to  guide 
us  in  that  business,  which  is  the  highest  end  of  life:  For  it  is 
not  to  be  depended  upon ;  and  yet  we  exceedingly  need 
something  that  may  be  depended  upon  in  reference  to  our 
everlasting  welfare.  It  does  not  seem  to  me  reasonable  to 
suppose,  that  if  God  be  merciful  after  we  have  forfeited  his 
favour,  he  will  manifest  his  mercy  only  in  some  mitigations  of 
that  misery  into  which  we  have  plunged  ourselves,  leaving  us 
inevitably  to  endure  the  rest :  but  that  he  will  quite  restore  us, 
in  case  of  our  acceptance  of  his  offered  favour. 

§  16.  It  seems  much  the  most  rational  to  suppose,  that  the 
universal  law  by  which  mankind  are  to  be  governed,  should  be' 
a  written  law.  For  if  that  rule,  by  which  G©d  intends  the 
world  shall  be  regulated,  and  kept  in  decent  and  happy  order, 
be  supposed  to  be  expressed  no  other  way  than  by  nature  : 
man's  prejudices  will  render  it,  in  innumerable  circumstances, 
a  most  uncertain  thing.  For  though  "  it  must  be  granted,  that 
men  who  are  willing  to  transgress,  may  abuse  written  as  well  as 
unwritten  laws,  and  expound  them  so  as  may  best  serve  their 
turn  upon  occasion  ;  yet,  it  must  be  allowed,  that,  in  the  nature 
of  the  thing,  revelation  is  a  better  guard  than  a  bare  scheme 
of  principles  without  it.  For  men  must  take  more  pains  to 
conquer  the  sense  of  a  standing,  written  law,  which  is  ready  to 
confront  them  upon  all  occasions.  They  must  more  industri- 
ously tamper  with  their  passions,  and  blind  their  understand- 
ings, before  they  can  bring  themselves  to  believe  what  they 
have  a  mind  to  believe,  in  contradiction  to  the  words  of  an 
express  and  formal  declaration  of  God  Almighty's  will,  than 
there  can  be  any  pretence  or  occasion  for,  when  they  have  no 
more  than  their  own  thoughts  and  ideas  to  manage.  These 
are  flexible  things,  and  a  man  may  much  more  easily  turn  and 
wind  them  as  he  pleases,  than  he  can  evade  a  plain  and  posi- 
tive law,  which  determines  the  kinds  and  measures  of  his 
duty,  and  threatens  disobedience  in  such  terms  as  require  long 
practice  and  experience  to  make  handsome  salvos  and  dis- 
tinctions to  get  over."*  And,  upon  this  account,  also,  that  it 
is  fit  in  every  case,  when  the  law  is  made  known,  that  also  the 
sanctions,  the  rewards,  and  punishments,  should  be  known  at 
the  same  time.  But  nature  could  never  have  determined  these 
with  any  certainty. 

:  Ditton  on  the  Resurrection. 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS'.  207 

^  17.  Raising  the  dead  to  life,  is  given  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, as  a  certain  proof  of  the  authority  and  mission  of  a 
prophet ;  and  that  what  he  says  is  the  truth,  i  Kings  xvii.  24. 
"  And  the  woman  said  to  Elijah,  By  this  I  know  that  thou  art 
a  man  of  God,  and  that  the  word  of  the  Lord  in  thy  mouth  is 
truth."  So  that,  if  the  Old  Testament  is  the  word  of  God, 
Jesus  was  a  true  prophet. 

§  18.  The  being  of  God  is  evident  by  the  Scriptures,  and 
the  Scriptures  themselves  are  an  evidence  of  their  own  divine 
authority,  after  the  same  manner  as  the  existence  of  a  human 
thinking  being  is  evident  by  the  motions,  behaviour,  and  speech 
of  a  body  animated  by  a  rational  mind.  For  we  know  this  no 
otherwise,  than  by  the  consistency,  harmony,  and  concurrence 
of  the  train  of  actions  and  sounds,  and  their  agreement  to  all 
that  we  can  suppose  to  be  in  a  rational  mind.  These  are  a 
clear  evidence  of  understanding  and  design,  which  are  the 
original  of  these  actions.  There  is  that  universal  harmony, 
'consent,  and  concurrence  in  the  drift,  such  an  universal  ap- 
pearance of  a  wonderful  and  glorious  design,  such  stamps 
every  where  of  exalted  wisdom,  majesty,  and  holiness,  in 
matter,  manner,  contexture,  and  aim ;  that  the  evidence  is  the 
same ;  that  the  scriptures  are  the  word  and  work  of  a  divine 
mind1 — to.one  that  is  thoroughly  acquainted  with  them — as  that 
the  words  and  actions  of  an  understanding  man  are  from  a 
rational  mind.  An  infant,  when  it  first  comes  into  the  world, 
sees  persons  act,  and  hears  their  voice,  before  it  has  so  much 
comprehension  as  to  see  something  of  their  consistence,  har- 
mony, and  concurrence.  It  makes  no  distinction  between  their 
bodies,  and  other  things  ;  their  motions  and  sounds,  and  the 
motions  and  sounds  of  inanimate  things.  But  as  its  compre- 
hension increases,  the  understanding  and  design  begin  to  ap- 
pear. So  it  is  with  men  that  are  as  little  acquainted  with  the 
scriptures,  as  infants  with  the  actions  of  human  bodies.  They 
cannot  see  any  evidence  of  a  divine  mind,  as  the  original  of  it ; 
because  they  have  not  comprehension  enough  to  apprehend 
the  harmony,  wisdom,  &c. 

§  19.  Were  it  not  for  divine  revelation,  I  am  persuaded, 
that  there  is  no  one  doctrine  of  that  which  we  call  natural 
religion,  which,  notwithstanding  all  philosophy  and  learning, 
would  not  be  for  ever  involved  in  darkness,  doubts,  endless 
disputes,  and  dreadful  confusion.  Many  things,  now  they  are 
revealed,  seem  very  plain.  It  is  one  thing,  to  see  that  a  truth 
is  exceedingly  agreeable  to  reason,  after  we  have  had  it  ex- 
plained to  us,  and  have  been  told  the  reasons  of  it ;  and  ano- 
ther, to  find  it  out,  and  clearly  and  certainly  to  explain  it  by 
mere  reason.  It  is  one  thing,  to  prove  a  thing  after  we  arc 
shown  how  ;  and  another,  to  find  it  out,  and  prove  it  of  our- 
selves, 


"iOS  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS. 

If  there  never  had  been  any  revelation,  I  believe  the  world 
would  have  been  full  of  endless  disputes  about  the  very  being 
of  a  God  ;  whether  the  world  was  from  eternity  or  not ;  and 
whether  the  form  and  order  of  the  world  did  not  result  from 
the  mere  nature  of  matter.  Ten  thousand  different  schemes 
there  would  have  been  about  it.  And,  if  it  were  allowed  that 
there  was  a  first  cause  of  all  things,  there  would  have  been 
endless  disputes,  and  abundance  of  uncertainty,  to  determine 
what  sort  of  a  thing  that  first  cause  was.  Some,  it  may  be: 
would  have  thought  that  it  was  properly  an  intelligent  mind 
and  a  voluntary  agent.  Others  might  say,  that  it  was  some 
principle  of  things,  of  which  we  could  have  no  kind  of  ideas. 
Some  would  have  called  it  a  voluntary  agent:  some,  a  princi- 
ple exerting  itself  by  a  natural  necessity.  There  might  have 
been  many  schemes  contrived  about  this,  and  some  would 
like  one  best,  and  some  another  ;  and,  amongst  those  that  held, 
that  the  original  of  all  things  was  superior  intelligence  and 
will,  rhere  probably  would  have  been  everlasting  doubts  and 
disputes,  whether  there  was  one  only,  or  more.  Some,  perhaps, 
would  have  said,  there  was  but  one ;  some,  that  there  were 
two ;  the  one,  the  principle  of  good  ;  the  other,  the  principle 
of  evil :  others,  that  there  was  a  society,  or  a  world  of  them. 
And,  among  those  that  held,  that  there  was  but  one  mind, 
there  would  be  abundance  of  uncertainty  what  sort  of  a  being- 
he  was;  whether  he  was  good,  or  evil  ;  whether  he  was  just, 
or  unjust ;  holy  or  wicked  ;  gracious  or  cruel ;  or,  whether  he 
was  partly  good,  and  partly  evil ;  and  how  far  he  concerned 
himself  with  the  world,  after  he  had  made  it ;  and  how  far 
things  were  owing  to  his  providence,  or  whether  at  all  ;  how 
far  he  concerned  himself  with  mankind  ;  what  was  pleasing  to 
him  in  them,  and  what  was  displeasing ;  or  whether  he  cared 
any  thing  about  it ;  whether  he  delighted  in  justice  and  order, 
or  not ;  and  whether  he  would  reward  the  one,  and  punish  the 
other  ;  and  how,  and  when,  and  where,  and  to  what  degree. 
There  would  have  been  abundance  of  doubt  and  dispute  con- 
cerning what  this  mind  expected  from  us,  and  how  we  should 
behave  towards  him  ;  or  whether  he  expected  we  should  any- 
wise  concern  ourselves  with  him  :  whether  we  ever  ought  to 
apply  ourselves  to  him  any  way ;  whether  we  ought  to  speak 
to  him,  as  expecting  that  he  would  take  any  notice  of  us  :  how 
we  should  show  our  respect  to  him;  whether  we  ought  to 
praise  and  commend  him  in  our  addresses  ;  whether  we  ought 
to  ask  that  of  him  which  we  need ;  whether  or  no  he  would 
forgive  any,  after  they  had  offended  him ;  when  they  had 
reason  to  think  they  were  forgiven,  and  what  they  should  do 
that  they  might  be  forgiven  ;  and  whether  it  is  ever  worth  the 
while  for  them  that  are  so  often  offending,  to  try  for  it ;  whether 
there  were  not  some  sins  so  great,  that  God  never  would,  upon 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  209 

any  terms,  forgive  them,  and  how  great  they  must  be  in  order 
to  that.  Men  would  be  exceedingly  at  a  loss  to  know  when 
they  were  in  favour  with  him,  and  upon  what  terms  they  could 
be  in  his  favour.  They  would  be  in  a  dreadful  uncertainty 
about  a  future  state  ;  whether  there  be  any,  and,  if  there  be, 
whether  it  is  a  state  of  rewards  and  punishments  ;  and,  if  it  is, 
what  kind  of  state  it  is,  and  how  men  are  to  be  rewarded  and 
punished,  to  what  degree,  and  how  long ;  whether  man's  soul 
be  eternal  or  not  and,  if  it  be,  whether  it  is  to  remain  in  ano- 
ther world  in  a  fixed  state,  or  change  often. 

Every  nan  would  plead  for  the  lawfulness  of  this  or  that 
practice,  just  as  suited  his  fancy,  and  agreed  with  his  interest 
and  appetites  ;  and  there  would  be  room  for  a  great  deal  of 
uncertainty  and  difference  of  opinion  among  those  that  were 
most  speculative  and  impartial.  There  would  be  uncertainty, 
in  a  multitude  of  instances,  what  was  just,  and  what  unjust. 
It  would  be  very  uncertain  how  fir  self-interest  should  govern 
men,  and  how  far  love  to  our  neighbour ;  how  far  revenge 
would  be  right,  and  whether  or  no  a  man  might  hate  his 
neighbour,  and  for  what  causes :  what  degree  of  passion  and 
ambition  was  justifiable  and  laudable  :  what  sensual  enjoy- 
ments were  lawful,  and  what  not :  how  far  we  ought  to  honour, 
respect,  and  submit  to  our  parents,  and  other  superiors :  how 
far  it  would  be  lawful  to  dissemble  and  deceive.  It  seems  to 
me,  there  would  be  infinite  confusion  in  these  things  ;  and  that 
there  would  hardly  be  any  such  thing  as  conscience  in  the 
world. 

The  world  has  had  a  great  deal  of  experience  of  the  neces- 
sity of  a  revelation ;  we  may  see  it  in  all  ages,  that  have  been 
without  a  revelation.  In  what  gross  darkness  and  brutal  stu- 
pidity have  such  places,  in  these  matters,  always  been  over- 
whelmed !  and  how  many  and  how  great  and  foolish  mistakes, 
and  what  endless  uncertainty  and  differences  of  opinion  have 
there  been  among  the  most  learned  and  philosophical !  Yet, 
there  never  was  a  real  trial  how  it  would  be  with  mankind  in 
this  respect,  without  having  any  thing  from  revelation.  I  be- 
lieve that  most  of  those  parts  of  natural  religion,  that  were 
held  by  the  Heathens  before  Christ,  were  owing  to  tradition 
from  those  of  their  forefathers  who  had  the  light  of  revelation, 
And  many  of  those  being  most  evidently  agreeable  to  reason, 
were  more  easily  upheld  and  propagated.  Many  of  their  wise 
men  who  had  influence  and  rule  over  them,  saw  their  rectitude 
and  agreeableness  to  reason  better  than  others.  Some  of 
them  travelled  much,  and  those  things  which  appeared  most 
agreeable  to  their  reason,  they  transplanted  to  their  own  coun- 
try. Judea  was  a  sort  of  light  among  the  nations,  though 
they  did  not  know  it.  The  practice  and  principles  of  that 
country,   kept  the  neighbouring  nations   in  remembrance  of 

Vol.  VII.  27 


210  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS. 

traditions,  which  they  had  from  their  forefathers ;  and  so  kept 
them  from  degenerating  so  much  as  otherwise  they  would  have 
done.  In  fact,  the  philosophers  had  the  foundation  of  most  of 
their  truths,  from  the  ancients,  or  from  the  Phoenicians,  or  what 
they  picked  up  here  and  there  of  the  relics  of  revelation. 

How  came  all  the  Heathen  nations  to  agree  in  the  custom 
of  sacrificing  ?  The  light  of  nature  did  not  teach  it  them  ; 
without  doubt,  they  had  it  from  tradition  ;  and,  therefore,  it 
need  not  seem  strange,  that  what  of  natural  religion  they  had 
amongst  them,  came  the  same  way.  I  am  persuaded,  that 
mankind  would  have  been  like  a  herd  of  beasts,  with  respect 
to  their  knowledge  in  all  important  truths,  if  there  never  had 
been  any  such  thing  as  revelation  in  the  world  ;  and  that  they 
never  would  have  risen  out  of  their  brutality.  We  see,  that 
those  who  live  at  the  greatest  distance  from  revelation,  are  far 
the  most  brutish.  The  Heathens  in  America,  and  in  some  of 
the  utmost  parts  of  Asia  and  Africa,  are  far  more  barbarous 
than  those  who  formerly  lived  in  Rome,  Greece,  Egypt,  Syria, 
and  Chaldea.  Their  traditions  are  more  worn  out,  and  they 
are  more  distant  from  places  enlightened  with  revelation. 
The  Chinese,  descended  probably  from  the  subjects  of  Noah, 
that  holy  man,  have  held  more  by  tradition  from  him,  than 
other  nations,  and  so  have  been  a  more  civilized  people.  The 
increase  of  learning  and  philosophy  in  the  Christian  world,  is 
owing  to  revelation.  The  doctrines  of  revealed  religion,  are 
the  foundation  of  all  useful  and  excellent  knowledge.  The 
word  of  God  leads  barbarous  nations  into  the  way  of  using 
their  understandings.  It  brings  their  minds  into  a  way  of 
reflecting  and  abstracted  reasoning ;  and  delivers  from  uncer- 
tainty in  the  first  principles,  such  as,  the  being  of  God,  the 
dependence  of  all  things  upon  him,  being  subject  to  his  influ- 
ence and  providence,  and  being  ordered  by  his  wisdom.  Such 
principles  as  these,  are  the  basis  of  all  true  philosophy,  as  ap- 
pears more  and  more,  as  philosophy  improves.  Revelation 
delivers  mankind  from  that  distraction  and  confusion,  which 
discourages  all  attempts  to  improve  in  knowledge.  Revelation 
actually  gives  men  a  most  rational  account  of  religion  and 
morality,  and  the  highest  philosophy,  and  all  the  greatest 
things  that  belong  to  learning,  concerning  God,  the  world, 
human  nature,  spirits,  providence,  time,  and  eternity.  Reve- 
lation not  only  gives  us  the  foundation  and  first  principles  of 
all  learning,  but  it  gives  us  the  end,  the  only  end,  that  would 
be  sufficient  to  move  man  to  the  pursuit. 

Revelation  redeems  nations  from  a  vicious,  sinful,  and  bru- 
tish way  of  living,  which  will  effectually  keep  out  learning.  It 
is,  therefore,  unreasonable  to  suppose,  that  philosophy  might 
supply  the  defect  of  revelation.     Knowledge  is  easy  to  us  that 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS,  'ill 

understand  by  revelation  ;  but  we  do  not  know  what  brutes  we 
should  have  been,  if  there  never  had  been  any  revelation. 

§  40.  As  Moses  was  so  intimately  conversant  with  God,  and 
so  continually  under  the  divine  conduct,  it  cannot  be  thought, 
that  when  he  wrote  the  history  of  the  creation  and  fall  of  man, 
and  the  history  of  the  church  from  the  creation,  he  should  not 
be  under  the  divine  direction  in  such  an  affair. 

§  41.  It  is  certainly  necessary,  that,  in  the  word  of  God,  we 
should  have  a  history  of  the  life  of  Christ,  of  his  incarnation, 
his  death,  his  resurrection  and  ascension,  and  his  actions,  and 
of  the  instructions  he  gave  the  world. 

If  God  expects  that  we  shall  receive  any  New  Testament 
at  ail,  we  must  suppose  that  God's  providence  would  be  con- 
cerned in  this  matter.  God  took  this  care  with  respect  to  the 
books  of  the  Old  Testament,  that  no  books  should  be  received 
by  the  Jewish  church,  and  delivered  down  in  the  canon  of  the 
O. •■  Testament,  but  what  were  his  word,  and  owned  by  Christ. 
We  may,  therefore,  conclude,  that  he  would  still  take  the  same 
care  of  his  church,  with  respect  to  the  New  Testament. 

§  24.  It  seems  to  me  an  unaccountable  dulness,  that  when 
intelligent  men  read  David's  psalms,  and  other  prayers  and 
songs  of  the  Old  Testament,  they  are  not  at  once  convinced, 
that  the  Jews  had  the  true  worship  and  communion  of  the 
One  great  and  holy  God  ;  and  that  no  other  nation  upon  earth 
had  them  It  seems  as  clear  as  the  sun  at  noon-day ;  and  so 
indeed  from  all  the  histories  and  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. 

§  43.  We  need  not  wonder  at  all,  that  God  should  so  often 
reveal  himself  by  prophets  and  miracles,  to  the  Israelitish  na- 
tion, and  that  now  we  should  see  nothing  of  this  nature ;  for 
this  way  of  revealing  himself  is  not  at  all  suitable  to  the  pre- 
sent state  of  the  church.  The  church  was  then  confined  to 
one  particular  nation,  that  God  chose  on  purpose  to  make 
them  the  receptacle  of  his  revelation,  and  the  conveyancer  of 
it  to  the  rest  of  the  world.  And  I  can  think  of  no  other  way 
that  it  could  be  done  with  any  tolerable  convenience,  but  by 
a  chosen  peculiar  nation,  that  should  alone  be  God's  people, 
and  have  the  true  religion  among  them.  Therefore,  it  was 
highly  convenient  and  necessary,  that  there  should  be  such  a 
manner  of  communication,  with  such  a  nation.  It  was  also 
necessary,  in  the  first  transition  of  this  revelation  from  the 
Jews  to  the  world,  as  it  was  in  the  apostles'  times,  that  the 
world,  receiving  this  revelation  from  them,  might  see  God  still 
revealing  himself;  and  so  might  receive  it  from  God,  in  the 
same  manner  as  they  received  it.  .But  that  God  should  now 
reveal  himself  after  that  manner  to  his  church,  is  no  way  ne- 
cessary, nor  at  all  suitable  to  the  gospel  state  of  the  church, 
which  is  not  any  particular  inclosure,  but  is  dispersed  through, 


'.J12  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS. 

the  whole  world.  How  is  it  practicable  that  God  should  treat 
with  the  church  now,  in  such  a  way  as  he  did  with  that  pecu- 
liar nation  ?  Besides,  if  it  were  practicable,  it  would  be  very 
inexpedient ;  for,  what  need  of  new  revelations  to  the  end  of 
the  world  ?  Is  it  not  better  that  God  should  give  the  world  a 
book,  that  should  be  the  summary  of  his  will,  to  which  all 
nations  in  all  ages  may  resort  ?  Prophecy  and  miracles  are 
nothing  without  charity  ;  like  the  shadow  without  the  sub- 
stance :  and,  seeing  the  substance  is  come,  what  need  the 
shadow  should  be  continued  ?  Seeing  the  end  is  come,  it 
would  be  impertinent  still  to  continue  the  means.  The  church 
now  enjoys  that  glory,  in  comparison  with  which  all  the  glory 
of  prophecy  and  miracles,  even  those  of  that  extraordinary 
prophet,  Moses,  is  no  glory  at  all :   2  Cor.  iii.  10. 

§  24.  If  there  be  any  such  thing  needful,  or  at  all  proper 
and  suitable,  that  God  should  reveal  himself  to  mankind,  it  is 
perhaps  impossible  that  he  should  do  it  in  any  other  way,  or 
with  any  other  kind  of  evidence,  than  he  has  done  it.  No 
kind  of  miracle  can  be  thought  of,  that  would  be  more  evi- 
dential, than  those  by  which  Christianity  has  been  confirmed. 

§  25.  It  is  no  argument  against  the  reality  of  the  incarna- 
tion of  Jesus  Christ — whereby  God  became  the  same  person 
with  a  man — that  there  is  nothing  else  like  it  any  where  to  be 
seen ;  because  it  was  evidently  God's  design  to  show  his  wis- 
dom, by  doing  a  thing  that  was,  and  for  ever  would  have  been, 
far  beyond  the  thoughts  of  any  creatures.  Man's  fall  was 
God's  opportunity  to  show  how  far  his  contrivance  and  wis- 
dom was  beyond  that  of  all  creatures. 

§  26.  It  was  often  prophesied  among  the  children  of  Israel, 
that  the  gods  of  the  nations  round  about,  should  perish  from  off' 
the  earth  ;  and  that  they  should  cease  to  be  acknowledged  and 
worshipped  :  but  that  the  worship  and  acknowledgment  oftheir 
God  should  remain  for  ever,  and  should,  in  due  time,  take 
place  of  those  others.  Jer.  x.  11.  "  The  gods  that  have  not 
made  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  even  they  shall  perish  from 
the  earth,  and  from  under  these  heavens,"  This  came  to  pass 
by  means  of  the  Christian  religion.  It  is  Christ's  appearing, 
and  the  preaching  of  his  doctrine  in  the  world,  that  has  been 
the  means  of  it  all.  It  is  by  means  of  these,  that  the  Maho- 
metan parts  of  the  world  came  to  acknowledge  the  One  God  : 
and  it  is  by  these  means,  that  even  the  Deists  come  to  it. — 
Again,  it  has  been  only  by  means  of  Jesus  Christ's  appearing 
and  teaching,  that  the  world  ever  came  to  have  any  clear,  dis- 
tinct, and  rational  notions  about  a  future  state  ;  notions  every 
way  agreeable  to  reason. 

It  is  a  confirmation  that  God  designed  the  Christian  religion 
should  succeed  the  Jewish  ;  that,  speedily  after  the  introduction 
of  the  Christian  religion,  God.  in  his  providence,  by  the  destruc- 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  213 

lion  of  the  temple,  and  dispersion  of  the  Jewish  nation,  made 
that  religion  impracticable.  It  was  prophesied  of  old,  that 
God  should  be  acknowledged  and  worshipped  by  other  nations, 
and  that  other  nations  were  to  be  God's  people.  Therefore, 
there  was  a  religion  to  succeed  the  Jewish,  very  different  as  to 
externa]  worship  ;  because  the  Jewish  religion  was  nor  fitted 
for  more  than  a  single  nation  :  nor  is  it  practicable  by  the  world 
in  general.  But  the  Christian  religion  is  exceedingly  fitted  for 
universal  practice. 

§27.  There  are  these  things  remarkable  in  Christ's  raising 
Lazarus  from  the  dead,  John  xi ;  viz.  that  he  called  upon  God, 
before  he  did  it,  to  do  it  for  him  ;  and  thanked  him  that  he  had 
heard  him ;  and  told  him,  that,  he  knew  that  he  heard  him 
always  :  and  when  he  spake  to  him  he  called  him  father  ;  and 
told  him  that  he  spake  to  him  for  that  end,  that  others  that 
stood  by,  when  they  should  see  that  what  he  asked  of  him,  was 
granted  in  such  an  extraordinary  thing,  might  believe  that  he 
sent  him.  Now,  can  it  be  imagined,  that  God  would  thus  hear 
an  impostor  ? 

§  28.  It  is  an  evidence  that  the  apostles  had  their  doctrine 
from  inspiration  of  some  invisible  guide  and  instructer,  that 
there  was  such  a  vast  and  apparent  difference  made  in  them  at 
once  after  Pentecost.  They  were  illiterate,  simple,  undesign- 
ing,  ignorant  men  before ;  but  afterward,  how  do  they  express 
themselves  in  their  speeches  and  epistles  !  they  do  not  speak  as 
being  in  the  least  at  a  lost  about  the  scheme  of  salvation,  and 
the  gospel  mysteries.  With  what  authority  do  they  teach  !  in 
how  learned  and  intelligent  a  manner  !  How  came  Saul  by 
his  scheme,  and  by  all  his  knowledge  of  the  christian  doctrines 
and  mysteries,  immediately  upon  his  conversion  ? 

§  29.  Christ  joined  pardoning  sins  with  his  healing  the  sick. 
When  one  came  to  be  healed,  he  first  told  him,  that  his  sins 
were  forgiven  ;  and  when  the  Jews  found  fault  that  he  should 
pretend  to  forgive  sins,  then,  immediately,  he  heals  the  person's 
diseaset  that  they  might  believe  that  he  had  the  power  to  for- 
give sins,  and  tells  them  that  he  does  it  for  this  end.  Matth. 
ix.  2.  Mark  ii.  3.  Luke  v.  18.  Now  if  Christ  were  an  impostor, 
can  it  be  believed,  that  God  would  so  countenance  such  horrid 
blasphemy  as  this  would  be,  to  enable  him  to  cure  the  disease 
by  speaking  a  word,  a  work  which  God  appropriates  to  himself 
as  his  own  ?  Psal.  ciii.  3.  Would  God  give  an  impostor  this 
attestation  to  a  blasphemous  lie,  when  he  pretended  to  do  it  as 
an  attestation  to  his  divine  mission  ? 

§  30.  Christ  by  the  works  which  he  wrought,  showed  that  he 
had  an  absolute  and  sovereign  power  over  the  course  of  nature, 
and  over  the  spiritual  and  invisible  world,  and  over  the  bodies 
and  souls  of  men.  It  was  not  so  with  other  prophets ;  they 
could  not  work  what  miracles  they  pleased,  and  when  they 


314  MISCELLANEOUS   OBSERVATIONS,. 

pleased.  They  could  work  miracles,  only  when  they  were  ex- 
cited and  directed  to  it  by  a  special  command  or  impulse  from 
heaven.  Rut  Christ  wrought  them  as  of  his  own  power  at  all 
times.  Men  came  to  him,  under  the  notion  that  he  was  able  ; 
and  Christ  required  that  they  should  believe  in  order  to  it  ;  to 
which  never  any  prophet  pretended.  Moses  was  shut  out  of 
the  land  of  Canaan,  partly  for  working  a  miracle  in  his  own 
name,  and  not  sanctifying  the  Lord  God.  "  Must  we  fetch 
water  out  of  this  rock  ?"  The  prophets  never  pretended  that 
they  themselves  had  properly  any  power  to  work  miracles  ;  but 
disclaimed  it.  God  never  subjected  the  course  of  nature  to 
them,  to  work  miracles  by  their  own  word  and  command  upon 
all  occasions.  Care  was  taken  in  all  the  miracles  wrought  by 
the  prophets,  that  it  should  be  visible,  that  what  was  done,  was 
done  only  by  God  ;  and  that  what  they  said  or  did,  upon  which 
the  miracle  was  wrought,  was  by  particular  revelation  from 
heaven.  They  who  came  to  Christ  that  he  might  work  mira- 
cles for  them,  did  it  in  the  faith,  that  by  his  own  power  and 
holiness  he  was  able  to  do  it  for  them.  The  leper  said,  Matth. 
viii.  2,  "  Lord,  if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  clean.1'  He 
believed  that  Christ  could  work  miracles,  when  he  would. 
This  Christ  approved  of,  Matth.  viii.  8.  "  But  speak  the  word 
only,  and  my  servant  shall  be  healed.,,  Matth.  ix.  18.  "  My 
daughter  is  even  now  dead  ;  but  come  and  lay  thine  hand  on 
her,  and  she  shall  live.  Matth.  ix.  28.  "  Believe  ye  that  I 
am  able  to  do  this  ?  they  said  unto  him,  Yea,  Lord.11  Matth. 
ix.  21.  "  If  I  may  but  touch  his  garment,  I  shall  be  whole." 
In  Matth.  xvi.  9,  Christ  reproves  his  disciples,  because  they 
were  afraid  of  wanting  bread,  not  remembering  how  he  had 
fed  multitudes  in  the  wilderness:  which  implies,  that  he  was 
able  to  do  the  like  again  when  he  pleased.  He  cast  out  devils 
as  of  his  own  power  and  authority  ;  Mark  i.  27.  u  With  autho- 
rity commandeth  he  even  the  unclean  spirits,  and  they  do  obey 
him."  And  Christ,  as  having  power  of  his  own  to  work  mira- 
cles, gave  power  to  his  disciples,  as  Matth.  x.  Mark  iii.  14,  and 
vi.  7,  &c.  and  Luke  ix  and  x ;  and  so  miracles  were  wrought 
in  Christ's  name,  by  the  apostles,  and  many  other  disciples. 
Moses  did  not  in  the  least  pretend  to  any  such  thing.  But 
Christ  did  pretend,  and  he  declares  himself  fellow  with  God 
in  working ;  John  v.  17.  "  My  father  worketh  hitherto,  and  1 
work." 

§  31.  If  there  must  be  a  revelation,  it  is  convincing,  that  the 
Christian  revelation  is  the  true  one  ;  that  it  has  been  by  means 
of  this  revelation,  and  this  only,  that  the  world  has  come  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  one  only  true  God.  Till  this  came,  all  the 
world  lay  in  ignorance  of  him.  But  when  this  came,  it  was 
successful  to  bring  the  world  to  the  acknowledgment  of  him. 
If  there  be  a  true  revelation  in  the  world,  it  is  not  to  be  suppo- 


MISCELLANEOUS'    OBSERVATIONS.  215 

sed,  that  by  a  false  one,  an  imposture,  the  world  should  come 
to  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God.  If  the  Christian  revelation 
be  not  the  proper  means  to  bring  the  world  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  true  God,  it  is  strange  that  the  world,  which  was  before 
ignorant  ot  him,  should  be  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  him  by 
it ;  and  no  part  of  it  ever  be  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  him 
by  any  other  means. 

§  32.  It  is  an  argument  for  the  truth  of  the  Christian  revela- 
tion, that  there  is  nothing  else  that  informs  us,  what  God  de- 
signs by  that  series  of  revolutions  and  events  that  are  brought 
to  pass  in  the  world  :  what  end  he  seeks,  and  what  scheme  he 
has  laid  out;  agreeably  to  the  challenge  which  God  makes  to 
the  gods,  and  prophets,  and  teachers  of  the  heathen  world,  Isa. 
xli.  22,  23.  It  is  most  fit,  that  the  intelligent  beings  of  the 
world  should  be  made  acquainted  with  it.  The  thing  that  is 
God's  great  design,  is  something  concerning  them  ;  and  the 
revolutions  by  which  it  is  to  be  brought  to  pass,  are  revolutions 
among  them,  and  in  their  state.  The  state  of  the  inanimate,  un- 
perceiving  part  of  the  world,  is  nothing  regarded  any  otherwise, 
than  in  a  subserviency  to  the  perceiving  and  intelligent  part. 
And  it  is  most  rational  to  suppose,  that  God  should  reveal  the 
design  he  has  been  carrying  on,  to  his  rational  creatures  ;  that 
as  God  has  made  them  capable  of  it,  they  may  actively  fall  in 
with  and  promote  it,  acting  herein  as  the  subjects  and  friends 
of  God. — The  Christian  revelation  is  a  design  most  worthy  of 
an  infinitely  wise,  holy  and  perfect  being. 

§  33.  The  doctrine  of  the  general  resurrection  at  the  end  of 
the  world,  upon  many  accounts,  seems  to  me  a  most  credible 
doctrine.  There  are  a  multitude  of  resemblances  of  it  in  na- 
ture and  providence,  which  I  doubt  not,  were  designed  to  be 
types  of  it.  It  seems  credible  on  this  account,  that  the  work 
of  the  Redeemer  is  wholly  a  restoring  work  from  beginning  to 
end  ;  and  that  he  would  repair  all  the  ruins  brought  on  the  world 
by  sin. 

§  34.  If  the  New  Testament  be  not  a  divine  revelation,  then 
God  never  yet  has  given  the  world  any  clear  revelation  of  a  fu- 
ture state.  But  if  a  revelation  be  needful  upon  any  account,  it 
is  that  we  may  have  some  certain  and  distinct  knowledge  of 
the  future  invisible  world.  If  God  designed  a  true  revelation, 
it  is  not  probable  that  he  would  suffer  that  any  false  revelation 
should  anticipate  it,  and  do  the  work  beforehand.  And,  upon 
many  other  accounts  that  might  be  mentioned,  it  is  incredible 
that  the  true  revelation  should  still  be  deferred. 

§  35.  It  is  very  unreasonable  to  make  it  an  objection  against 
the  Christian  revelation,  that  it  contains  some  things  that  are 
very  mysterious  and  difficult  to  our  understandings,  and  that 
seem  to  us  impossible.  If  God  will  give  us  a  revelation  from 
heaven  of  the  very  truth,  concerning  his  own  nature,  acts,  coun- 


'216  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS. 

sels,  and  ways,  and  of  the  spiritual  and  invisible  world  ;  it  it 
unreasonable  to  expect  any  other,  than  that  many  things  in 
such  a  revelation  should  be  utterly  beyond  our  understanding. 
For  was  there  ever  a  time,  when,  if  there  had  been  a  revela- 
tion of  the  very  truth  in  philosophical  matters — concerning  cre- 
ated things,  which  are  of  a  vastly  lower  nature,  and  must  be 
supposed  more  proportioned  to  our  understandings — there 
would  not  have  appeared  many  things,  not  only  to  the  vulgar, 
but  to  the  learned  of  that  age,  absurd  and  impossible  ?  If  ma- 
ny of  those  positions  in  philosophy,  which  are  now  received  by 
the  learned  world  as  indubitable  truths,  had  been  revealed  from 
heaven  to  be  truths  in  past  ages,  they  would  have  seemed  as 
impossible  as  the  most  mysterious  Christian  doctrines  do  now. 
I  believe,  that  if,  even  now,  there  should  come  a  revelation  from 
heaven  of  what  is  the  very  truth  in  these  matters  without  devi- 
ating at  all  to  accommodate  it  to  our  received  notions  and 
principles,  there  would  be  many  things  in  it  that  would  seem 
absurd  and  contradictory.  I  now  receive  principles  as  certain, 
which  once,  if  they  had  been  told  me,  I  should  have  regarded 
as  difficult  as  any  mystery  in  the  bible.  Without  doubt,  much 
of  the  difficulty  that  we  have  about  the  doctrines  of  Christianity, 
arises  from  wrong  principles  that  we  receive.  We  find  that 
those  things  which  are  received  as  principles  in  one  age,  and 
are  never  once  questioned,  are  yet  exploded  in  another  age,  as 
light  increases.  If  God  makes  a  revelation  to  us,  he  must  re- 
veal to  us  the  truth  as  it  is,  without  accommodating  himself  to 
our  notions  and  principles  ;  which  would  indeed  be  impossible  : 
for  those  things  which  are  our  received  notions  in  one  age,  are 
contrary  to  what  are  so  in  another;  and  the  word  of  God  was 
not  given  for  any  particular  age,  but  for  all  ages.  It  surely  be- 
comes us  to  receive  what  God  reveals  to  be  truth,  and  to  look 
upon  his  word  as  proof  sufficient ;  whether  what  he  reveals 
squares  with  our  notions  or  not. 

I  rather  wonder  that  the  word  of  God  contains  no  more 
mysteries  in  it ;  and  I  believe  it  is  because  God  is  so  tender  of 
us,  and  reveals  only  such  things  as  he  sees  that  man,  though 
so  weak  a  creature,  if  of  an  humble  and  an  honest  mind,  can 
well  enough  bear.  Such  tenderness  we  see  in  Christ  towards 
his  disciples  ;  he  had  many  things  to  say,  but  forbore,  because 
they  could  not  bear  them  yet.  Though  God  does  not  depart 
from  truth  to  accomodate  himself  to  our  manner  of  thinking, 
yet  I  believe  he  accomodates  himself  to  our  way  of  under- 
standing, in  his  manner  of  expressing  and  representing  things, 
as  we  are  wont  to  do,  when  teaching  little  children. 

§  36.  What  can  be  more  reasonable,  than  to  believe  a 
man,  when  he  tells  us,  that  he  is  sent  from  God  to  heal  the 
diseases  of  our  souls,  and,  in  order  that  we  may  believe  him. 
heals  all  sorts  of  men,  of  all  manner  of  diseases,  by  a  touch 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATICNSt  •-ill 

of  a  word  ;  and  plainly  shows  that  he  can  do  it  when  he  will, 
and  let  the  disease  be  what  it  will  ?  He  tells  us,  that  he  will 
deliver  us  from  spiritual  and  eternal  death  ;  that  he  will  raise 
us  from  the  dead,  and  give  us  eternal  life ;  so  that  we  shall 
live  for  ever,  and  not  die ;  and  to  prove  this,  he  gives  evidence 
that  he  has  power  over  men's  lives,  by  restoring  them  after 
they  are  dead  ;  and  rises  from  the  dead  himself.  He  tells  us, 
that  he  will  bestow  heavenly  glory  upon  us  ;  and  will  translate 
us  to  heaven  ;  and,  to  confirm  us  in  this  belief,  tells  us,  that  we 
shall  see  himself,  after  his  death,  ascend  into  heaven.  What 
more  could  we  desire  ?  He  tells  us  that  he  will  undertake  for 
us,  and  appear  for  us  before  God  ;  and  that  we  need  not  doubt, 
if  he  pleads  for  us,  he  shall  procure  acceptance,  and,  that  we 
may  see  that  it  is  true,  he  asks  of  God  concerning  a  man  who 
had  been  dead  four  days,  that  he  may  come  to  life  again ;  and 
tells  God,  that  he  asks  it  for  this  end,  that  we  may  see  that  he 
always  hears  him,  and  grants  what  he  requests ;  and  ac- 
cordingly, at  his  request,  the  dead  man  comes  to  life. 

§  37.  "  What  argument  more  proper  (says  Dr.  Tillotson)  to 
convince  them  of  another  life  after  this,  than  to  see  a  man 
raised  from  the  dead  and  restored  to  a  new  life  ?  What  fitter 
to  satisfy  a  man  concerning  heaven  and  the  happy  state  of 
those  there,  than  to  see  one  visible  taken  up  into  heaven  ? 
And  what  more  fit  to  assure  us  that  the  promises  of  the  gospel 
are  real,  and  shall  be  made  good  to  us,  than  to  see  him  who 
made  those  promises  to  us,  raise  himself  from  the  dead,  and 
go  up  into  heaven,  and  from  thence  dispense  miraculous  gifts 
abroad  in  the  world,  as  evidences  of  the  power  and  authority 
with  which  he  is  invested  ?  All  the  philosophical  arguments 
which  a  man  can  bring  for  the  soul's  immortality  and  another 
life,  will  have  no  force  upon  vulgar  apprehensions,  in  compa- 
rison of  these  sensible  demonstrations,  which  give  an  experi- 
ment of  the  thing,  and  furnish  us  with  an  instance  of  some- 
thing of  the  same  kind,  and  of  equal  difficulty  with  that  which 
is  propounded  to  our  belief. " 

§  38.  Why  was  not  Christ,  after  he  rose  from  the  dead, 
during  his  stay  upon  earth,  with  his  disciples,  as  he  was  before  ? 
The  very  different  states  that  Christ  and  his  disciples  were 
now  in,  would  not  allow  of  it.  Christ,  before  his  death, 
while  in  his  humiliation,  was  in  a  like  state  with  them.  He 
was  subject  to  hunger  and  thirst,  as  they  were ;  he  needed 
sleep  as  they  did  ;  he  needed  the  like  defence  from  the  weather 
that  they  did,  and  the  like  :  but  when  he  was  risen  from  the 
dead,  the  case  was  exceedingly  altered ;  he  then  began  his  ex- 
altation. He  put  off  mortality,  and  all  the  infirmities  of  his 
body.  The  nature  of  his  body  was  different  from  theirs,  as 
things  celestial  differ  from  things  terrestrial.  Mortal  beings 
are  not  apt  for  a  cohabitation  with  immortal  :  nor  terrestrial 

Vol.  VI T.  28 


'^18  kllSCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS 

with  celestial ;  nor  corruption  with  incorruption.     God  will  not 
thus  mix  and  confound  heaven  and  earth. 

§  39.  Much  of  the  scriptures  is  apt  to  seem  insipid  to  us 
now,  as  though  there  were  no  greater  matter  of  instruction  in 
it ;  because  the  points  of  instruction  most  plainly  contained  in 
it,  are  old  to  us,  and  what  we  have  been  taught  from  our 
infancy.  The  doctrines  are  so  plain  to  us  now,  that  there 
seems  to  have  been  no  need  of  a  particular  revelation  of  such 
things  ;  especially  of  insisting  upon  them  so  much.  But  how 
exceedingly  different  would  it  have  seemed  if  we  had  lived  in 
those  times  when  the  revelation  was  given,  when  the  things 
were  in  a  great  measure  new,  at  least  as  to  that  distinctness 
and  expressiveness  of  their  revelation  ?  If  we  had  an  idea  of 
the  state  of  the  world,  when  God  gave  the  revelation,  they 
would  appear  glorious  instructions,  bringing  great  light  into 
the  world,  and  most  worthy  of  God. 

§  40.  It  was  not  allowed  under  the  Old  Testament,  to  hate 
personal  enemies,  to  wish  for  revenge,  or  to  pray  for  their  hurt ; 
except  as  speaking  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  So  that  there  is 
no  inconsistence  between  the  religion  of  the  Old  Testament 
and  New,  in  this  respect.  The  apostle  Paul  himself  doth  thus 
imprecate  vengeance  on  his  enemies  ;  2  Tim.  iv.  14.  "  Alexan- 
der the  coppersmith  did  me  much  evil  ;  the  Lord  reward  him 
according  to  his  works."  Revenge,  or  a  desire  of  it,  was  forbid- 
den by  the  law  of  Moses,  Levit.  xix.  18 ;  yea,  there,  the  love  of 
our  enemy  is  implicitly  commanded.  Doing  good  to  enemies, 
is  required,  Exod.  xxiii.  4,  5.  "  If  thou  meet  thine  enemy's  ox 
or  his  ass  going  astray,  thou  shalt  surely  bring  it  back  to  him 
again.  If  thou  seest  the  ass  of  him  that  hateth  thee  lying  un- 
der his  burden,  and  wouldst  forbear  to  help  him,  thou  shalt 
surely  help  with  him.'"  And  this  was  agreeable  to  the  sense  of 
the  saints  of  those  times,  as  appears  from  Job  xxxi.  29.  "  If  I 
rejoiced  at  the  destruction  of  him  that  hated  me,  or  lifted  up 
myself  when  evil  found  him."  Prov.  xxiv.  17.  "  Rejoice  not 
when  thine  enemy  falleth,  nor  let  thine  heart  be  glad  when  he 
stumbleth."  And  xvii.  5.  "  He  that  is  glad  at  calamities,  shall 
not  go  unpunished."  We  cannot  think  that  those  imprecations 
we  find  in  the  Psalms  and  Prophets,  were  out  of  their  own 
hearts  ;  for  cursing  is  spoken  of  as  a  very  dreadful  sin  in  the 
Old  Testament ;  and  David,  whom  we  hear  oftener  than  any 
other  praying  for  vengeance  on  his  enemies,  by  the  history  of 
his  life,  was  of  a  spirit  very  remote  from  spiteful  and  revenge- 
ful. He  himself  in  the  Psalms  gives  us  an  account  of  his  wish- 
ing well  to  his  enemies,  and  doing  good  to  them,  Psalm  vii.  4  ; 
praying  for  them,  and  grieving  at  their  calamities,  Psalm  xxxv. 
13,  14.  And  some  of  the  most  terrible  imprecations  that  we 
find  in  all  the  Old  Testament,  are  in  the  New  spoken  of  as  pro- 
phetical, even  those  in  the  109th  Psalm ;  as  in  Acts  i.  20.     Jer. 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  215' 

xii.  3.  We  have  instances  of  this  kind  even  in  the  apostles  and 
the  disciples  of  the  Lamb  of  God,  as  2  Tim.  iv.  14.  Peter  says 
to  Simon  Magus,  "  Thy  money  perish  with  thee.1'  They  wish 
them  ill,  not  as  personal,  but  as  public  enemies  to  the  church 
of  God.  Sometimes  what  they  say  is  in  the  name  of  the 
church,  see  Jer.  v.  34,  35 ;  Matt.  i.  19.  "  Then  Joseph,  her 
husband,  being  a  just  man,  and  not  willing  to  make  her  a  pub* 
lie  example,  was  minded  to  put  her  away  privily."  This  is  a 
remarkable  and  eminent  instance  of  a  Christian  spirit ;  and  this 
verse  is  an  evidence,  that  that  meekness,  gentleness,  forgiveness, 
and  kindness  to  enemies  which  the  Gospel  prescribes,  were  du- 
ties under  the  law,  and  before  Christ  came. 

§  41.  I  once  told  a  boy  of  about  thirteen  years  of  age,  that 
a  piece  of  any  matter  two  inches  square,  was  eight  times  as 
large  as  one  of  but  one  inch  square ;  or  that  it  might  be  cut  in- 
to eight  pieces,  all  of  them  as  big  as  that  of  but  one  inch 
square.  He  seemed  at  first  not  to  think  me  in  earnest,  and  to 
suspect  that  1  only  meant  to  make  game  of  him.  But  when 
I  had  taken  considerable  pains  to  convince  him  that  1  was  in 
earnest,  and  that  1  knew  what  1  said  to  be  true  ;  he  seemed  to 
be  astonished  at  my  positiveness,  and  exclaimed  about  the  im- 
possibility and  absurdity  of  it ;  and  would  argue,  how  was  it 
possible  for  two  inches  to  be  eight  inches  !  and  all  that  I  could 
say,  did  not  prevail  upon  him  to  make  him  believe  it.  I  suppose 
it  seemed  to  him  as  great  a  contradiction,  that  what  was  but 
just  twice  so  long,  and  twice  so  broad,  and  twice  so  thick, 
should  yet  be  eight  times  so  big  ;  as  that  twice  one  should  make 
eight,  or  any  other  absurdity  whatsoever.  And  when  I  after- 
ward showed  him  the  truth  of  it,  by  cutting  out  two  cubes, 
one  an  inch,  and  another  two  inches  square  ;  and  let  him  exa- 
mine the  measures,  and  see  that  the  measures  were  exact,  and 
that  there  was  no  deceit ;  and  cut  the  two  inch  cube  into  eight 
equal  parts,  and  he  counted  the  parts  over  and  over,  and  took  the 
parts  one  by  one,  and  compared  them  with  the  one  inch  cube, 
and  spent  some  time  in  counting  and  comparing  ;  he  seemed 
to  be  astonished,  as  though  there  were  some  witchcraft  in  the 
case ;  and  hardly  to  believe  it  after  all.  For  he  did  not  yet  at 
all  see  the  reason  of  it.  I  believe  it  was  a  much  more  difficult 
mystery  to  him,  than  the  Trinity  ordinarily  is  to  men  ;  and  seem- 
ed to  him  more  evidently  a  contradiction,  than  any  mystery  of 
religion  to  a  Socinian  or  Deist. 

§  42.  Some  may  be  ready  to  object  against  the  Christian  re- 
ligion, that  there  seem  to  be  innumerable  difficulties,  and  in- 
consistencies attending  it,  but  that  a  multitude  of  heads  have 
been  employed  by  many  ages,  till  at  length  such  solutions  have 
been  found  out  for  many  of  them,  as  are  in  some  measure  pla»K 
sible. 


•»20  tSCELLANEOtS    OBSERVATIONS. 

To  this  I  answer,  That  as  there  has  been  a  long  time  to  an 
swer  objections,  so  there  has  been  a  long  time  to  strengthen 
them.  As  there  have  been  many  ages  to  solve  difficulties,  so 
there  have  been  as  many  to  find  out  difficulties  and  inconsisten- 
cies. Besides,  there  has  been  all  this  time  to  make  difficulties 
more  plain,  and  bring  out  inconsistencies  more  to  the  light : 
and  by  thorough  and  exact  consideration,  to  make  them  more 
manifest  and  apparent.  Time  wonderfully  brings  truth  to 
light,  and  wears  off  by  degrees  false  colourings  and  disguises. 
The  truth  will  always  have  most  advantage  by  time.  Appear- 
ing inconsistencies  being  well  founded,  will  grow  plainer  and 
plainer,  and  difficulties  more  and  more  evident.  Time  will 
discover  more  circumstances  to  strengthen  and  confirm  them, 
and  so  pretences  of  solution  will  appear  more  and  more  evi- 
dently absurd  and  ridiculous.  When  parties  contend  by  ar- 
gument and  inquiry,  time  greatly  helps  that  party  which  has 
truth  on  its  side,  and  weakens  the  contrary.  It  gradually  wears 
away  the  sandy  foundation,  and  rots  away  the  building  that  is 
not  made  of  substantial  materials.  The  Christian  religion  has 
evermore,  in  all  ages,  had  its  enemies,  and  that  among  learned 
men.  Yea,  it  isobservable,  that  there  have  commonly  been 
some  of  the  most  subtle  of  men  to  scan  the  Christian  scheme, 
and  to  discover  the  objections  that  lie  against  it,  and  have  done 
it  with  a  good  will  to  overthrow  it. — Thus  it  was  in  Judea,  in 
the  infancy  of  the  church.  The  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  and  the 
wise  men  among  the  Jews,  employed  all  their  wisdom  against 
it.  Thus,  in  the  first  ages  of  the  church,  not  many  wise,  not 
many  mighty,  not  many  noble  were  called.  Christianity  had 
the  wisdom,  learning,  and  subtlety  of  the  world  to  oppose  it. 
In  latter  ages,  how  many  learned  and  subtle  men  have  done 
their  utmost  against  Christianity  ?  So  that  the  length  of  time 
for  persons  to  strengthen  their  own  side  in  this  controversy, 
brought  as  an  objection  against  Christianity,  is  much  more  an 
argument  for  it,  than  an  objection  against  it. 

§  43.  If  there  be  a  revelation  from  God  to  the  world,  it  is 
most  reasonable  to  suppose,  and  natural  to  expect,  that  he 
should  therein  make  known  not  only  what  manner  of  being  he 
is,  but  also  that  he  should  lead  mankind  to  an  understanding 
of  his  works  of  creation  and  providence.  These  things  the 
Christian  revelation  opens  to  us  in  such  a  manner  as  might  be 
expected.  This  alone  gives  any  tolerable  account  of  the  work 
of  creation,  and  this  reveals  to  us  the  scheme  of  providence,  and 
what  is  God's  main  design  in  the  whole,  a  design  worthy  of 
himself.  And  we  are  shown  how  these  events  all  point  to  this 
main  work  of  power,  wisdom  and  grace.  We  have  a  particular 
account  how  this  greatest  work  has  actually  been  wrought  in 
the  fulness  of  time,  as  to  those  great  acts  which  are  the  main 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  i'l  I 

o-round  of  it ;  and  how  that  was  foretold  in  the  several  ages  of 
the  world. 

These  things  are  exceedingly  agreeable  to  a  rational  suppo- 
sition, in  case  God  makes  a  revelation  to  mankind.  But  if  the 
scriptures  are  not  a  revelation  of  God,  then  man,  the  principal 
creature  God  has  made  in  this  world,  the  only  intelligent  crea- 
ture, to  whom  he  has  subjected  this  lower  part  of  the  creation, 
is  left  wholly  and  entirely  in  the  dark  about  God's  works  both 
of  creation  and  providence,  and  has  nothing  whereby  to  judge 
what  God's  scheme  is,  in  all  the  great  changes  he  sees  come 
to  pass  in  the  world,  or  what  he  aims  to  accomplish.  Every 
thing  lies  in  darkness  and  confusion  before  him,  without  any 
possibility  of  his  determining  any  thing,  or  to  direct  him  what 
to  think  of  God's  works  which  he  beholds,  or  what  affections 
he  should  exercise  towards  the  Supreme  Governor,  on  occasion 
of  them. 


CHAPTER  II. 

The  objection  concerning  the  Apostles'1  apprehensions  of  the  se- 
cond coming  of  Christ  answered. 

§  1.  With  respect  to  that  objection  against  the  truth  of  the 
Christian  religion,  That  the  apostles  seem  often  to  speak  of 
the  coming  of  Christ  to  judgment,  as  if  they  thought  it  near  at 
hand  ;  I  will  begin  with  what  the  apostle  Paul  says  that  may 
have  such  appearance.  In  the  first  epistle  to  the  Thessaloni- 
ans,  which  is  reckoned  to  be  the  first  of  his  epistles  in  the  order 
of  time  ;  and  particularly  chap.  iv.  15 — 17,  he  says,  "  For  this 
we  say  unto  you  by  the  word  of  the  Lord,  that  we  which  are 
alive,  and  remain  unto  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  shall  not  pre- 
vent them  which  are  asleep  :  for  the  Lord  himself  shall  descend 
from  heaven  with  a  shout,  with  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and 
with  the  trump  of  God ;  and  the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first : 
then  we  which  are  alive  and  remain,  shall  be  caught  up  together 
with  them  in  the  clouds  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air :  and  so 
shall  we  be  ever  with  the  Lord."  He  speaks  of  those  that 
should  then  be  alive,  in  the  first  person  plural  ;  and  of  those 
that  should  be  asleep,  in  the  third  person.  Thus  it  would  have 
been  more  natural  for  him  to  have  said,  They  which  are  alive 
and  remain  unto  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  shall  not  prevent  us, 
who  shall  then  be  asleep. — And  in  the  17th  verse,  Then  they 
which  are  alive,  and  remain,  shall  be  caught  up  together  with 
us. 

§  2.  Considering  the  scope  of  the  apostle  in  these  verses, 
all  that  can  be  inferred  from  such  a  manner  of  speaking,  is, 
that  it  might,  for  ought  was  then  revealed,  be  while  they  lived 


VJ^li  MISCELLANEOUS   OBSERVATIONS* 

For  the  scope  of  the  apostle  was  to  comfort  the  ThessaloniattS 
concerning  their  friends  that  were  already  dead,  with  the  con- 
sideration, that  they  should  surely  meet  them  again,  at  the  day 
of  the  Lord's  coming.  And  therefore,  it  was  most  proper  and 
natural  for  the  apostle  to  speak  of  them  in  the  third  person. 
And  it  is  but  just  to  suppose,  that  it  was  only  the  uncertainty  of 
the  time,  that  was  the  ground  of  the  apostle's  using  such  a 
manner  of  expression  ;  because  he,  in  this  very  context,  speaks 
of  the  time  as  altogether  uncertain  ;  as  it  follows  immediately 
in  the  beginning  of  the  next  chapter."  But  of  the  times  and 
seasons,  brethren,  ye  have  no  need  that  I  write  unto  you  :  for 
yourselves  know  perfectly,  that  the  day  of  the  Lord  so  cometh 
as  a  thief  in  the  night,"  &c.  The  apostle,  by  the  expression 
he  uses,  probably  had  in  his  mind  those  words  of  Christ  in 
Acts  i.  7.  "  It  is  not  for  you  to  know  the  times  and  seasons. 
which  the  Father  hath  put  in  his  own  power." 

§  3.  We  have  an  instance  of  a  like  nature  with  this,  in  the 
words  of  Joseph  to  his  brethren.  Gen.  1.  %25.  "  God  will  surely 
visit  you,  and  ye  shall  carry  up  my  bones  from  hence."  He 
does  not  say.  God  shall  visit  your  posterity,  and  they  shall 
carry  up  my  bones  from  hence.  Yet  it  cannot  be  argued,  that 
Joseph  concluded  that  the  redemption  out  of  Egypt,  would  be 
in  that  generation. 

So  the  nature  and  design  of  the  apostle's  discourse,  neces- 
sarily gave  him  to  distinguish  between  those  that  should  be 
alive  at  Christ's  coming,  and  the  deceased  relations  of  the 
Christian  Thessalonians.  He  speaks  of  them  as  already  dead, 
and  of  their  now  living  friends  then  meeting  them  risen  from 
the  dead. — That  the  apostle  did  not  intend  to  be  understood, 
as  though  it  were  certain  that  Christ  would  come  while  they 
were  living  ;  is  evident,  from  what  he  himself  says,  speaking 
of  those  very  words,  and  expressly  denying  that  he  intended 
any  such  thing  ;  or  that  he  supposed  it  to  be  certain,  that  the 
coining  of  Christ  was  at  hand,  in  any  such  sense.  See2Thess. 
ii.  1 — 3  ;  where  he  very  earnestly  warns  them  not  to  understand 
him  in  any  such  sense.  "  Now  we  beseech  you,  brethren,  by 
the  coining  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  by  our  gathering  to- 
gether unto  him,  that  ye  be  not  soon  shaken  in  mind,  or  be 
troubled,  neither  by  spirit,  nor  by  word,  nor  by  letter,  as  from 
us,  as  that  the  day  of  Christ  is  at  hand.  Let  no  man  deceive 
you  by  any  means  ;  for  that  day  shall  not  come,  except  there 
come  a  falling  away  first,  and  that  man  of  sin  be  revealed,  the 
son  of  perdition,"  &c. 

§  5  Now  it  is  evident,  that  the  apostle  does  not  thus  write  to 
them  the  second  time,  endeavouring  to  retract  any  thing  he  had 
written  before ;  but  it  must  be  because  he  really  did  not  intend 
so  at  first ;  for  this  epistle  was  written  soon  after  the  other, 
while  the  same   fellow-labourers  were  with  him. — And  both 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  223 

have  been  supposed  to  be  written  while  the  apostle  abode  in 
Athens,  as  appears  by  the  postcripts.  And  if  we  well  observe 
the  contents  of  this  and  the  foregoing  epistle,  the  principal  oc- 
casion of  the  apostle's  writing  the  second  so  soon  after  the 
other,  seems  to  have  been  an  information  he  had  received,  that 
his  former  epistle  had  been  misunderstood  in  this  particular  : 
and  being  much  concerned  about  it,  and  fearing  the  ill  conse- 
quences of  such  a  misunderstanding,  he  writes  to  guard  them 
from  the  mischief  of  such  a  mistake,  and  to  establish  them  in 
it,  that  it  is  uncertain  when  the  Lord  will  come,  as  he  had 
told  them  before  in  his  other  epistle.  And  he  argues  the  great 
uncertainty  there  was,  whether  it  would  be  in  that  age  or  not, 
from  what  the  Holy  Ghost  had  revealed  about  the  coming  of 
antichrist. 

§  6.  That  this  apostle  did  not  expect  Christ's  coming  in  that 
generation,  may  be  argued  from  his  speaking  as  though  he  ex- 
pected that  those  that  were  then  alive,  would  rise  from  the 
dead  at  Christ's  second  coming,  as  in  I  Cor.  vi.  i4.  "  And  God 
hath  both  raised  up  the  Lord,  and  will  also  raise  up  us  by  his 
own  power."  And  2  Cor.  iv.  L4.  "  Knowing  that  he  which 
raised  up  the  Lord  Jesus,  shall  raise  up  us  also  by  Jesus,  and 
shall  present  us  with  you." 

§  7.  From  what  the  apostle  says  in  this  second  chapter  of  the 
second  epistle  to  the  Thessalonians,  there  appears  a  necessity, 
that  those  passages  in  any  other  of  his  epistles,  that  look  as 
though  he  expected  that  Christ  would  come  in  that  age,  should 
be  understood  in  some  other  sense,  and  that  the  apostle  really  did 
not  mean  so,  as  his  words  on  a  cursory  view  would  lead  us  to 
suppose.  For  here  the  apostle  is  very  express,  and  full,  and 
earnest  in  it,  that  he  would  by  no  means  be  so  understood.  It 
is  a  further  evidence,  that  those  passages  in  other  epistles  must 
be  understood  in  some  other  sense,  that  there  are  passages  in 
this  very  epistle,  particularly  in  tne  first  chapter,  that  we  should 
be  ready  to  think  had  such  a  look,  were  it  not  that  the  apostle 
himself,  immediately  in  the  second  chapter,  denies  any  such 
meaning. 

§  8.  In  this  sense  we  must  understand  those  passages,  in 
which  it  is  spoken  of  as  a  duty  of  Christians,  to  look  and  wait 
for  the  coming  of  the  Lord  Jesus  ;  as,  Titus  ii.  13.  1  Cor.  i.  7. 
Philip,  iii.  20.  There  is  a  necessity  of  understanding,  in  like 
manner,  the  following  passages — which  were  all  written  after 
this  to  the  Thessalonians — Rom.  xiii.  11,  12.  "  And  that  know- 
ing the  time,  that  now  it  is  high  time  to  awake  out  of  sleep  ; 
for  now  is  our  salvation  nearer  than  when  we  believed.  The 
night  is  far  spent ;  the  day  is  at  hand.  Let  us  therefore  cast  off 
the  works  of  darkness,  and  let  us  put  on  the  armour  of  light." 
We  cannot  understand  this  as  though  the  apostle  concluded, 
the   day  of  judgment  would  come  while  they  lived  ;  because 


"224.  MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATION. 

he  had  before  explained  himself  otherwise  :  but  only  that  the 
day  of  Christ's  kingdom,  which  is  the  day  of  the  salvation  of 
the  church  of  Christ,  was  at  hand.  And  so  Philip,  iv.  5.  "  Let 
your  moderation  be  known  to  all  men  :  the  Lord  is  at  hand.'''' 
And  Heb.  x.  25.  "  Exhorting  one  another,  and  so  much  the 
more  as  ye  see  the  day  approaching" 

§  9.  Christ's  coming  was  indeed  at  hand  in  many  respects  ; 
and  in  such  respects  as  might  well  have  all  that  influence  upon 
those  to  whom  the  apostle  wrote  that  he  intended.  The  coming 
of  Christ  at  the  overthrow  of  the  Heathen  empire,  might  well 
be  said  to  be  at  hand  ;  and  Christ's  last  coming  to  judgment, 
might  well,  considering  all  things,  be  said  to  be  at  hand,  as  the 
apostle  Peter  observes,  though  there  should  be  thousands  of 
years  between.  The  apostle  Paul  speaks  of  ages  to  come, 
Eph.  ii.  7.  That  it  was  not  to  be  till  many  generations  were 
past :  yet  it  was  at  hand,  in  a  sense  agreeable  to  the  common 
language  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  So,  Christ's  first  coming  was 
spoken  of  as  very  nigh  at  hand,  of  old.  Hagg.  ii.  6,  7.  "  For 
thus  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  Yet  once,  it  is  a  little  while,  and  I 
will  shake  the  heavens,  and  the  earth,  and  the  sea  and  the  dry 
land,  and  I  will  shake  all  nations  ;  and  the  desire  of  all  nations 
shall  come;  and  I  will  fill  this  house  with  glory,  saith  the  Lord  of 
hosts  :"  Yet  there  was  then  above  500  years  to  it.  And  when 
it  was  about  400  years,  it  is  said,  Mai.  iii.  1,  "  The  Lord  whom 
ye  seek,  shall  suddenly  come  to  his  temple  ;  even  the  messenger 
of  the  covenant,  whom  ye  delight  in."  And  when  it  was  about 
700  years  to  the  gospel  day,  it  is  said  to  be  but  a  very  little 
tvhile.  Isai.  xxxix.  17,  18.  "  It  is  not  yet  a  very  little  while,  and 
Lebanon  shall  become  a  fruitful  field,  and  the  fruitful  field 
shall  be  esteemed  as  a  forest.  And  in  that  day  shall  the  deaf 
hear  the  words  of  the  book,  and  the  eyes  of  the  blind  shall  see 
out  of  obscurity,  and  out  of  darkness."  So  God  represents,  as 
though  he  would  very  quickly  perform  all  things  prophesied  of 
by  Jeremiah,  some  of  them  were  not  to  be  fulfilled  in  many 
ages  ;  Jer.  i.  10 — 12.  So  the  time  is  said  to  be  at  hand,  for 
the  accomplishment  of  all  the  prophecies  of  the  book  of  Reve- 
lation, and  Christ's  last  coming  at  the  conclusion  of  them  ; 
Rev.  i.  3.  and  xxii.  7,  10,  12,  20  ;  though  the  book  evidently 
contains  a  series  of  events  for  many  ages. 

§  10.  Again,  when  the  apostle  Peter  says,  with  respect  to 
Christ's  last  coming,  and  its  being  said  to  be  at  hand,  that  "  a 
thousand  years  in  God's  sight  are  but  as  one  day,"  it  is  no  new 
conceit  of  his  own,  to  save  reputation  ;  but  God's  language  that 
he  had  used  of  old  justifies  him  in  so  saying.  And  the  expres- 
sion that  the  apostles  used  about  the  approach  of  Christ's  com- 
ing, did  not  tend  to  the  disappointment  of  God's  people.  For 
Christ's  coming  to  reward  them  at  death  was  at  hand,  when 
they  should  have  such  a  comfortable  and  full  prospect  of  theij 


JflSCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS,  225 

complete  reward  at  Christ's  last  coming  ;  so  that  they  shall  anti- 
cipate, and  as  it  were  have  a  possession  of  it.  Though  the 
time  appears  long  to  us  in  our  dim-sighted  state,  yet  it  will  ap- 
pear as  nothing  to  them.  The  second  coming  of  Christ  was 
so  nigh  at  hand,  that  the  church  of  God  might  well  take  all 
that  comfort  from  what,  was  really  to  be  understood  by  those 
expressions.  The  first  coming  of  Christ  was  very  often  spoken  of 
for  the  comfort  of  the  saints  of  the  Old  Testament,  under  great 
afflictions,  though  they  were  never  like  to  see  it  in  this  life-time. 
So  in  the  case  of  Zerubbtibel,  and  Joshua  and  Daniel. 

§  1L.  As  to  that  text  of  the  apostle  in  1  Cor.  x.  11,  "  And  they 
are  written  for  our  admonition,  upon  whom  the  ends  of  the 
worlds  are  come  ;"  the  connexion  of  these  words  with  the  con- 
text, and  the  drift  of  the  apostle,  explain  his  meaning.  For  his 
drift  is  only  this,  that  what  had  happened  to  the  children  of 
Israel  in  the  wilderness,  happened  to  them  for  ensamples,  and 
were  written  for  our  sakes,  though  they  happened  so  long  ago, 
or  though  we  live  so  long  after  them,  and  with  respect  to  them, 
in  the  ends  of  the  world,  or  in  the  latter  part  of  the  world's  du- 
ration, called  the  latter  days. 

§  12.  As  to  1  Pet.  iv.  7,  "  The  end  of  all  things  is  at  hand ;" 
how  did  this  same  apostle  explain  this  propinquity  ?  2  Peter 
iii.  7, 8.  "  But  the  heavens  and  the  earth  which  are  now,  by  the 
same  word  are  kept  in  store,  reserved  unto  fire,  against  the  day 
of  judgment  and  perdition  of  ungodly  men.  But,  beloved,  be 
not  ignorant  of  this  one  thing,  that  one  day  is  with  the  Lord  as  a 
thousand  years,  and  a  thousand  years  as  one  day."  And  it  is 
to  be  considered,  that  the  apostle  Peter  was  under  no  tempta- 
tion to  change  his  voice  in  this  matter,  from  any  experience  of 
the  events  failing  as  yet.  He  had  not  lived  long  enough  to 
prove,  but  that  Christ's  words — whence  any  may  suppose  they 
might  expect  Christ's  second  coming  before  the  generation  pass- 
ed away,  and  before  some  that  were  then  present  should  taste 
death — might  be  fulfilled  in  that  sense. 

§  13.  That  there  was  no  such  notion  prevailing  among  the 
disciples,  that  Christ  should  come  while  most  of  them  lived, 
is  manifest  from  this,  that  when  the  disciples  mistook  the 
design  of  Christ's  word,  John  xxi.  22,  "If  I  will  that  he  tarry 
till  I  Come,  what  is  that  to  thee  ?"  and  from  thence,  for  a 
while,  entertained  a  notion  that  that  disciple  was  not  to  die 
till  Christ  came  ;  it  seems  they,  even  while  under  this  mistake, 
looked  upon  it  as  the  distinguishing  privilege  of  that  disciple, 
which  none  of  the  rest  were  to  expect.  And  it  is  evident,  that 
John  himself  concluded  no  such  thing,  as  that  Christ  should 
come  in  his  life-time,  because  he  speaks  of  that  notion  of  the 
other  disciples  about  him  as  ill-founded. 

§  14.  It  is  a  further  argument,  that  when  the  apostles  used 
such  kind  of  language  as  that,  "  the  Lord  is  at  hand,"  &c.  thev 

Vol.  VII,  29 


-■-'»  MISCELLANEOUS  UJB^EU  v  A  i  IONS. 

did  not  use  it  in  any  such  sense,  as  that  it  should  be  in  that 
age  or  the  next ;  that  the  apostle  John,  who  was  accustomed  to 
their  language,  uses  it  still,  even  after  he  had  prophesied  of 
many  great  events,  which  plainly  were  to  have  their  accom- 
plishment in  many  successive  ages;  as  Rev.  hi.  11.  "  Behold,  I 
come  quickly"  And  he  uses  it  repeatedly  at  the  end  of  the 
book,  after  he  had  given  an  account  of  those  future  events, 
in  the  last  chapter,  ver.  7.  -'  Behold,  I  come  quichhj  ;"  ver.  12. 
"  Behold,  I  come  quichhj ;"  and  ver.  20.  "  He  that  testifieth 
these  things,  saith,  Surely  I  come  quickly.''''  The  17th  chapter 
of  this  book  alone,  is  sufficient  to  convince  any  one,  that  John 
could  not  suppose  that  his  prophecies  could  be  fulfilled  but  in 
several  successive  ages. 

§  15.  It  is  an  argument,  that  such  a  nearness  of  Christ's  last 
coming  as  the  objection  supposes  was  not  the  doctrine  that  the 
apostles  so  much  insisted  upon  ;  that  the  church  prevailed  still, 
when  they  saw  that  Christ  did  not  come.  Such  a  disappointment 
would  have  been  a  dreadful  blow  to  Christianity,  if  this  had 
been  the  universal  expectation  of  Christians,  and  it  had  been 
raised  by  the  abundant  promises  of  Christ  and  his  apostles. 
They  probably,  upon  it,  would  have  exceedingly  lost  ground, 
and  shrunk  away.     But  the  fact  was  very  much  the  contrary. 

§  16.  Christ  often  speaks  of  his  last  coming,  as  that  which 
would  be  long  delayed;  Matth.  xxv.  5.  "  While  the  bridtgroom 
tarried,  they  all  slumbered  and  slept."  Luke  xx.  9.  "Acer- 
tain  man  planted  a  vineyard  ;"  ver.  19.  "  After  a  long  time, 
the  Lord  of  those  servants  cometh  and  reckoneth  with  them." 
Matth.  xxiv.  48.  "  My  Lord  delaveth  his  coming."  So  Luke 
xvii.  22. 

§  17.  It  is  evident,  that  when  Christ  speaks  of  his  coming  ;  of 
his  being  revealed  ;  of  his  coming  in  his  kingdom,  or  his  king- 
dom coming  ;  he  has  respect  to  his  appearing  in  those  great 
works  of  his  power,  justice,  and  grace,  which  should  be  in  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  other  extraordinary  providences 
which  should  attend  it.  So  in  Luke  xvii.  22,  to  the  end,  with 
chap,  xviii.  1 — 8,  Christ  speaks  of  the  kingdom  of  God  coming  ; 
of  the  coming  of  the  days  of  the  Son  of  man  ;  of  the  Son  of 
man  being  revealed ;  and  of  the  Son  of  man  coming.  But  yet, 
it  is  evident  he  has  respect  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  by 
chap.  xvii.  37.  "  And  they  answered  and  said  unto  him. 
Where  Lord  ?  and  he  said  unto  them,  Wheresoever  the  body  is, 
thither  will  the  eagles  be  gathered  together."  See  also  chap, 
xix.  13 — 15.  So  when  the  disciple  had  been  observing  the 
magnificence  of  the  temple,  and  Christ  had  said  to  them,  "  Verily 
I  say  unto  you,  There  shall  not  be  left  one  stone  upon  another, 
that  shall  not  be  thrown  down," — having  respect  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem — the  disciples  asked  him  when  these  things 
<hr»nlri  be  '  and  what  should  be  the  signs  of  his  coming,  and  of  (he 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  22*? 

end  of  the  world  ?  By  Christ's  coming,  they  have  plainly  a 
respect  to  that  time  of  the  destruction  of  the  temple,  which 
Christ  had  spoken  of;  and  therefore,  their  question  is  thus  ex- 
pressed by  St,  Mark,  chap.  xiii.  4.  "  Tell  us,  when  shall  these 
things  be  ?  and  what  shall  be  the  sign  when  all  these  things 
shall  be  fulfilled  V  And  in  like  manner  by  St.  Luke,  chap, 
xxi.  7 ;  and  Christ  has  many  things  in  his  answer  agreeable  to 
this  sense  of  this  question.  He  warns  them  to  beware  of 
others  that  should  come  in  his  stead,  Matth.  xxiv.  4,  5.  Then 
he  proceeds  to  tell  them  what  will  precede  the  end,  i.  e.  the  end 
of  the  world,  which  the  disciples  inquired  after,  and  tells  them 
what  shall  be  signs  of  its  approach ;  Matth.  xxiv.  6 — 16. 
And  then  speaks  of  the  desolation  of  Jerusalem,  and  of  the 
land,  as  that  end  and  that  coming  of  his  which  they  inquired 
after ;  Matth.  xxiv.  15 — 21,  28  :  and  more  plainly,  Luke 
xxi.  20—24. 

From  these  things,  it  follows, 

§  18.  That  when  Christ  speaks  of  his  coming,  his  coming  in- 
his  kingdom,  &c.  as  being  in  that  generation,  and  before  some 
who  were  then  alive  should  taste  of  death,  there  is  no  need  of 
understanding  him  of  his  coming  to  the  last  judgment'';  but  it 
may  well  be  understood  of  his  coming  at  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem,  which,  as  has  been  shown,  he  calls  by  these  names. 
and  which  he  also  distinguishes  from  his  coming  to  the  last 
judgment,  and  consummation  of  all  things.     Yea, 

§  19.  It  is  evident,  that  he  did  not  suppose  his  coming  to 
the  last  judgment,  and  the  consummation  of  all  things,  would 
be  till  a  long  time  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  The 
calling  of  the  Gentiles,  instead  of  the  Jews,  is  spoken  of  as 
what  should  be  principally  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  : 
Matth.  xxi.  41,  43;  Luke  xx.  15,  16;  Matth.  xxii.  7—10. 
But  this,  Christ  himself  speaks  of  as  a  gradual  work  in  the 
parables  of  the  grain  and  mustard  seed,  and  of  the  leaven  hid 
in  three  measures  of  meal ;  Matth.  xiii.  31 — 33 ;  Luke  xiii. 
19 — 21  ;  Mark  iv.  26 — 32.  And  it  is  very  manifest,  that 
Christ  did  not  suppose  the  consummation  of  all  things  to  take 
place,  till  long  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  Luke  xxi. 
24 ;  where  it  is  said  of  the  Jews,  that  they  should  be  led  away 
captive  into  all  nations,  and  Jerusalem  should  be  trodden 
down  of  the  Gentiles,  till  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  should  be 
fulfilled. 


2*J8  jlISC  ELLANEOUS    OBSERVATION; 


CHAPTER  III. 

Jesus's  prophecies,  a  proof  that  he  was  the  Christ,  and  a 
divine  person. 

§  1.  As  Christ  wrought  miracles  in  a  very  different  manner 
from  the  prophets,  acting  therein  in  his  own  name,  and  as 
doing  what  he  did  of  his  own  power  and  will :  so,  also,  he 
uttered  prophecies  in  a  way  very  diverse  from  that  of  the 
ancient  prophets.  The  ancient  prophets,  when  they  uttered 
their  predictions,  were  wont  to  introduce  them  after  this  man- 
ner, Hear  ye  the  word  of  the  Lord ;  or,  Thus  saith  the  Lord; 
showing,  that  they  did  not  speak  of  their  own  knowledge, 
but  by  special  revelation  and  direction  from  God.  Christ 
foretold  things  to  come  in  a  remarkably  different  manner  and 
style,  introducing  his  predictions,  not  with  a  Thus  saith  the 
Lord,  but,  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  as  Matth.  xxiii.  36  ; 
xxiv.  34,  45  ;  xxvi.  13,  and  21  ;  Mark  xiv.  30;  Luke  xxu  31, 
32;  John  xiii.  38 ;  xiv.  12;  xvi.  20,  21,  22.  The  following 
place  is  very  remarkable,  showing  what  great  authority  Christ 
attributed  to  his  own  word  in  his  predictions,  Matth.  xxiv.  34, 
35.  "  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  this  generation  shall  not  pass, 
till  all  these  things  be  fulfilled.  Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass 
away,  but  my  words  shall  not  pass  away."  These  words  are 
annexed  to  the  chief  prophecies  that  Christ  ever  uttered, 
which  are  contained  in  the  24th  chapter  of  Matthew.  See 
the  same,  Luke  xxi.  31,  32. 

§  2.  Christ  foretold  future  events,  and  those  to  be  accom- 
plished after  his  death,  not  only  as  what  he  knew  by  his  own 
knowledge,  but  what  he  himself  would  bring  to  pass,  both 
future  blessings  to  his  church  and  people,  and  future  calamity 
and  destruction  to  those  persons  and  people  that  were  his  ene- 
mies.— 

§  3.  First.  He  foretold  great  events  for  the  benefit  of  his 
church,  that  he  would  bring  to  pass ;  John  xiv.  12,  13,  14. 
"  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  believeth  on  me,  the 
works  that  I  do,  he  shall  do  also ;  and  greater  works  than  these 
shall  he  do,  because  I  go  to  my  Father.  And  whatsoever  ye 
shall  ask  in  my  name,  that  I  will  do,  that  the  Father  may  be 
glorified  in  the  Son.  If  ye  shall  ask  any  thing  in  my  name,  I 
will  do  it."  John  xvi.  7 — 11.  "Nevertheless,  I  tell  you  the 
truth  ;  it  is  expedient  lor  you  that  I  go  away.  For,  if  I  go  not 
away,  the  Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you.  But  if  I  depart, 
/  ivill  send  him  unto  you.  And  when  he  is  come,  he  will  re- 
prove the  world  of  sin,  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment : 
of  sin,  because  they  believe  not  on  me  ;  of  righteousness, 
because  I  go  to  my  Father,  and  ye  see  me  no  more ;  of  judg- 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  229 

inent,  because  the  prince  of  this  world  is  judged.1'  And  ver. 
20,  21,  22.  "  Verily,  verily,  1  say  unto  you,  That  ye  shall 
weep  and  lament ;  but  the  world  shall  rejoice,  and  ye  shall  be 
sorrowful.  But  your  sorrow  shall  be  turned  into  joy.  And 
ye  now  therefore,  have  sorrow;  but  I  will  see  you  again,  and 
your  heart  shall  rejoice ;  and  your  joy  no  man  taketh  from 
you  "  See  the  whole  of  the  13th,  14th,  15th,  and  Kith  chap- 
ters of  John  :  and  Luke  xxi.  15 — 18.  "  For  1  will  give  you  a 
mouth  and  wisdom,  which  all  your  adversaries  shall  not  be 
able  to  gainsay  or  resist.  And  ye  shall  be  betrayed  both  by 
parents  and  brethren,  and  kinsfolks  and  friends  ;  and  some  of 
you  shall  they  cause  to  be  put  to  death  :  and  ye  shall  be  hated 
of  all  men  for  my  name's  sake.  But  there  shall  not  an  hair 
of  your  head  perish."  Luke  xxiv.  49.  "  And  behold  1  send 
the  promise  of  my  Father  upon  you.  But  tarry  ye  in  the  city 
of  Jerusalem,  until  ye  be  endued  with  power  from  on  high." 
So  he  foretold  his  own  resurrection  from  the  dead,  as  what  he 
himself  would  bring  to  pass  by  his  own  power ;  John  ii.  19. 
"  Destroy  this  temple,  and,  in  three  days,  I  will  raise  it  up  :" 
John  x.  17,  18.  "  I  lay  down  my  life,  that  I  may  take  it  again. 
No  man  taketh  it  from  me.  1  have  power  to  lay  it  down,  and 
I  have  power  to  take  it  again."  Mark  xvi.  17,  18.  "  And 
these  signs  shall  follow  them  that  believe  :  In  my  name  shall 
they  cast  out  devils  ;  they  shall  speak  with  new  tongues ;  they 
shall  take  up  serpents;  and,  if  they  drink  any  deadly  thing,  it 
shall  not  hurt  them  :  they  shall  lay  hands  on  the  sick,  and  they 
shall  recover." 

§  4.  Secondly,  He  foretold  many  great  events,  implying  awful 
calamity  and  destruction  to  his  enemies,  as  what  he  himself 
would  bring  to  pass.  Thus  he  speaks  of  that  mighty  destruc- 
tion of  the  Jewish  nation  by  the  Romans,  as  that  from  which 
he  would  have  protected  them,  if  they  had  believed  on  him  ; 
Matth.  xxiii.  36,  37,  38.  "  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  all  these 
things  shall  come  on  this  generation.  O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem, 
thou  that  killest  the  prophets,  and  stonest  them  that  are  sent 
unto  thee  ;  how  often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  children  to- 
gether, even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under  her  wings, 
and  ye  would  not !  Behold  your  house  is  left  unto  you  deso- 
late." This  destruction  is  spoken  of  as  what  he  would  bring 
upon  them,  as  a  punishment  for  their  rejection  and  contempt 
of  him.  Luke  xix.  12,  13,  14,  "  He  said,  therefore,  A  certain 
nobleman  went  into  a  far  country,  to  receive  for  himself  a  king- 
dom, and  to  return.  And  he  called  his  ten  servants  and  deli- 
vered them  ten  pounds,  and  said  unto  them,  occupy  till  I  come. 
But  his  citizens  hated  him,  and  sent  a  message  after  him,  say- 
ing, we  will  not  have  this  man  to  reign  over  us."  With  verse 
27.  "  But  those  mine  enemies,  which  would  not  that  I  should 
reign  over  them,  bring  hither,  and  slay  before  me." 


'230  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS. 

§  5.  Christ  not  only  foretold  things  future,  as  having  ability 
in  himself  to  accomplish  them,  but  he  promised  to  give  others 
ability  to  foretel  future  events  by  his  Spirit,  and  hereby  should 
honour  him,  as  having,  in  his  foreknowledge  of  future  things, 
the  same  honour  with  the  Father.  John  xvi.  7.  "  If  I  go  not 
away,  the  Comforter  wili  not  come.  But  if  I  depart  I  will  send 
him  unto  you."  Verse  13,  14,  15.  "  When  the  Spirit  of  truth  is 
come,  he  will  guide  you  into  all  truth.  For  he  shall  not  speak  of 
himself,  but  whatsoever  he  shall  hear,  that  shall  he  speak ;  and 
he  will  show  you  things  to  come.  He  shall  glorify  me,  for  he 
shall  receive  of  mine,  and  shall  show  it  unto  you.  All  things 
that  the  Father  hath  art  mine.  Therefore,  said  I,  that  he  shall 
take  of  mine,  and  shall  show  it  unto  you." 

§  6.  It  is  observable,  that  never  any  prophet  gave  such  great 
and  manifold  opportunity  for  proof  and  trial,  whether  he  was  a 
true  prophet  or  not,  in  the  multitude  of  predictions  of  events  to 
be  fulfilled  in  his  life-time,  and  during  that  generation  after  his 
death  ;  and  also  in  the  plainness  of  his  predictions  ;  most  of  them 
being  delivered,  not  in  visionary,  mystical  representations,  but 
in  a  manner  intelligible  to  all. 

§  7.  Therefore,  the  supposition,  that  if  Christ  were  on  impos- 
tor, God  would  so  order  it,  that  all  these  predictions — many  of 
them  so  strange  and  wonderful,  and  in  themselves  so  exceed- 
ingly unlikely — should  exactly  come  to  pass ;  and  that  God's  pro- 
vidence should  so  wonderfully  confirm  his  words,  beyond  those 
of  any  other  prophet  that  ever  had  been  in  the  world  is  extremely 
unreasonable  ;  especially  considering  the  following  things  : 

§  8.  1st.  That  God  had  of  old  given  this  as  a  sign,  by  which 
his  people  might  know  a  true  prophet :  viz.  the  coming  to  pass 
of  the  things  foretold  by  him.  And  this  rule  is  annexed  by 
Moses  to  that  great  promise,  which  God  gave  of  the  Messiah, 
Deut.  xviii.  15,  &c.  "  The  Lord  thy  God  will  raise  up  unto  thee 
a  prophet  from  the  midst  of  thee,  of  thy  brethren  like  unto  me  ; 
unto  him  ye  shall  hearken.  According  to  all  that  thou  desiredst 
of  the  Lord  thy  God  in  Horeb,  in  the  day  of  the  assembly,  say- 
ing, Let  me  not  hear  again  the  voice  of  the  Lord  my  God  ;  nei- 
ther let  me  see  this  great  fire  any  more  that  I  die  not.  And 
the  Lord  said  unto  me,  They  have  well  spoken  that  which  they 
have  spoken.  I  will  raise  them  up  a  prophet  from  among  their 
brethren,  like  unto  thee,  and  will  put  my  words  in  his  mouth, 
and  he  shall,  speak  unto  them  all  that  I  shall  command  him. 
And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  whosoever  will  not  hearken  un- 
to my  words  which  he  shall  speak  in  my  name,  I  will  require 
it  of  him.  But  the  prophet  which  shall  presume  to  speak  a 
word  in  my  name,  which  I  have  not  commanded  him  to  speak, 
or  that  shall  sDeak  in  the  name  of  other  gods  ;  even  that  prophet 
shall  die.  And  if  thcu  say  in  thine  heart,  how  shall  we  know 
the  word  which  the  Lord  hath  not  spoken  r}     When  a  prophet 


MISCELLANEOUS    GLsERVATIOjNS.  231 

^peaketh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  if  the  thing  follow  not,  nor 
come  to  pass  ;  that  is  the  thing  which  the  Lord  hath  not  spo- 
ken ;  but  the  prophet  hath  spoken  it  presumptuously.  Thou 
shalt  not  be  afraid  of  him." — Now,  therefore,  since  Jesus  pro- 
fessed to  be  the  Messiah,  and  the  great  Prophet  foretold  and 
promised  by  God  in  this  place,  and  uttered  so  many  great  and 
wonderful  prophecies ;  it  might  be  expected,  if  he  was  a  mere 
pretender,  and  spake  presumptuously,  and  uttered  what  the 
Lord  had  not  spoken,  that  God  should  not  have  confirmed  his 
prophecies,  in  his  providence;  but,  in  that  case,  would  have 
given  his  people  opportunity  to  refute,  by  this  rule,  his  pre- 
tences. 

§  9.  2d.  That  foretelling  future  events,  is  spoken  of  by  God, 
as  one  great  thing  wherein  the  Messiah  should  differ  from  the 
false  gods  and  fals  prophets,  and  vain  pretenders  of  the  Hea- 
thens. In  that  great  prophecy  of  the  kingdom  of  the  Messiah, 
beginning  with  the  fortieth  chapter  of  Isaiah  to  the  end  of  the 
book,  the  foretelling  of  future  events,  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
show,  that  the  person  who  foretels,  does  foresee,  and  has  a  view 
of  futurity,  is  often  mentioned  as  a  divine  prerogative,  and  there- 
fore as  a  good  evidence,  that  he  that  does  so  is  a  divine  person, 
or  speaks  by  divine  authority.  Therefore  the  prophets  and 
gods  of  the  Heathens,  are  often  challenged  on  this  head,  and 
the  proof  of  their  authority  often  put  upon  this  issue;  Isaiah 
xli.  '21—28 ;  xlii.  8,  9  ;  xliii.  9—12  ;  xliv.  6— 8 ;  xlv.  3.  and  21  ; 
xlvi.  10  ;  xlviii.  14. — In  this  prophecy  it  is  declared,  that  herein 
the  Messiah  should  differ  from  all  vain  pretenders ;  (see  chap, 
xli.  27  ;  and  xlii.  at  the  beginning  ;  compared  with  chap.  xli.  21 
— 29.)  Now,  therefore,  is  it  credible,  that  God  would  so  order 
it,  that  one  who  falsely  pretended  to  be  the  Messiah,  should,  in 
so  high  a  degree,  have  this  honour,  which  God  had  mentioned 
as  the  great  and  distinguishing  honour  which  he  would  put  on 
the  true  Messiah,  as  his  Elect,  in  whom  his  soul  delighted  ? 

§  10.  3d.  That  the  foretelling  of  future  events,  as  by  his  own 
knowledge,  and  as  events  that  are  to  be  accomplished  by  his 
own  power,  is  spoken  of  by  God,  as  his  great  prerogative,  and 
as  a  good  and  sure  evidence  of  the  divinity  of  the  person  who 
can  do  thus  ;  and  God  speaks  thus,  in  those  very  places  in 
which  he  is  foretelling  the  coming  of  the  Messiah.  Isaiah 
xli.  21 — 23.  "Produce  your  cause,  saith  the  Lord;  bring 
forth  your  strong  reasons,  saith  the  King  of  Jacob.  Let  them 
bring  forth,  and  show  us  what  shall  happen  :  Show  the  things 
that  are  to  come  hereafter,  that  we  may  know  that  ye  are 
Gods.''''  Verse  26.  "  Who  hath  declared  from  the  beginning, 
that  we  may  know,  and  before  time,  that  we  may  say,  he  is 
righteous  ?  Tea,  there  is  none  that  showeth  ;  yea,  there  is 
none  that  declareth  ;  yea,  there  is  none  that  heareth  your 
words."     Then,  in  the  next  words,  God  promises  the  Messiah. 


'23*2  MISCELLANEOUS   OBSERVATION, 

Verse  27 :  "  The  first  shall  say  to  Zion,  Behold,  behold  them ; 
and  I  will  give  to  Jerusalem,  one  that  bringeth  good  tidings ;" 
i.  c.  that  foreshows  glorious  future  things  which  God  is  about 
to  do  for  his  people. 

§  11.  Therefore,  since  God  mentions  the  foretelling  of  future 
events  in  this  manner,  as  a  certain  note  of  divinity,  and  a  dis- 
tinguishing honour  that  he  would  put  on  the  Messiah,  his  elect 
in  whom  his  soul  deiighteth  ;  is  it  credible,  that  God  would 
put  this  honour,  in  so  great  a  degree,  on  one  who  falsely  pre- 
tended to  be  the  Messiah,  and  the  beloved  of  God?  And  es- 
pecially, when  he  pretended,  in  this  respect,  to  have  the  same 
honour  which  belongs  to  God ;  as  John  xvi.  13 — 15.  "  He 
will  show  you  things  to  come.  He  shall  glorify  me ;  for  he 
shall  receive  of  mine,  and  shall  show  it  unto  you.  All  things 
that  the  Father  hath,  are  mine:  Therefore  said  1,  that  he  shall 
take  of  mine,  and  shall  show  it  unto  you."  He,  also,  speaks 
of  his  knowledge  of  divine  secrets,  and  future  events,  as  the 
effect  of  the  peculiar  love  that  God  had  to  him  ;  John  v.  20. 
"  The  Father  loveth  the  Son,  and  showeth  him  all  things  that 
himself  doeth."" 

§  12.  Great  changes  in  kingdoms  and  nations,  coming  to 
pass  according  to  God's  predictions,  is  often  spoken  of  by  God 
himself  as  a  great  evidence  of  his  being  the  only  true  God. 
The  foretelling  of  the  destruction  of  Babylon  by  Cyrus,  is 
greatly  insisted  on  by  God,  as  a  great  evidence  of  his  being 
the  true  God,  and  as  most  clearly  and  greatly  distinguishing 
him  from  all  pretenders  to  divinity.  See  chap.  xli.  21 — 27  ; 
see,  also,  chap.  xliv.  25.  to  the  end,  and  xlvi.  10.  But  Jesus 
was  one  that  professed  divinity,  and  foretold  revolutions  of 
nations  as  great  and  strange  as  this,  yea,  far  more  wonderful. 
He  foretold  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  which  had  been  the 
holy  city,  and  of  the  nation  of  Jews,  who  had  been  God's  own 
people,  and  whose  protector  he  had  in  a  special  manner  been, 
and  towards  whom  he  exercised  a  most  peculiar  providence. 
He  also  foretold  the  deliverance  of  the  Christians  who  were  in 
Jerusalem.  It  was  a  greater  thing,  and  less  to  be  expected, 
that  such  a  city  and  such  a  nation  should  be  destroyed,  than 
that  destruction  should  befal  a  nation  of  aliens.  Therefore, 
to  foretel  this  destruction,  with  the  various  circumstances  of  it, 
as  they  actually  took  place,  is  a  greater  evidence  of  divine 
foreknowledge,  than  to  foretel  the  destruction  of  a  nation  of 
aliens. 

§  13.  The  turning  of  the  wilderness  into  a  fruitful  field,  is 
spoken  of  by  God  as  a  peculiar  work  of  God,  and  a  certain 
sign  of  a  divine  hand :  Isaiah  xli.  18,  19,  20.  "  I  will  open 
rivers  in  high  places,  and  fountains  in  the  midst  of  the  valleys. 
I  will  make  the  wilderness  a  pool  of  water,  and  the  dry  land 
springs  of  water.     I  will  plant  in  the  wilderness  the  cedar,  the 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  $33 

Shittah-tree,  and  the  myrtle,  and  the  oil-tree.  I  will  set  in  the 
desert  the  fir-tree,  and  the  pine,  and  the  box-tree  together, 
that  they  may  see  and  know,  and  consider  and  understand  to- 
gether, that  the  hand  of  the  Lord  hath  done  this."  It  is  evi- 
dent, this  is  not  intended  in  a  literal  sense,  but  signifies  the 
happy  change  in  the  state  of  mankind,  from  a  state  wherein 
men  are  represented  as  barren,  as  briars  and  thorns,  and  as 
wild  beasts,  to  a  morally  excellent  and  happy  state.  This 
might  be  proved,  by  the  frequent  use  of  such  figures  in  the 
prophecies  of  scripture.  But  it  is  manifest,  that  this,  accord- 
ing to  Christ's  prediction,  was  effected,  in  a  remarkable  man- 
ner, by  Christ  himself,  and  his  apostles  and  followers,  in  the 
turning  of  the  world  from  heathenism,  to  the  knowledge  and 
worship  of  the  true  God,  to  just  apprehensions  of  his  moral 
government,  and  from  all  manner  of  vice  to  virtue. 

§  14.  It  is  remarkable,  that  it  is  foretold,  Isaiah  xlii.  that  the 
Messiah  should  set  judgment  in  the  earth,  and  his  law  or  reli- 
gion among  the  nations,  particularly  the  isles,  or  Europe, 
against  strong  opposition,  and  through  great  sufferings,  under 
which  his  church  should  seem  ready  to  be  extinguished,  or 
crushed,  like  smoking  flax,  or  a  bruised  reed  ;  but  that,  finally, 
judgment  should  be  brought  forth  to  victory. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  propriety  of  a  general  judgment,  and  a  future  state. 

§  1.  The  doctrine  taught  in  the  scriptures,  that  at  the  end 
of  the  world  all  mankind  shall  stand  together  before  the 
judgment-seat  of  the  supreme  Lawgiver  and  Judge,  to  have 
all  things  visibly  set  to  rights — and  justice  made  visibly  to  take 
place  with  respect  to  all  the  persons,  actions,  and  affairs  of  the 
moral  world,  by  the  infinitely  wise,  holy,  and  just  Head  of  it — 
is  a  most  reasonable  doctrine,  and  much  commends  itself  to 
oui  belief,  from  the  reason  of  the  thing,  on  the  supposition  of 
a  moral  government  maintained  over  the  world  by  Him  who 
created  it.  For  this  implies,  that  he  governs  the  world  as  its 
lawgiver  and  judge,  and  will  treat  men  as  accountable  crea- 
tures. God's  moral  government  not  only  requires,  that  there 
should  be  divine  laws,  and  an  execution  of  them  in  rewards 
and  punishments,  but,  also,  that  both  should  be  made  visible. 
It  is  requisite,  that  the  subject  should  have  proper  means  of 
knowing  what  the  laws  are,  by  which  he  is  obligated,  and  the 
grounds  of  the  obligation  ;  and  that  others,  who  are  his  fellow- 
subjects,  should  also  know  his  obligations.  For,  as  men  are 
made  to  dwell  in  society,  this  cannot  well  be,  without  knowing 
each  other's  obligations,  and  being  able  to  judge  of  the  good 

Vol.  VIL  30 


'ilii  HISCEL.L.ANJSOUS    OBSERVATION'S. 

or  evil  oi'  each  other's  actions.  It  is  likewise  requisite,  that 
the  subject  of  the  laws,  should  have  proper  means  of  knowing 
the  grounds  of  the  rewards  or  punishments  of  which  he  is  the 
subject,  in  the  execution  of  the  laws ;  and  that  it  should  be 
made  manifest,  to  the  conscience  of  him  who  is  rewarded  or 
punished,  what  he  is  rewarded  or  punished  for,  and  the  ground 
on  which  the  Judge  assigns  such  a  retribution  :  and,  if  he  see 
others  punished  or  acquitted,  that  the  ground  of  it  should  be 
manifested  to  him,  that  he  may  see  the  justice  of  it.  That 
there  should  be  some  judicial  proceeding  in  which  that  should 
take  place,  seems  absolutely  necessary,  in  order  to  a  proper 
manifestation  of  the  grounds  of  the  subject's  reward  or  pu- 
nishment, and  a  display  of  the  justice  of  his  judge  to  his  own 
conscience ;  which  must  be,  if  the  subject  be  dealt  with  as  a 
rational  moral  agent. 

§  2.  Hence  it  is  of  necessity,  that  every  one  of  mankind 
must  be  the  subject  of  such  a  dispensation  of  God  towards 
him,  which  may  fitly  be  called  an  appearing  before  the  judg- 
ment-seat of  God.  And  it  is  most  reasonable  to  suppose,  that 
this  judicial  proceeding  will  not  be  secret ;  that  each  indivi- 
dual will  not  be  judged  so,  that  the  transaction  with  respect 
to  him  will  be  out  of  the  sight  and  knowledge  of  all  others ; 
but  that  truth  and  righteousness  will  be  made  visibly  to  take 
place,  after  a  prevalence  of  wrong,  wickedness,  and  confusion, 
in  the  violations  of  a  divine  law,  which  was  public,  and  the 
law  of  their  union  and  regulation  in  society  :  many  of  those 
violations  are,  of  course,  visible  to  others,  and  others  are  con- 
cerned in  them,  either  in  being  united  in  the  wickedness,  and 
accessary  to  it,  or  a  party  concerned  in  suffering  the  injury 
done  by  that  wickedness. 

§  3.  Reasonable  creatures  are  the  eye  of  the  world ;  they 
are  capable  of  beholding  the  beauty  and  excellency  of  the 
Creator's  workmanship,  and  those  displays  of  himself,  which 
he  has  made  in  his  works ;  and,  therefore,  it  is  requisite,  that 
the  beauty  and  excellency  of  the  world,  as  God  hath  constituted 
it,  should  not  be  hid  or  kept  secret.  But  the  beauty  of  God's 
constitution  of  the  world,  consists  mainly,  without  doubt,  in 
the  intelligent  part  of  the  world,  which  is  the  head  and  end  of 
all  the  rest,  et  instar  omnium.  But  the  beauty  and  order  of 
God's  constitution  of  this,  consists  chiefly  in  his  moral  regula- 
tion of  it.  Now,  therefore,  since  God  has  made  the  beauty 
and  regularity  of  the  natural  world,  so  publicly  visible  to  all": 
it  is  much  more  requisite,  that  the  moral  beauty  and  regularity 
of  his  disposals  in  the  intelligent  world,  should  be  publicly 
visible.  For  the  beauty  of  God's  works,  consists  a  thousand 
times  more  in  this,  than  in  the  other.  It  is  reasonable  to  sup- 
pose, that  these  will  be  as  publicly  visible  as  the  brightness  and 
beautiful  order  and  motions  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  and  the 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS  235 

regular  successions  of  the  various  seasons  of  the  year,  and  the 
beauties  of  nature  in  the  air,  and  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 
The  moral  deformity  and  confusion  of  the  world,  is  most  pub- 
lic ;  it  stands  forth  continually  in  view  through  all  ages.  It  is. 
therefore,  fit,  that  the  rectifying  of  this  deformity  and  disorder, 
and  the  bringing  of  light  out  of  darkness,  should  also  be  made 
pubhcly  visible  to  those  creatures,  that  are  made  to  be  the  eye 
of  the  creation,  to  behold  its  beauty,  and  the  glory  of  the 
Creator  in  it.  God  has  given  man  a  nature,  which,  if  it  be 
under  the  influence  of  true  virtue,  desires,  above  all  things,  to 
behold  this  kind  of  order  and  beauty.  When  man  sees  a  great 
and  horrid  crime  committed,  as  some  nefarious  act  of  injus- 
tice, cruelty,  &c,  the  nature  of  the  reasonable  creature  has 
something  in  it,  which  desires  and  makes  it  requisite,  that  he 
should  see  justice  done,  and  right  take  place,  with  respect,  to 
such  an  act.  The  mind,  or  heart,  as  it  were,  fails  in  such  a 
case,  if  it  neither  sees  this,  nor  hopes  to  see  it. 

§  4.  If  it  be  requisite  that  judgment  should  be  public,  and 
that  many  should  stand  together  before  the  judgment-seat;  on 
the  same  account,  it  will  appear  most  reasonable  to  suppose, 
that  the  whole  world  should  appear  together  in  one  great  as- 
sembly, before  the  judgment-seat.  The  whole  world  is  one 
commonwealth  and  kingdom,  all  made  of  one  blood,  all  under 
one  moral  head,  one  law,  and  one  government ;  and  all  parts 
of  it  are  joined  in  communication  one  with  another.  All  are 
sinners,  and  yet  God  appears  placable  to  all,  &c.  All  dwell  in 
one  habitation,  viz.  this  earth,  under  the  same  roof  of  the  visible 
heavens,  having  the  same  sun  to  enlighten  them,  &,c.  Besides, 
many  of  the  causes  and  controversies  to  be  decided  by  the  su- 
preme Judge  of  the  world,  are  of  the  most  public  nature  :  as 
causes  between  princes  and  heads  of  great  kingdoms  and 
monarchies,  and  their  people  ;  and  causes  between  one  nation 
and  another.  Yea,  there  are  many  causes  which  the  supreme 
Judge  must  bring  to  an  issue,  wherein  the  greater  part  of  the 
world  is  concerned.  And  when  the  cause  and  controversy  be- 
tween these  two  is  judged,  it  is  requisite  that  both  parties 
should  appear  together  before  the  judgment-seat.  The  Roman 
emperors  had  to  do  with  other  nations  that  were  without  the 
limits  of  the  empire,  to  the  utmost  ends  of  the  earth;  as  with 
the  Scythians,  the  Persians,  the  Arabians,  the  Indians,  the  Chi- 
nese, the  Germans,  Cimbrians,  and  Africans.  So  that  it  is  re- 
quisite when  they  appear  to  be  judged,  that  not  only  the  people 

of  the  Roman  empire  should  appear  with  them,  but  also  those 
other  nations.  Thus  all  the  nations  of  Europe  have  dealings 
one  with  another  continually  ;  and  these  European  nations  have 

some  dealings  with  almost  all  other  nations  upon  earth,  in  Asia, 

Africa,  and  America. 


•23(5  MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS. 

§  5.  It  is  therefore  necessary,  that  all  nations  should  be  ga- 
thered together  before  the  judgment-seat  of  the  supreme  Law- 
giver  and  Judge,  that  he  may  determine  between  them,  and 
settle  all  things  by  his  wise,  righteous,  and  infallible  decision. 
And  many  of  the  good  and  evil  acts  that  are  done,  though  the 
world  is  not  properly  concerned  in  them  as  a  party  interested, 
yet  are  public  through  the  world.  They  are  done  in  the  sight 
of  the  world,  and  greatly  draw  the  attention  of  mankind.  It 
is  fit,  therefore,  that  they  should  be  as  publicly  judged.  And, 
it  is  to  be  observed,  that  the  longer  the  world  stands,  the  more 
and  more  communication  have  the  different  parts  of  it  together. 
So  that,  at  the  end  of  the  world,  there  probably  will  be  the  high- 
est reason,  in  this  respect,  that  all  nations  that  shall  then  be 
found  upon  the  earth,  should  be  called  together  before  the  judg- 
ment-seat of  God. 

§  rj.  As  it  is  requisite,  that  all  who  dwell  on  the  face  of  the 
earth  at  the  same  time,  should  appear  together  before  the  judg- 
ment-seat ;  so  it  is  also  requisite,  that  all  generations  that  have 
succeeded  one  another,  appear  together.  Many  of  the  moral 
acts,  both  good  and  bad,  not  only  are  public  in  this  respect, 
that  they  are  known  over  great  part  of  the  face  of  the  earth,  in 
or  near  the  time  of  them  .  but  also  they  are  made  public  to  all 
the  following  generations,  by  tradition  and  history.  And  if  the 
actions  of  one  generation  be  not  visible  to  all,  yet  the  actions 
of  one  genera'tion  arc  very  visible  to  the  generation  immedi- 
ately following,  and  theirs  to  the  next ;  and  so  all,  in  this  sense, 
are  very  visible  one  to  another.  And  as  all  nations  of  the 
world  are  morally  concerned  one  with  another,  though  not 
so  as  each  one  immediately  concerned  with  every  other  nation  ; 
yet  all  are  mutually  concerned  by  concatenation. — One  na- 
tion is  concerned  with  the  next,  and  that  with  the  next,  and  so 
on :  so  that  there  is  need  that  all  such  should  appear  together 
to  be  judged. 

§  7.  All  generations  of  men  from  the  beginning  to  the  end 
of  the  world,  arc  morally  concerned  one  with  another.  The 
first  generation  is  concerned  with  the  next,  and  that  with  the 
next,  and  so  on  to  the  end  of  the  world.  Therefore  it  is  requi- 
site, that  all  should  appear  together  to  be  judged.  Parents 
may  injure  their  children,  and  children  may  injure  their  parents  ; 
and  so  they  are  two  parties  in  one  cause,  which  must  be  deci- 
ded by  the  supreme  Judge.  Therefore,  it  is  needful,  that  they, 
as  parties,  should  appear  together,  when  their  cause  is  judged, 
jarents  and  children,  or  a  younger  generation  and  an  older,  may 
be  accessary  to  each  other's  crimes,  or  united  in  each  other's 
virtuous  deeds ;  and  therefore  it  is  requisite  that  they  should 
be  judged  together.  Yea,  the  present  generation  may  become 
accessary  to  an  injury  committed  by  their  ancestors  ages  ago. 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS. 


237 


For,  in  many  things,  they  stand  in  the  stead  of  those  ancestors, 
and  act  for  them  and  have  power  to  continue  the  injury,  or  to 
remove  it. 

§  8.  Posterity  is  concerned  in  the  actions  of  their  ancestors 
or  predecessors,  in  families,  nations,  and  most  communities  of 
men,  as  standing  in  some  respect  in  their  stead.  And  some 
particular  persons  may  injure,  not  only  a  great  part  of  the 
world  contemporary  with  them,  but  may  injure  and  undo  all 
future  generations  of  many  individuals,  families,  or  larger  com- 
munities. So  that  men  who  live  now,  may  have  an  action 
against  those  who  lived  a  thousand  years  ago  :  or  there  may 
be  a  cause  which  needs  to  be  decided  by  the  Judge  of  the 
world,  between  some  of  the  present  generation,  and  some  who 
lived  a  thousand  years  ago.  Princes  who,  by  rapine  and 
cruelty,  ruin  nations,  are  answerable  for  the  poverty,  slavery, 
and  misery  of  the  posterity  of  those  nations.  So,  as  to  those 
who  broach  and  established  opinions  and  principles,  which 
tend  to  the  overthrow  of  virtue,  and  propagation  of  vice,  and 
are  contrary  to  the  common  rights  and  privileges  of  mankind. 
Thus,  Mahomet  has  injured  all  succeeding  posterity,  and  is 
answerable,  at  least  in  a  degree,  for  the  ruin  of  the  virtue  of 
his  followers  in  many  respects,  and  for  the  rapine,  violence,  and 
terrible  devastations  which  his  followers  have  been  guilty  of 
toward  the  nations  of  the  world,  and  to  which  they  have  been 
instigated  by  the  principles  which  he  taught  them.  And,  who- 
ever they  were,  who  first  drew  away  men  from  the  true  religion, 
and  introduced  and  established  idolatry,  they  have  injured  all 
nations  that  have  to  this  day  partaken  of  the  infection. 

§  9.  In  like  manner,  persons,  by  their  virtue,  may  be  great 
benefactors  to  mankind,  through  all  succeeding  generations. 
Without  doubt,  the  apostle  Paul,  and  others  who  assisted  him, 
and  following  generations,  may  properly  become  the  subjects 
of  a  judicial  proceeding,  with  respect  to  that  great  religious 
change  and  revolution  in  the  nations  subject  to  the  Roman 
empire,  in  abolishing  Heathenish  idolatry,  and  setting  up  Chris- 
tianity in  the  room  of  it. 

§  10.  The  end  of  the  divine  judgment  is  the  manifestation 
of  the  divine  justice ;  and  how  fit  is  it,  that  the  justice  of  the 
universal  and  supreme  Head  and  Judge  of  all  mankind,  in  go* 
verning  his  kingdom,  should  be  most  publicly  manifested,  and 
exhibited  to  his  whole  kingdom  !  This  doctrine  of  the  day  of 
judgment,  exceedingly  becomes  the  universal  moral  Head  of 
the  world,  who  rules  through  all  generations. 

§11.  If  there  shall  ever  come  a  time,  wherein  the  Lawgiver 
and  Judge  of  the  world  will  publicly  regulate  the  moral  state  ot 
all  generations,  the  end  of  the  world,  when  there  shall  be  a  fi- 
nal period  to  all  farther  probation,  seems  to  be  a  proper  time  for 
it.     If  ever,   bv  divino   wisdom    and  righteousness,   them  bo 


k^38  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS. 

brought  about  a  righteous,  holy,  and  glorious  issue  of  the 
confused  state  of  the  world,  it  will  be,  when  this  world  shall 
have  come  to  an  end.  As  the  proper  time  for  judging  a  par- 
ticular person,  is,  when  the  probationary  state  of  that  person 
is  at  an  end  ;  so  the  proper  time  for  the  public  judgment 
of  the  world,  is,  when  the  probationary  world  comes  to 
an  end. 

§  VZ.  There  is  all  reason  to  think,  that  the  wicked  will  here- 
after be  punished  together,  having  a  place  of  punishment  assign- 
ed for  them,  where  they  shall  suffer  divine  vengeance  in  sight 
of  one  another  :  and  that  the  righteous  will  also  be  rewarded 
together.  If  so,  it  is  most  requisite  that  their  judgment  should 
be  together ;  that  they  may  understand  the  ground  and  reason 
of  that  punishment,  and  of  that  reward,  which  they  shall  see  in 
each  other. 

§  13.  It  is  most  agreeable  to  reason,  that  there  is  a  future 
state  of  rewards  and  punishments,  wherein  God  will  reward 
and  make  happy  good  men,  and  make  wicked  men  miserable. 
And  if  there  be  a  future  state  of  happiness  to  God's  favourites, 
it  is  rational  to  suppose,  that  this  should  be  eternal  :  because, 
otherwise,  God's  greatest  faxourites,  to  whom  he  gives  the 
greatest  rewards  in  another  world,  would,  in  one  respect,  have 
most  to  torment  them  ;  to  wit,  the  dreadful  and  eternal  end  of 
that  sweet  happiness.  The  sweeter  and  more  happy  life  is,  the 
more  terrible  are  death  and  the  thoughts  and  expectations  of  it. 
It  is  not  likely  that  God  would  add  such  a  sting  to  the  sweetest 
enjoyments  and  rewards  of  his  greatest  favourites.  It  is  ration- 
al, therefore,  to  suppose,  that  the  life  he  gives  them  after  death, 
is  life  eternal ;  life  that  is  not  to  come  to  an  end  by  another 
worse  death,  consisting  not  only  in  the  destruction  of  the  body, 
but  the  abolition  of  the  soul.  God  has  not  made  men  like  the 
brutes,  who  cannot  contemplate  futurity,  and  therefore,  have  no 
allay  to  present  enjoyment  by  the  prospect  of  an  end  by  death. 
And  if  it  be  so,  that  there  be  an  eternal  state  of  happiness  in 
another  world,  set  before  us  to  be  sought  after :  then  how  ra- 
tional are  the  Christian  doctrines  and  precepts,  of  placing  our 
affections  on  heavenly  objects  ;  of  weanedness  from  the  world  ; 
of  behaving  as  pilgrims  and  strangers  on  the  earth  ;  of  not 
laying  up  treasures  on  the  earth,  but  in  heaven ;  of  selling 
all  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ;  of  not  looking  at  the  things 
which  are  seen,  which  are  temporal,  but  at  the  things  which  are 
not  seen,  which  are  eternal !  Hence,  also,  the  reasonableness 
of  the  Christian  precepts  of  patience  under  sufferings,  seeing 
these  afflictions  are  but  for  a  moment,  in  comparison  with  the 
duration  of  the  future  weight  of  glory. 

§  14.  The  doctrine  of  the  gospel  concerning  an  invisi- 
ble world,  to  which  good  men  are  to  be  transferred,  and 
Where   thev  are  to  have  their  inheritance  and  fixed  abode,  is 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  k£jlJ 

most  rational  on  this  account,  that  this  visible  world  is  cor- 
ruptible in  its  own  nature.  Such  is  the  nature  and  constitution 
of  it,  that  it  must  come  to  an  end.  And  it  is  unreasonable  to 
suppose,  that  the  Creator  would  leave  it  gradually  to  perish, 
languishing  in  a  decayed,  broken,  miserable  state,  through 
thousands  "of  ages,  gradually  growing  more  and  more  wretch- 
ed, before  it  is  quite  destroyed.  Therefore,  it  is  reasonable  to 
suppose,  that  there  will  be  a  time  wherein  its  Creator  will  im- 
mediately interpose,  to  put  the  world  to  an  end,  and  destroy  it 
suddenly.  And,  at  that  time,  all  the  living  inhabitants  of  the 
world,  that  are  not  taken  from  it  and  translated  to  some  other 
abode,  must  perish,  and  be  destroyed  in  a  very  awful  manner, 
by  the  immediate  hand  of  God,  with  most  inexpressible  mani- 
festations of  his  mighty  power  and  great  majesty.  And  who 
can  believe,  that  at  that  time,  when  God  in  this  manner  im- 
mediately interposes,  he  will  make  no  distinction  between  the 
virtuous,  and  his  enemies  1  That  this  awful  destruction  and 
wrath  shall  come  upon  all  alike  ?  There  will  be  no  necessity 
of  it  from  the  course  of  nature.  For,  at  that  time,  by  the  sup- 
position, God  will  put  an  end  to  the  course  of  nature.  God 
will  immediately  and  miraculously  interpose.  The  whole 
affair  shall  be  miraculous,  and  by  God's  immediate  hand  ;  and, 
therefore,  a  miraculous  deliverance  of  the  good,  will  not  be  at 
all  beside  God's  manner  of  operation  at  this  time.  He  can  as 
easily,  and  without  departing  any  more  from  the  stated  course 
of  things,  miraculously  deliver  the  virtuous,  as  he  can  miracu- 
lously destroy  the  wicked. 

§  15.  Therefore,  we  may  well  suppose,  that  at  that  time, 
when  God  is  about  to  put  an  end  to  the  frame  of  this  visible 
universe,  the  virtuous  will  be  translated  into  some  other  world, 
beyond  the  limits  of  the  visible  one.  And  if  God  deigns  thus 
to  deal  with  all  the  good  that  shall  be  found  alive  on  the  earth 
at  that  time,  how  rational  is  it  to  suppose,  that  he  deals  in  like 
manner  with  the  good  in  all  generations  ?  That  they  all  are 
translated  into  that  distant,  invisible  world  ?  Without  doubt, 
the  world  into  which  God  will  receive  his  favourites,  when 
this  corruptible  world  shall  perish,  shall  be  incorruptible.  He 
will  not  translate  them  from  one  corruptible  world  to  another. 
He  will  not  save  them  from  one  world  that  is  to  perish,  to  carry 
them  to  another  world  that  is  to  perish.  Therefore,  they  shall 
be  immortal,  and  have  eternal  life ;  and,  doubtless,  that,  world 
will  be  unspeakably  better  than  this,  and  free  from  ail  that  de- 
struction, that  fleeting,  fading,  perishing,  empty  nature,  that 
attends  all  the  things  of  this  world  ;  and  their  bodies  shall  be 
immortal,  and  as  secure  from  perishing,  as  the  world  is,  to 
which  they  are  translated. 

§  16.  This  makes  it  most  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  good 
men,  in  all  ages,  are  translated  to  that  world,     For  whv  should 


~4U  MISCELLANEOUS   OBSERVATIONS. 

so  vast  a  difference  be  made,  between  the  virtuous  that  shall 
be  of  the  last  generation,  and  the  virtuous  of  all  preceding 
generations  ?  Seeing  there  is  a  far  distant  and  invisible  world 
provided  for  some  of  the  virtuous  inhabitants  of  this  world,  it 
is  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  all  the  good  shall  have  their  ha- 
bitation and  inheritance  together  there,  as  one  society,  parta- 
king of  the  same  reward  ;  as  they  were  of  the  same  race  of 
mankind,  and  loved  and  served  God,  and  followed  him  in  the 
same  state  here  below,  in  the  performance  of  the  same  duties, 
the  same  work,  and  under  like  trials  and  difficulties. 

§  17.  It  is  also,  hence,  rational  to  suppose,  that  there 
should  be  a  resurrection  of  the  bodies  of  the  saints  of  all 
past  generations.  For,  from  what  has  been  observed  before, 
the  bodies  of  the  saints  of  the  last  generation,  will  be  pre- 
served from  perishing  with  the  world,  and  will  be  translated. 
And,  doubtless,  if  all  the  good  of  all  generations,  are  to  have 
a  like  reward,  and  are  to  dwell  together  in  the  same  world,  in 
one  society,  they  shall  be  in  a  like  state,  partaking  of  a  like 
reward. 

§  18.  The  reasonableness  of  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrec- 
tion, will  appear,  if  we  suppose,  that  union  with  a  body  is  the 
most  rational  state  of  perfection  of  the  human  soul  ;|  which 
may  be  argued  from  the  consideration,  that  this  was  the  condi- 
tion in  which  the  human  soul  was  created  at  first ;  and  that 
its  separation  from  the  body  is  no  improvement  of  its  condition, 
being  an  alteration  brought  on  by  sin,  and  was  inflicted  under 
the  notion  of  evil,  and  expressly  as  punishment,  upon  the  for- 
feiture of  a  privilege.  From  whence  we  must  conclude,  that 
the  former  state  of  union  to  the  body,  was  a  better  state  than 
the  disunion  which  was  threatened.  Sin  introduced  that  death 
that  consists  in  the  separation  of  body  and  soul.  The  state  of 
innocency  was  embodied  :  the  state  of  guilt  was  disembodied.* 
Therefore,  as  Christ  came  to  restore  from  all  the  calamities 
which  came  from  sin,  it  is  most  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  he 
will  restore  the  union  of  soul  and  body. 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  Miracles  of  Jesus  not  counterfeited  by  his  enemies ',  and 
superior  to  those  under  the  Old  Testament. 

§  1.    It  adds  to  the  evidence  which  is  given  to  the  truth  of 
Christianity,  by  the  multitude  of  miracles  wrought  by  Christ 
his  apostles  and  followers  in  the  first  century,  that  there  were 
no  pretences  of  inspiration,  or  miracles,  among  the  Jews  (at 
least  none  worth  notice)  in  Judea,  or  any  other  part  of  the 

■  Winder's  History  of  Knowledge,  p.  59,  60. 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  "Ml 

world,  if  all  that  multitude,  and  that  long  continued  series  of 
miracles,  recorded  to  be  wrought  in  confirmation  of  Christianity, 
were  fictions,  vain  pretences  or  enthusiastic  imaginations ;  why 
were  there  no  pretences  or  imaginations  of  the  same  sort,  on 
the  other  :;ide,  among  the  Jews,  in  opposition  to  these  ?  Those 
of  the  Jews  that  were  opposed  to  Christianity,  were  vastly  the 
greater  part  of  the  nation. — And  they  had  as  high  an  opinion  of 
the  honourableness  of  those  gifts  of  prophecy  and  miracles,  as 
Christian*.  They  had  as  much  in  their  notions  and  tempers,  to 
lead  them  to  a  fondness  for  the  claim  of  such  an  honour  to 
their  party.  They  were  exceedingly  proud  of  their  special  re- 
lation to  God,  and  of  their  high  privilege  as  the  peculiar  favour- 
ites of  heaven  ;  and  in  this  respect,  were  exalted  far  above  all 
the  world  :  which  is  a  temper  of  mind  (as  we  see  abundantly) 
above  all  others,  leading  men  to  pretences  of  this  nature. 

§  'i.  There  could  be  nothing  peculiar  in  the  constitution  of 
the  first  Christians,  tending  to  enthusiasm,  beyond  the  rest  of 
the  Jews  ;  for  they  were  of  the  same  blood,  the  same  race  and 
nation.  Nor  could  it  be  because  they  wanted  zeal  against 
Christianity,  and  a  desire  to  oppose  and  destroy  it ;  or  wanted 
envy  and  virulent  opposition  of  mind  to  any  pretences  in  the 
Christians  to  excel  them  in  the  favour  of  God,  or  excellency  of 
any  gifts  or  privileges  whatsoever.  Thev  had  such  zeal  and 
such  envy,  even  to  madness  and  fury. 

§  3.  The  true  reason,  therefore,  why  so  vast  a  multitude  of 
miracles  were  said,  and  believed,  to  be  openly  wrought  among 
Christians  for  so  long  a  time,  even  for  a  whole  age,  and  none 
among  the  Jews,  must  be,  that  such  was  the  state  of  things  in 
that  age,  that  it  was  not  possible  to  palm  false  pretences  of 
such  a  kind  upon  the  world  ;  and  that  those  who  were  most  ela« 
ted  with  pride,  and  most  ambitious  of  such  an  honour,  could 
see  no  hope  of  succeeding  in  any  such  pretences  ;  and  because 
the  Christians  indeed  were  inspired,  and  were  enabled  to  work 
miracles,  and  did  work  them,  as  was  pretended  and  believed,  in 
great  multitudes,  and  this  continually  for  so  long  a  time.  But 
God  never  favoured  their  adversaries  with  such  a  privilege, 

§  4.  When  Moses  objected  (Exod.  iv.)  that  perhaps  the  peo- 
ple would  not  believe  his  mission,  God  directed  him  to  work 
two  miracles  to  convince  them  ;  first,  the  transmutation  of  his 
rod  to  and  from  a  serpent ;  and,  secondly,  the  making  his  hand 
leprous  and  healing  the  leprosy.  And  it  is  to  be  noted,  that 
the  preference  is  given  to  the  last  miracle,  as  being  especially 
what  might  well  be  regarded  as  a  good  evidence  of  Moses' divine 
mission  ;  ver.  8.  "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  if  they  will  not 
believe  thee,  neither  hearken  to  the  voice  of  the  first  sign,  that 
they  will  believe  the  voice  of  the  latter  sign.''  By  which  it  is 
manifest,  that  such  a  sort  of  miracles  as  Christ  wrought,  and 
which  he  most  abounded  in,  viz.  his  healing  the  bodies  of  men 

Vol.  VII  31 


242  MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS. 

when  diseased,  were  a  proper  and  good  evidence  of  a  divine 
mission.* 

§  5.  Moses  tells  Pharaoh.  Exodus  viii.  10,  "  The  frogs  shall 
be  removed,  that  thou  mayest  know  that  there  is  none  like  the 
Lord  our  God."  The  magicians  could  bring  up  frogs  but  not 
remove  them.  They  brought  plagues,  but  took  away  none. 
But  if  the  driving  out  the  frogs  was  such  an  evidence  of  the 
distinguishing  power  of  the  Almighty  ;  how  much  more  the 
driving  out  devils  from  the  bodies  and  souls  of  men,  silencing 
their  oracles,  turning  them  out  of  their  temples,  and  out  of 
those  who  used  curious  arts,  as  at  Ephesus,  and  afterward 
abolishing  their  worship  through  the  Roman  empire  ?  For 
the  gods  that  were  worshipped  in  the  heathen  world,  were  de- 
vils, Psal.  cvi.  37.  Deut.  xxxii.  17.  Lev.  xvii.  7.  Christ  by  the 
prevailing  of  the  Christian  religion,  cast  out  those  devils  out  of 
the  very  land  of  Egypt.  And  which  was  the  greatest  work,  to 
drive  the  frogs  out  of  Egypt,  or  to  drive  out  the  impure  spirits  that 
were  the  gods  of  Egypt  l  It  is  spoken  of,  Isa.  xix.  1,  as  a  glori- 
ous manifestation  of  the  majesty  of  God,  that  he  should  ride 
on  a  swift  cloud,  and  should  come  into  Egypt,  and  the  idols  of 
Egypt  should  be  moved  at  his  presence.  See  also  Jeremiah 
xliii.  12.  But  when  Christ  came  into  Egypt,  in  the  preaching 
of  his  gospel,  he  moved,  dispossessed,  and  banished  the  idols 
of  Egypt,  and  abolished  them  out  of  the  world.  And  not  only 
did  Christ  thus  drive  away  the  devils,  the  false  gods  out  of 
Egypt,  but  out  of  all  the  nations  round  about  Canaan,  that 
were  known  by  the  Israelites,  even  to  the  utmost  extent  of  the 
then  known  heathen  world.  These  gods  were  by  Christ  dis- 
possessed of  their  ancient  tenements,  which  they  had  holden 
age  after  age,  time  out  of  mind.  They  were  utterly  abolished  ; 
so  that  they  have  had  no  worshippers  now  for  a  great  many 
ages,  no  temples,  no  sacrifices,  no  honours  done  them.  They 
are  old,  obsolete  things  now,  utterly  disregarded  in  the  world. 
It  is  abundantly  spoken  of  in  the  Old  Testament  as  a  future 
glorious  work  of  God,  greatly  manifesting  his  power  and  ma- 
jesty, and  that  he  should  prevail  against,  and  destroy  the  gods 
of  the  heathens,  and  abolish  their  worship.  But  our  Jesus  has 
the  honour  of  this  glorious  work. 

§  6.  Again,  when  Korah  and  his  company  charged  Moses 
and  Aaron  with  taking  too  much  upon  them,  Moses  says, 
Numbers  xvi.  5,  "  To-morrow,  the  Lord  will  show  who  are 
his,  and  who  is  holy,  and  will  cause  him  to  come  near  unto 
him;  even  him  whom  he  hath  chosen,  will  he  cause  to  come 
near  unto  him."  And  again,  ver.  28,  29,  30  :  "  Hereby  ye 
shall  know,  that  the  Lord  hath  sent  me  to  do  all  these  works ; 
for  I  have  not  done  them  of  my  own  mind :  if  these  men  die 
the  common  death  of  all  men."  &c.     If  the  miraculous  taking 

:'  See  Kidder's  Demonstration,  part  ii.  p.  5. 


MiSCEftiLifNEOl  S  OBSER\  A  i  103  '-  13 

away  of  men's  lives,  be  so  great  an  evidence  of  Moses  and 
Aaron's  divine  mission,  and  of  their  being  holy,  and  chosen 
and  appointed  of  God,  how  much  more  is  raising  men  from 
the  dead  an  evidence  of  the  same  work  ?  Which  is  the  greatest 
work — to  take  away  men's  lives,  or  to  restore  them  to  life  after 
they  are  dead  ;  or,  indeed,  miraculously  to  save  them  from 
death,  when  they  are  sick  with  mortal  diseases?  Again; 
God's  causing  the  earth  to  open  and  swallow  up  those  wicked 
men.  is  no  more  an  evidence  of  a  divine  hand,  than  Christ's 
preventing  the  sea  from  swallowing  up  those  that  were  in  the 
ship,  by  immediately  quieting  the  winds  and  sea  by  speaking  a 
word,  when  the  ship  was  even  covered  with  waves,  through  the 
violence  of  the  tempest :  At  another  time,  upholding  Peter 
from  sinking,  and  being  swallowed  up  by  the  tempestuous  sea, 
when  walking  on  the  water.  Elisha's  causing  iron  to  swim,  is 
mentioned,  in  the  Old  Testament,  as  a  great  miracle.  But 
this  was  not  greater  than  Christ's  walking  on  the  water,  and 
causing  Peter  to  walk  upon  it.  When  Elijah  had  restored  to 
life  the  widow's  son,  she  says,  1  Kings  xvii.  24,  "  By  this  I 
know  that  thou  art  a  man  of  God,  and  that  the  word  of  the 
Lord  in  thy  mouth,  is  truth."  But  this  sort  of  miracles  Christ 
wrought,  besides  rising  from  the  dead  himself. 

§  7.  Moses  speaks  of  God's  stilling  the  tempest  in  Egypt, 
and  causing  the  thunder  and  hail  to  cease,  as  that  which  will 
convince  Pharaoh,  that  the  earth  was  the  Lord's,  Exodus 
ix.  29.  Then,  by  parity  of  reason,  Christ's  stilling  the  tempest, 
and  causing  the  winds  and  seas  to  obey  him,  is  an  evidence, 
that  the  seas  and  earth  were  his.  Moses,  to  convince  the 
people  of  his  divine  mission,  took  some  of  the  water  of  the 
river,  and  poured  it  out  on  the  dry  land,  and  it  was  turned  to 
blood  ;  Exod.  vii.  17 — 20.  But  this  was  not  a  greater  work, 
nor  so  glorious,  as  Christ's  turning  water  into  wine. 

§  8.  Abraham's  conquering  the  four  kings  and  their  armies, 
wiih  his  armed  servants  and  confederates,  greatly  affected 
Melchizedec,  king  of  Salem,  and  convinced  him,  that  Abra- 
ham was  God's  chosen  friend ;  chosen,  that  he  and  his  poste- 
rity might  be  blessed  as  God's  people.  But  what  is  this  to 
Jesus's  conquering  the  world  in  its  greatest  strength  ;  and, 
when  united  under  that,  which  by  the  prophet  Daniel  is  re- 
presented as  the  greatest,  and  by  far  the  strongest  monarchy, 
by  his  handful  of  poor,  weak,  illiterate  disciples  ? 

§  9.  Christ's  victory  over  the  false  gods  of  the  nations,  in 
this  conquest,  was  far  more  conspicuous,  as  the  opposition  was 
to  them ;  the  strife  was  more  directly  with  them  ;  the  thing 
professedly  sought  and  aimed  at  by  Christ  in  the  conflict,  was 
the  utter  destruction  of  these  false  gods,  the  entire  rooting  of 
them  out,  and  the  abolition  of  their  worship  out  of  the  world  ; 
and  such  a  victorv  was  obtained  ;  those  false  gods  were  for- 


.'1J  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS. 

saken,  their  oracles  silenced,  their  temples  destroyed,  then- 
images  every  where  burnt,  and  their  remembrance  made  to 
cease;  so  that  now,  for  many  ages,  they  have  not  been  re- 
membered, any  otherwise,  than  as  instances  of  the  great  blind- 
ness and  folly  of  their  votaries. 

§  10.  How  often  are  the  miracles  wrought  in  Egypt,  spoken 
of  as  clear  evidences,  that  he  that  wrought  them,  was  the  su- 
preme God,  and  the  only  true  God ;  Exodus  vii.  3,4,5;  chap- 
ter viii.  10,  19,  22. 

§  11.  The  work  of  Gideon,  in  conquering  the  Midianites, 
and  the  multitudes  that  were  joined  with  them,  by  three  hun- 
dred men,  with  the  light  of  lamps,  and  sound  of  trumpets,  is 
celebrated  as  a  great  work  of  God's  power,  Judges  vi.  14.  and 
vii.  2.  7.  But  this  is  but  a  mere  type  of  Christ's  conquering 
the  world  by  the  preaching  of  the  gospel.  This  victory  over 
Midian,  is  spoken  of  in  the  scripture,  as  representing  the  con- 
quests of  the  Messiah,  Isaiah  ix.  4. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Observations   on,   the  Scriptures  ; — their   Authority — and 
Necessity. 

§  1.  Some  may  ask,  why  the  scripture  expresses  things  so 
unintelligibly  ?  It  tells  us  of  Christ's  living  in  us,  of  our  being 
united  to  him,  of  being  the  same  spirit,  and  uses  many  other 
such  like  expressions.  Why  doth  it  not  call  directly  by  their 
intelligible  names,  those  things  that  lie  hid  under  these  ex- 
pressions ?  I  answer,  Then  we  should  have  an  hundred  pages 
to  express  what  is  implied  in  these  words,  "  Ye  are  the  temple 
of  the  holy  Ghost ;"  neither  would  it  after  all  be  understood  by 
the  one-fourth  part  of  mankind.  Whereas,  as  it  is  expressed, 
it  serves  as  well  to  practice,  if  we  will  believe  what  God  says, 
that,  some  way  or  other,  we  are  inhabited  by  the  Holy  Ghost 
as  a  temple,  and  therefore  we  ought  to  keep  ourselves  holy  and 
pure.  And  we  are  united  to  Christ  as  much  as  members  are 
to  the  heau  ,  and  therefore  ought  to  rejoice,  seeing  we  know 
that  this  union  proceeds  from  his  love  to  us  ;  and  that  the  effects 
of  it  are,  joy,  happiness,  spiritual  and  eternal  life,  &c.  By  such 
similitudes  a  vast  volume  is  represented  to  our  minds  in  three 
words  ;  and  things  that  we  are  not  able  to  behold  directly,  are 
presented  before  us  in  lively  pictures. 

§  2.  There  is  a  strange  and  unaccountable  kind  of  enchant- 
ment, if  I  may  so  speak,  in  scripture  history,  which  although  it 
is  destitute  of  all  rhetorical  ornaments,  makes  it  vastly  more 
pleasant,  agreeable,  easy  and  natural,  than  any  other  history 
whatever.     It  shines  bright  with  the  amiable  simplicity  of  truth. 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  24c5 

There  is  something  in  the  relation,  that,  at  the  same  time,  very 
much  pleases  and  engages  the  reader,  and  evidences  the  truth 
of  the  fact.  It  is  impossible  to  tell  fully  what  I  mean,  to  any 
that  have  not  taken  notice  of  it  before.  One  reason  doubtless 
is  this:  the  scripture  sets  forth  things  just  as  they  happened, 
with  the  minute  circumstances  of  time,  place,  situation,  gest- 
ure, habit,  &c.  in  such  a  natural  method,  that  we  seem  to  be 
actually  present,  and  we  insensibly  fancy,  not  that  we  are  rea- 
ders, but  spectators,  yea,  actors  in  the  business.  These  little 
circumstances  wonderfully  help  to  brighten  the  ideas  of  the 
more  principal  parts  of  the  history.  And  although  the  scrip- 
ture goes  beyond  other  histories,  in  mentioning  such  circum- 
stances ;  yet  no  circumstances  are  mentioned,  but  those  that 
wonderfully  brighten  the  whole.  So  the  story  is  told  very  fully, 
and  without  in  the  least  crowding  things  together,  before  one 
has  fully  taken  up  what  was  last  related  ;  and  yet  told  in  much 
less  room,  than  any  one  else  could  tell  it.  Notwithstanding 
the  minute  circumstances  mentioned,  which  other  historians 
leave  out,  it  leads  along  our  ideas  so  naturally  and  easily,  that 
they  seem  to  go  neither  too  fast  nor  too  slow.  One  seems  to 
know  as  exactly  how  it  is  from  the  relation,  as  if  we  saw  it. 
The  mind  is  so  led  on,  that  sometimes  we  seem  to  have  a  full, 
large,  and  particular  history  of  a  long  time  :  so  that  if  we  should 
shut  the  book  immediately,  without  taking  particular  notice, 
we  should  not  suppose  the  story  had  been  told  in  half  so  little 
room ;  and  yet  a  long  train  of  ideas  is  communicated.  The 
story  is  so  narrated,  that  our  mind,  although  some  facts  are  not 
mentioned,  yet  naturally  traces  the  whole  transaction.  And 
although  it  be  thus  skilfully  contrived,  yet  things  are  told  in 
such  a  simple,  plain  manner,  that  the  least  child  can  understand 
them.  This  is  a  perfection  in  the  sacred  writers,  which  no 
other  authors  can  equal. 

§  3.  It  is  an  argument  with  me,  that  the  world  is  not  yet 
very  near  its  end,  that  the  church  has  made  no  greater  progress 
in  understanding  the  mysteries  of  the  scriptures.  The  scrip- 
tures, in  all  their  parts,  were  made  for  the  use  of  the  church 
here  on  earth  ;  and  it  seems  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  God 
will,  by  degrees,  unvail  their  meaning  to  his  church.  It  was 
made  mysterious,  in  many  places  having  great  difficulties,  that 
his  people  might  have  exercise  for  their  pious  wisdom  and 
study,  and  that  his  church  might  make  progress  in  the  under- 
standing of  it  as  the  philosophical  world  makes  progress  in  the 
understanding  of  the  book  of  nature,  and  in  unfolding  its  mys- 
teries. A  divine  wisdom  appears  in  ordering  it  thus.  How 
much  better  is  it  to  have  divine  truth  and  light  break 
forth  in  this  way,  than  it  would  have  been,  to  have  had  it  shine 
at  once  to  every  one,  without  any  labour  or  industry  of  the  un- 
derstanding ?    It  would  be  less  delightful,  and  less  prized  and 


~iG  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATION. 

admired,  and  would  have  had  vastly  less  influence  on  men's 
hearts,  and  would  have  been  less  to  the  glory  of  God. 

§  4.  It  seems  to  be  evident,  that  the  church  is  not  as  yet  ar- 
rived to  that  perfection  in  understanding  the  scripture,  which 
we  can  imagine  is  the  highest  that  God  ever  intended  the  church 
should  come  to.  There  are  a  multitude  of  things  in  the  Old 
Testameqt,  which  the  church  then  did  not  understand,  but 
were  reserved  to  be  unfolded  in  the  Christian  church,  such  as 
most  of  their  types,  and  shadows  and  prophecies,  which  make  up 
the  greatest  part  of  the  Old  Testament.  So  I  believe  there  are 
now  many  truths  that  remain  to  be  discovered  by  the  church, 
in  the  glorious  times  that  are  approaching. 

§  5.  Another  thing,  from  which  we  may  draw  the  same  con- 
clusion, is,  that  it  is  the  manner  of  God,  to  keep  his  church  on 
earth  in  hope  of  a  still  more  glorious  state ;  and  so  their  pray- 
ers are  enlivened,  when  they  pray  that  the  interest  of  religion 
may  be  promoted,  and  God's  kingdom  may  come.  God  kept 
the  church,  under  the  Old  Testament,  in  hope  of  the  times  of 
the  Messiah.  The  disciples  of  Christ  were  kept  in  hope  of  the 
conversion  of  the  Roman  empire,  which  was  effected  about 
three  hundred  years  after.  But  it  seems  to  me,  not  likely,  that 
the  church,  from  that  time,  should  have  no  more  to  hope  for 
from  God's  word,  no  higher  advancement,  till  the  consumma- 
tion of  all  things.  Indeed,  there  will  be  a  great,  but  short 
apostacy.  a  little  before  the  end  of  the  world.  But  then,  it  is 
probable,  the  thing  that  the  church  will  hope  and  long  for, 
will  be  Christ's  last  coming,  to  advance  his  church  to  its 
highest  and  its  everlasting  glory  ;  for  that  will  then  appear  to 
be  the  only  remedy  ;  for  the  church  will  expect  no  more  from 
the  clear  light  and  truth  which  will  have  been  so  gloriously 
displayed  already,  under  the  millennium.  Another  end  of  thus 
keeping  his  church  in  hope,  is,  to  quicken  and  enliven  their 
endeavours  to  propagate  religion,  and  to  advance  the  kingdom 
of  Jesus.  It  is  a  great  encouragement  to  such  endeavours,  to 
think,  that  such  times  are  coming,  wherein  Christianity  shall 
prevail  over  all  enemies.  And  it  would  be  a  great  discourage- 
ment to  the  labours  of  nations,  or  pious  magistrates  and  di- 
vines, to  endeavour  to  advance  Christ's  kingdom,  if  they  un- 
derstood that  it  was  not  to  be  advanced.  And,  indeed,  the 
keeping  alive  such  hopes  in  the  church,  has  a  tendency  to  en- 
liven all  piety  and  religion  in  the  general,  amongst  God's 
people. 

§  6.  When  we  inquire,  whether  or  no  we  have  scripture 
grounds  for  any  doctrine,  the  question  is,  whether  or  no  the 
scripture  exhibits  it  in  any  way  to  the  eye  of  the  mind,  or  to 
the  eye  of  reason  ?  We  have  no  grounds  to  assert,  that  it  was 
God's  intent,  by  the  scripture,  in  so  many  terms,  to  declare 
every  doctrine  that  he  would  have  us  believe.     There  are  manv 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  247 

things  the  scripture  may  suppose  that  we  know  already.  And 
if  what  the  scripture  says,  together  with  what  is  plain  to  reason, 
leads  to  believe  any  doctrine,  we  are  to  look  upon  ourselves  as 
taught  that  doctrine  by  the  scripture.  God  may  reveal  things 
in  scripture  which  way  he  pleases.  If,  by  what  he  there  re- 
veals, the  thing  is  any  way  clearly  discovered  to  the  under- 
standing, or  eye  of  the  mind,  it  is  our  duty  to  receive  it  as  his 
revelation. 

§  7.  The  greatest  part  of  Christians,  were  very  early  agreed, 
what  books  were  canonical,  and  to  be  looked  upon  as  the  rule 
of  their  faith.  It  is  impossible,  in  the  nature  of  things,  but 
some  churches  must  receive  the  books  long  after  others,  as 
they  lay  at  a  greater  distance  from  the  places  where  they  were 
written,  or  had  less  convenience  of  communication  with  them. 
Besides,  as  Christianity  for  a  long  time  laboured  under  the  dis- 
advantages of  continual  persecution,  no  general  councils  could 
be  convened,  and  so  there  could  be  no  public  notification  of 
universal  agreement  in  this  matter.  But,  notwithstanding  all 
these  things,  it  is  yet  discoverable,  that,  as  soon  as  can  be  sup- . 
posed,  after  the  writing  the  books,  the  Christians,  in  all  coun- 
tries, remarkably  agreed  in  receiving  them  as  canonical. 

§  8.  Several  of  the  first  writers  of  Christianity,  have  left  us, 
in  their  works,  catalogues  of  the  sacred  books  of  the  New 
Testament,  which,  though  made  in  countries  at  a  vast  distance 
from  each  other,  do  very  little  differ.  Great  were  the  pains 
and  care  of  those  early  Christians,  to  be  well  assured  what 
were  the  genuine  writings  of  the  apostles,  and  to  distinguish 
them  from  all  pretended  revelations  of  designing  men,  and  the 
forgeries  they  published  under  sacred  titles.  Thus,  when  a 
presbyter  of  Asia  had  published  a  spurious  piece,  under  the 
name  of  Paul,  he  was  immediately  convicted,  and  notice  of 
the  forgery  was  soon  conveyed  to  Carthage,  and  the  churches 
of  Africa. 

§  9.  Hence  it  follows,  that  the  primitive  Christians  are  pro- 
per judges  to  determine  what  book  is  canonical,  and  what  not. 
For  nothing  can  be  more  absurd  than  to  suppose,  in  those  early 
ages,  an  agreement  so  universal,  without  good  and  solid  foun- 
dation ;  or,  in  other  words,  it  is  next  to  impossible,  either  that 
so  great  a  number  of  men  should  agree  in  a  cheat,  or  be  im- 
posed upon  by  a  cheat.  But  there  are  some  particular  cir- 
cumstances that  make  the  inference  more  clear  as  to  the 
Christian  books,  than  others;  such  as,  the  prodigious  esteem 
the  books  at  first  were  received  with  ;  the  constant  use  that 
was  made  of  them  in  their  religious  assemblies  ;  the  transla- 
tions made  of  them  very  early  into  other  languages,  &c* 

*  See  Jones's  Canon  of  the  New  Testament,  part  i.  chap.  r>, 


248  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS. 

§  10.  The  omission  of  a  book  in  some  one  or  two  particulai 
catalogues,  cannot,  with  any  reason,  be  urged  against  its  ca- 
nonical authority,  if  it  be  found  in  all,  or  most  of  the  others, 
and  any  good  reason  can  be  assigned  for  the  omission,  where 
it  occurs.  Thus,  for  instance,  the  Revelation  is  omitted,  either 
perhaps  because  it  was  not  known  to  the  author,  or  its  credit 
was  not  sufficiently  established  in  the  country  where  he  lived  ; 
or  perhaps,  which  may  be  as  probable  as  the  other,  because,  it 
being  so  full  of  mysteries,  few  or  none  were  judged  proper  or 
able  to  read  it  to  any  purpose.  This  was  certainly  the  case  in 
England  :  this  book  being,  for  this  reason,  omitted  in  the  public 
calendar  for  reading  the  scriptures,  though  it  be  received  into 
the  canon.  If,  therefore,  these,  or  any  such  good  reasons,  can 
be  assigned  for  the  omission  of  a  book  in  a  particular  cata- 
logue, it  will  be  very  unfair  to  infer,  that  such  book  is  apocry- 
phal, especially  when  it  is  to  be  found  in  many  or  most  other 
catalogues. 

§  11.  The  catalogues  drawn  up  by  Athanasius,  Bp.  of  Alex- 
andria, (A.  D.  315,) — by  Epifhanus,  Bp.  of  Salamis,  (A.  D. 
370,) — by  Jerome,  of  Dalmatia,  (A.  D.  382,) — by  Ruffin,  pres- 
byter of  Aquilegium,  (A.  D.  390,) — by  Augustine,  Bp.  of 
Hippo,  (A.  D.  394,)  by  44  Bps.  assembled  in  a  third  council  of 
Carthage,  (A.  D.  416,)  were  perfectly  the  same  with  ours  now 
received.* 

§  12.  It  is  exceedingly  natural  to  suppose,  that  these  two 
things  together,  would  soon  lead  the  apostles  to  write  some 
history  of  the  acts,  and  doctrine,  and  sufferings  of  Christ,  their 
great  Lord,  and  the  head  of  the  Christian  church  ;  viz.  first, 
Their  unavoidable  experience  of  the  need  of  such  a  thing ;  and. 
secondly,  The  example  of  the  penmen  of  the  Old  Testament, 
in  writing  the  history  of  Abraham,  Moses,  David,  Solomon,  and 
others,  whose  persons  and  actions  they  esteemed  of  vastly  less 
importance  than  those  of  the  Son  of  God,  who  was  greater  than 
Jonas,  or  David,  or  Solomon,  or  Moses,  or  Abraham. 

§  13.  It  is  a  great  argument,  that  there  were  some  genuine 
gospels,  or  authentic  histories  of  Christ's  life  and  death,  that  the 
Christian  church  had  under  the  name  of  gospels,  that  there 
were  such  a  multitude  of  forged  fabulous  accounts,  or  histories 
of  Christ,  all  under  the  same  name  of  gospels.  These  fictions 
are  evidently  counterfeits  or  imitations  of  something  that  was 
looked  on  by  all  as  true  and  undoubted.  And,  that  there  should 
be  such  a  multitude  of  counterfeits  and  imitations  of  these  gos- 
pels, shows  not  only  that  there  were  genuine  gospels,  but  also 
shows  the  great  value  and  importance  of  these  genuine  gospels, 
and  the  high  repute  they  had  in  the  Christian  churches. — Mr 
Jones  mentions  the  following  spurious  gospels,  now  not  extant 

*  See  Jones's  Caoon  of  the  New  Testament,  part  i.  chap.  R. 


MISCELLANJiObai  OBSERVATIONS.  -49 

mentioned  by  the  writers  of  the  primitive  church  :  By  the  wri- 
ters of  he  second  century,  the  gospel  of  Judas  Iscariot ;  the 
gospel  of  truth  ;  the  gospel  of  the  Egyptians  ;  the  gospel  of  Va- 
lentinus  ;  the  gospel  of  Marcion.  By  writers  of  the  third  centu- 
ry, the  gospel  of  the  Twelve  Apostles ;  the  gospel  of  Basilides  ; 
the  gospel  of  Thomas  ;  the  gospel  of  Matthias.  By  writers  of 
the  fourth  century,  the  gospel  of  Scythianus  ;  the  gospel  of  Bar- 
tholomew ;  the  gospel  of  Apelles  ;  the  gospel  of  Lucianus ;  the 
gospel  of  Hesychius  ;  the  gospel  of  Perfection  ;  the  gospel  of 
Eve  ;  the  gospel  of  Philip  ;  the  gospel  of  the  Ebionites ;  the  gos- 
pel of  Jude  ;  the  gospel  of  the  Encratites  ;  the  gospel  of  Cerin- 
thus  ;  the  gospel  of  Merinthus  ;  the  gospel  of  Thaddeus  ;  the 
gospel  of  Barnabas  ;  the  gospel  of  Andrew.  And  some  he  men- 
tions besides,  that  are  now  extant ;  as  the  gospel  of  our  Saviour's 
infancy  ;  the  gospel  of  Nicodemus. 

§  14.  Public  societies  cannot  be  maintained  without  trials 
and  witnesses  :  And  if  witnesses  are  not  firmly  persuaded,  that 
he  who  holds  the  supreme  power  over  them,  is  omniscient,  just, 
and  powerful,  and  will  revenge  falsehood  ;  there  will  be  no  de- 
pendence on  their  oaths,  or  most  solemn  declarations. — God, 
therefore,  must  be  the  supreme  Magistrate ;  society  depends 
absolutely  on  him  ;  and  all  kingdoms  and  communities  are  but 
provinces  of  his  universal  kingdom,  who  is  King  of  kings,  Lord 
of  lords,  and  Judge  of  judges. — Thus  as  mankind  cannot  sub- 
sist out  of  society,  nor  society  itself  subsist  without  religion  ;  I 
mean,  without  faith  in  the  infinite  power,  and  wisdom,  and  jus- 
tice of  God,  and  a  judgment  to  come  ;  religion  cannot  be  a 
falsehood.  It  is  not  credible,  that  all  the  happiness  of  mankind, 
the  whole  civil  world,  and  peace,  safety,  justice,  and  truth  itself, 
should  have  nothing  to  stand  on  but  a  lie  :  It  is  not  to  be  sup- 
posed, that  God  would  give  the  world  no  other  foundation.  So 
that  religion  is  absolutely  necessary,  and  must  have  some  sure 
foundation.  But  there  can  be  no  good,  sure  foundation  of  re- 
ligion, without  mankind  having  a  right  idea  of  God,  and  some 
sure  and  clear  knowledge  of  him,  and  of  our  dependence  on 
him.  Lord  Shaftesbury  himself  owns,  that  wrong  ideas  of  God, 
will  hurt  society,  as  much,  if  not  more,  than  ignorance  of  him 
can  do. 

§  15.  Now,  the  question  is,  "  Whether  nature  and  reason 
alone  can  give  us  a  right  idea  of  God,  and  are  sufficient  to  es- 
tablish among  mankind  a  clear  and  sure  knowledge  of  his  na- 
ture, and  the  relation  we  stand  in  to  him,  and  his  concern  with 
us  ?  It  may  well  be  questioned  whether  any  man  hath  this 
from  the  mere  light  of  nature.  Nothing  can  seem  more  strange, 
than  that  the  wisest  and  most  sagacious  of  all  men,  I  mean  the 
philosophers,  should  have  searched  with  all  imaginable  candour 
and  anxiety  for  this,  and  searched  in  vain,  if  the  light  of  nature 
alone  is  sufficient  to  give  it  to,  and  establish  it  among,  mankind 

Vol.  VII.  32 


'ijO  MISCELLANEOUS   OBSERVATIONS. 

in  general." — There  never  was  a  man  known  or  heard  of, 
who  had  an  idea  of  God,  without  being  taught  it. — Whole 
sects  of  philosophers  denied  the  very  being  of  God ;  and 
some  have  died  martyrs  to  Atheism,  as,  Vaninus,  Jordanus, 
Bruno,  Cosimir,  Lis z ins ai,  and  Mahomet  Effendi. — A  man  con- 
fined to  a  dungeon  all  his  days,  and  deprived  of  all  conversation 
with  mankind,  probably  would  not  so  much  as  once  consider 
who  made  him,  or  whether  he  was  made  or  not,  nor  entertain 
the  least  notion  of  God.  There  are  many  instances  of  people 
born  absolutely  deaf  and  blind,  who  never  showed  the  least 
sense  of  religion,  or  knowledge  of  God. 

§  16.  It  is  one  thing  to  work  out  a  demonstration  of  a  point 
when  once  it  is  proposed,  and  another  to  strike  upon  the  point 
itself.  I  cannot  tell  whether  any  man  would  have  considered 
the  works  of  creation,  as  effects,  if  he  had  never  been  told 
they  had  a  cause.  We  know  very  well,  that,  even  after  the 
being  of  such  a  cause  was  much  talked  of  in  the  world,  and 
believed  by  the  generality  of  mankind  ;  yet  many  and  great 
philosophers  held  the  world  to  be  eternal  ;  and  others  as- 
cribed what  we  call  the  works  of  creation,  to  an  eternal  series 
of  causes.  If  the  most  sagacious  of  the  philosophers  were 
capable  of  doing  this,  after  hearing  so  much  of  a  first  cause 
and  a  creation,  what  would  they  have  done,  and  what  would 
the  gross  of  mankind,  who  are  inattentive  and  ignorant,  have 
thought  of  the  matter,  if  nothing  had  been  taught  concerning 
God  and  the  origin  of  things  ;  but  every  single  man  left  solely 
to  such  intimation  as  his  own  senses  and  reason  could  have 
given  him  ?  We  find,  the  earlier  ages  of  the  world  did  not 
trouble  themselves  about  the  question,  whether  the  being  of 
God  could  be  proved  by  reason  ;  but  either  never  inquired  into 
the  matter,  or  took  their  opinions,  upon  that  head,  merely 
from  tradition.  But  allowing  that  every  man  is  able  to  de- 
monstrate to  himself,  that  the  world,  and  all  things  contained 
therein,  are  effects,  and  had  a  beginning,  which  I  take  to  be  a 
most  absurd  supposition,  and  look  upon  it  to  be  almost  impos- 
sible for  unassisted  reason  to  go  so  far :  yet,  if  effects  are  to 
be  ascribed  to  similar  causes,  and  a  good  and  wise  effect  must 
suppose  a  good  and  wise  cause ;  by  the  same  way  of  reason- 
ing, all  the  evil  and  irregularity  in  the  world  must  be  attributed 
to  an  evil  .and  unwise  cause.  So  that  either  the  first  cause 
must  be  both  good  and  evil,  wise  and  foolish,  or  else  there 
must  be  two  first  causes,  an  evil  and  irrational,  as  well  as  a 
good  and  wise  principle.  Thus,  man  left  to  himself,  would 
be  apt  to  reason,  "  If  the  cause  and  the  effects  are  similar  and 
conformable,  matter  must  have  a  material  cause  ;  there  being 
nothing  more  impossible  for  us  to  conceive,  than  how  matter 
should  be  produced  by  spirit,  or  any  thing  else  but  matter." 
The  best  reasoner  in  the  world,  endeavouring  to  find  out  the, 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  -•>! 

causes  of  things,  by  the  things  themselves,  might  be  led  inte> 
the  grossest  errors  and  contradictions,  and  find  himself,  at  the 
end  in  extreme  want  of  an  instructor. 

§  17.  In  all  countries  we  are  acquainted  with,  knowledge 
bears  an  exact  proportion  to  instruction.  Why  does  the  learn- 
ed and  well  educated,  reason  better  than  the  mere  citizen? 
why  the  citizen  better  than  the  poor?  why  the  English  poor 
better  than  the  Spanish  ?  why  the  Spanish  better  than  the 
Moorish  ?  why  the  Moorish  better  than  the  Negro?  and  why  he 
better  than  the  Hottentot  ?  If,  then,  reason  is  found  to  go 
hand  in  hand,  and  step  by  step  with  education  ;what  would  be 
the  consequence,  if  there  were  .no  education  ?  There  is  no 
fallacy  more  gross,  than  to  imagine  reason,  utterly  untaught 
and  undisciplined,  capable  of  the  same  attainments  in  know- 
ledge, as  reason  well  refined  and  instructed  :  or  to  suppose, 
that  reason  can  as  easily  find  in  itself  principles  to  argue  from, 
as  draw  the  consequences,  when  once  they  are  found  ;  I  mean, 
especially  in  respect  to  objects  not  perceivable  by  our  senses. 
In  ordinary  articles  of  knowledge,  our  senses  and  experience 
furnish  reason  with  ideas  and  principles  to  work  on  :  continual 
conferences  and  debates  give  it  exercise  in  such  matters  ;  and 
that  improves  its  vigour  and  activity.  But,  in  respect  to  God, 
it  can  have  no  right  idea  nor  axiom  to  set  out  with,  till  he  is 
pleased  to  reveal  it. 

§  18.  What  instance  can  be  mentioned,  from  any  history,  of 
any  one  nation  under  the  sun,  that  emerged  from  atheism  or 
idolatry,  into  the  knowledge  or  adoration  of  the  one  true 
God,  without  the  assistance  of  revelation  ?  The  Americans, 
the  Africans,  the  Tartars,  and  the  ingenious  Chinese,  have  had 
time  enough,  one  would  think,  to  find  out  the  true  and  right 
idea  of  God  ;  and  yet,  after  above  five  thousand  years'  improve- 
ments, and  the  full  exercise  of  reason,  they  have,  at  this  day, 
got  no  further  in  their  progress  towards  the  true  religion,  than 
to  the  worship  of  stocks  and  stones  and  devils.  How  many 
thousand  years  must  be  allowed  to  these  nations,  to  reason 
themselves  into  the  true  religion  ?  What  the  light  of  nature  and 
reason  could  do  to  investigate  the  knowledge  of  God,  is  best 
seen  by  what  they  have  already  done.  We  cannot  argue  more 
convincingly  on  any  foundation,  than  that  of  known  and  incon- 
testable facts. 

§  19.  Le  Compte  and  Duhald  assure  us,  the  Chinese,  after 
offering  largely  to  their  gods,  and  being  disappointed  of  their 
assistance,  sometimes  sue  them  for  damages,  and  obtain  decrees 
against  them  from  the  Mandarin.  This  ingenious  people, 
when  their  houses  are  on  fire,  to  the  imminent  peril  of  their 
wooden  gods,  hold  (hem  to  the  flames,  in  hopes  of  extinguish- 
ing them  by  it.     The  Tyrians  were  a  wise  people  ;  and  there- 


252  BJiliANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS. 

tore,  when   Alexander   laid  siege  to  their  city,  they  chained 
Appollo   to    Hercules,  to  prevent  his   giving  them   the  slip. 
§  20.    Revenge  and  self-murder  were  not  only  tolerated,  but 
esteemed  heroic  by  the  best  of  the  Heathen.     I  know  not,  in 
all  profane  history,  six  more   illustrious  characters,  than  those 
of  Lycurgus,  Timoleon,  Cicero,  Cato  Uticensis,   Brutus,   and 
Germanicus.     The  first  encouraged    tricking  and  stealing,  by 
an   express  law.     The  second,  upon  principle,  murdered    his 
own  brother.     Cicero,  with  all  his  fine  talk  about  religion  and 
virtue,  had  very  little  of  either  ;  as  may  appear  by  what  he  says, 
(I  think  it  is  in  a  letter  to  Atticus,)  on  the  death  of  his  daugh- 
ter Tullia,  "  I  hate  the  very  gods,  who  hitherto  have  been  so 
profuse  in  their  favours  to  me  ;"  and   by  deserting  his  friends 
and  his  country  and  turning  a  servile  flatterer  to  Caesar.     Brutus 
concludes  all  his  mighty  heroism  with  this  exclamation  :  "•  Vir- 
tue, I  have  pursued  thee  in  vain,  and  found  thee  to  be  but  an 
empty  name ;"  and  then  kills  himself.     Cato's  virtue  was  not 
strong  enough  to  hinder  his  turning  a  public  robber  and  op- 
pressor,   (witness  his    Cyprian  expedition  ;)    nor    to    bear  up 
against  the  calamities  of  life ;  and  so  he  stabbed  himself,  and 
ran  away  like  a  coward,  from  his  country  and  the  world.     Ger- 
manicus, who   exceeded   all   men  in   his  natural  sweetness  of 
temper,  at  the  approach  of  death,  called  his  friends  about  him, 
and  spent  his  last  moments  in  pressing  them  to  take  revenge 
of  Piso  and  Plancina,  for  poisoning  or  bewitching  him  ;  in  di- 
recting them  how  this  might  best  be  done  ;  and  in  receiving 
their  oaths  for  the  performance  of  his  request.     His  sense  of 
religion  he  thus  expressed  on  that  occasion  :  "Had  I  died  by 
the  decree  of  fate,  I  should  have  had  just  cause  of  resentment 
against  the  gods,  for  hurrying  me  away  from  my  parents,  my 
wife  and  my  children,  in  the  flower  of  my  youth,  by  an  untime- 
ly death." 

§21.  Socrates,  Plato,  and  Cicero,  who  were  more  inclined 
to  the  belief  of  a  future  existence  than  the  other  philosophers, 
plead  for  it  with  arguments  of  no  force;  speak  of  it  with  the 
utmost  uncertainty  ;  and,  therefore,  are  afraid  to  found  their 
system  of  duty  and  virtue  on  the  expectation  of  it.  Their  no- 
tions of  morality  were  of  a  piece  with  their  religion,  and  had 
little  else  for  a  foundation  than  vain  glory.  Tullv,  in  his  Trea- 
tise of  Friendship,  says,  that  virtue  proposes  glory  as  its  end, 
and  hath  no  other  reward.  Accordingly,  he  maintains,  that 
wars  undertaken  for  glory,  are  not  unlawful,  provided  they  are 
carried  on  without  the  usual  cruelty.  Diogenes,  and  the  sect, 
of  the  Cynics,  held,  that  parents  have  a  right  to  sacrifice  and 
eat  their  children ;  and  that  there  is  nothing  shameful  in  com- 
mitting the  grossest  acts  of  lewdness  publicly,  and  before  the 
faces  of  mankind.     The  virtuous  sentiments  discovered  bv  the 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  253 

philosophers  on  some  occasions,  will  neither  palliate  these  ex* 
ecrable  principles,  nor  suffer  us  to  think  those  who  could  abet 
them,  fit  instructors  for  mankind.  Zeno,  Cleombrotus,  and 
Menippus,  committed  murder  on  themselves  ;  the  last,  because 
he  had  lost  a  considerable  sum  of  money,  winch,  as  he  was  an 
usurer,  went  a  little  too  near  his  heart.  That  I  do  not  charge 
the  philosophers  with  worse  principles  and  practices,  thai:  they 
themselves  maintain,  and  their  own  Pagan  historians  ascribe  10 
them,  any  one  may  satisfy  himself  who  will  consult  Diogenes, 
Laertius,  Sextus  Empiricus,  Lucian,  Plutarch,  and  the  works  of 
Plato,  Aristotle,  and  Cicero. 

§  '22.  Thus,  it  is  plain,  whether  we  consider  what  the  human 
understanding  could  do,  or  what  it  actually  did,  that  it  could 
not  have  attained  to  a  sufficient  knowledge  of  God,  without  re- 
velation ;  so  that  the  demonstration  brought  in  favour  of  some 
religion,  ends  in  a  demonstration  of  the  revealed.  When  we 
attentively  consider  the  nature  of  man,  we  find  it  necessary  he 
should  have  some  religion.  When  we  consider  the  nature  of 
God,  we  must  conclude  he  never  would  have  made  a  falsehood 
necessary  to  the  happiness  of  his  rational  creatures  ;  and  that 
therefore  there  must  be  a  true  religion.  And  when  we  consi- 
der, that,  by  our  natural  faculties,  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  ar- 
rive at  a  right  idea  of  God,  till  he  reveals  it  to  us  ;  that  all  the 
Gentile  world  hath  run  into  the  grossest  theological  errors, 
and,  in  consequence  of  these,  into  the  most  enormous  customs 
and  crimes ;  and  that  no  legislator  ever  founded  his  scheme  of 
civil  government  on  any  supposed  religious  dictates  of  nature, 
but  always  on  some  real  or  pretended  revelations :  we  cannot 
help  ascribing  all  the  true  religion  in  the  world  to  divine  in- 
struction, and  all  the  frightful  variety  of  religious  errors  to  hu- 
man invention ;  and  to  that  dark  and  degenerate  nature,  by 
the  imaginary  light  of  which,  Deists  suppose  the  right  idea  of 
God  may  be  easily  and  universally  discovered. 

§  23.  Socrates,  who  never  travelled  out  of  Greece,  had  no- 
thing to  erect  a  scheme  of  religion  or  morality  on,  but  the  scat- 
tered fragments  of  truth,  handed  down  from  time  immemorial 
among  his  countrymen,  or  imported  by  Pythagoras,  Thales, 
and  others,  who  had  been  in  Egypt  and  the  East.  These  he 
picked  out  from  a  huge  heap  of  absurdities  and  errors,  under 
which  they  were  buried  ;  and,  by  the  help  of  a  most  prodi- 
gious capacity,  laying  them  together,  comparing  them  with  the 
nature  of  things  and  drawing  consequences  from  them,  he 
found  reason  to  question  the  soundness  of  the  Grecian  theo- 
logy and  morality.  But  this  is  all  the  length  he  seems  to  have 
gone.  He  reasoned  extremely  well  against  the  prevailing 
errors  of  his  time  ;  but  was  able  to  form  no  system  of  religion 
or  morality.  This  was  a  work  above  the  strength  of  his  nature, 
and  the  lights  he  enjoyed.     He  taught  his  disciples  to  worship 


&54  MISCELLANEOCS    OBSERVATIONS. 

the  gods,  and  to  ground  the  distinction  between  right  and 
wrong  on  the  laws  of  their  country  ;  in  the  latter  of  which  he 
followed  the  saying  of  his  master,  Archelaus,  who  taught, that 
what  is  just  or  dishonest,  is  defined  by  law,  not  by  nature. 

§24.  The  notions  of  Plato  concerning  the  divine  nature, 
were  infinitely  more  sublime  and  nearer  the  truth,  than  those 
of  his  master,  Socrates.  He  did  not  content  himself  merely 
with  removing  errors :  He  ventured  on  a  system;  and  main- 
tained, that  virtue  is  a  science,  and  that  God  is  the  object  and 
source  of  duty;  that  there  is  but  one  God,  the  fountain  of  all 
being,  and  superior  to  all  essence  ;  that  he  hath  a  Son,  called 
The  World  :  that  there  is  a  judgment  to  come,  by  which  the 
just,  who  have  suffered  in  this  life,  shall  be  recompensed  in  the 
other,  and  the  wicked  punished  eternally  ;  that  God  is  omni- 
present :  and,  consequently,  that  the  wicked,  if  he  were  to  dive 
into  the  deepest  caverns  of  the  earth,  or  should  get  wings,  and 
fly  into  the  heavens,  would  not  be  able  to  escape  from  him  : 
that  man  is  formed  in  the  image  of  God  ;  and  that,  in  order 
to  establish  laws  and  government,  relations  made  by  true  tra- 
ditions and  ancient  oracles,  are  to  be  consulted.  These  points, 
so  much  insisted  on  by  Plato,  are  far  from  being  the  growth  of 
Greece,  or  his  own  invention,  but  derived  from  Eastern  tradi- 
tions, which,  we  know,  he  travelled  for,  at  least  as  far  as 
Egypt.  He  was  wiser  than  his  teacher,  (who  was  a  much 
greater  man,)  because  his  lights  were  better  :  But,  as  they  were 
not  sufficient,  he  ran  into  greater  errors,  speaking  plainly  as  if 
he  believed  in  a  plurality  of  gods  ;  making  goods,  women,  and 
children,  common,  &.c. 

§25.  The  natural  faculties  of  men,  in  all  nations,  arealike: 
and,  did  nature  itself  furnish  all  men  with  the  means  and  ma- 
terials of  knowledge,  philosophy  need  never  turn  traveller, 
either  in  order  to  her  own  improvement,  or  to  the  communica- 
tion of  her  lights  to  the  world.  How  came  it  to  pass,  that 
Scythia  did  not  produce  so  many,  so  great  philosophers  as 
Greece?  I  think  it  very  evident,  that  the  great  difference  be- 
tween these  countries  as  to  learning  and  instruction,  arose 
from  this  :  The  latter  had  the  benefit  of  commerce  with  the 
Phoenicians,  from  whence  they  came  by  the  knowledge  of  let- 
ters, and  probably  of  navigation  ;  and,  with  the  Egyptians, 
from  whom  they  learned  the  greater  part  of  their  theology, 
policy,  arts,  and  sciences.  Such  advantages,  the  Scythians 
wanted  ;  and,  therefore,  although  their  natural  talents  were  as 
good  as  those  of  the  Grecians,  they  were  not  able  to  make  any 
improvements  in  philosophy.  Why  are  the  Asiatic  Scythians 
at  this  day  as  ignorant  as  ever,  while  the  European  Scythians 
are  little  inferior  to  the  other  nations  of  Europe  in  arts  and 
politeness  ?  And  how  does  it  come  to  pass,  that  we,  of  this 
day,  take  upon  us  to  approve  the  philosophy  of  Socrates  and 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  255 

Plato,  rather  than  that  of  Epicurus  and  Aristippus?  The 
Grecians  were  divided  in  this  matter :  some  followed  the  no- 
tions of  the  former,  and,  others,  those  of  the  latter.  Why  did 
not  reason  put  the  matter  out  of  question  in  those  times,  or  at 
least  immediately  after?  The  infinite  contradictions  and  un- 
certainties among  the  ancient  philosophers,  produced  the  sects 
of  the  Sceptics.  In  respect  to  religion,  Socrates  and  Plato 
either  were,  or  pretended  to  be,  Sceptics,  beating  down  the 
absurd  notions  of  others,  but  seldom  building  up  any  thing  of 
their  own  ;  or,  when  they  did,  building  on  mere  conjectures, 
or  arguments  suspected  by  themselves. 

§26.  If  it  be  said,  the  finding  out  of  truth  by  the  light  of 
nature,  is  a  work  of  time;  time  hath  taught  the  Tartars,  Afri- 
cans, and  Americans,  little  or  nothing  of  true  theology,  or 
morality,  even  yet.  Time,  of  itself,  can  search  nothing.  It 
was  the  Christian  religion  that  opened  the  eyes  of  the  polite 
nations  of  Europe,  and  even  of  the  deists  of  this  age,  wherein 
their  eyes  are  still  open,  and  they  have  any  true  principles  by 
which  they  are  able  to  examine  the  philosophy  of  the  ancients, 
and,  by  comparing  their  several  opinions  one  with  another, 
and  with  the  truths  derived  from  the  Christian  revelation,  to 
decide  in  favour  of  some  against  the  rest. 

§  27.  As  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Immortality  of  the 
Soul  ;  it  is  certain,  nothing  can  be  more  agreeable  to  reason, 
when  once  the  doctrine  is  proposed  and  thoroughly  canvassed  ; 
while,  at  the  same  time,  there  is  no  one  probable  opinion  in 
the  world,  which  mankind,  left  entirely  to  themselves,  would 
have  been  more  unlikely  to  have  started.  Who,  if  he  was  not 
assured  of  it  by  good  authority,  would  ever  take  it  into  his 
head  to  imagine,  that  man,  who  dies,  and  rots,  and  vanishes 
for  ever,  like  all  other  animals,  still  exists?  It  is  well,  if  this, 
when  proposed,  can  be  believed  ;  but,  to  strike  out  the  thought 
itself,  is  somewhat,  I  am  afraid,  too  high  and  difficult  for  the 
capacity  of  men.  The  only  natural  argument,  of  any  weight, 
for  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  takes  its  rise  from  this  obser- 
vation, that  justice  is  not  extended  to  the  good,  nor  executed 
upon  the  bad  man  in  this  life ;  and,  that  as  the  Governor  of 
the  world  is  just,  man  must  live  hereafter  to  be  judged.  But 
as  this  only  argument  that  can  be  drawn  from  mere  reason,  in 
order  either  to  lead  us  to  a  discovery  of  our  own  immortality, 
or  to  support  the  opinion  of  it  when  once  started,  is  founded 
entirely  on  the  knowledge  of  God  and  his  attributes;  and,  as 
we  have  already  seen,  that  such  knowledge  is  almost  unat- 
tainable by  the  present  light  of  nature,  the  argument  itself, 
which,  before  the  fall,  could  not  possibly  have  been  thought  of, 
is,  since  the  fall,  clogged  with  all  the  difficulties  mere  reason 
labours  under,  in  finding  out  a  right  idea  of  God.  And,  be- 
sides, this  argument,  in  itself,  is  utterly  inconclusive,  on  the 


256  MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS. 

principles  of  the  deists  of  our  age  and  nation  :  because  they 
insist  that  virtue  fully  rewards,  and  vice  fully  punishes  itself. 
It  is  no  wonder,  that  many  heathen  nations  believed  a  future 
state,  as  they  received  it  by  tradition  from  their  ancestors. 
But  yet,  there  is  this  evidence,  that  mankind  had  not  this 
doctrine  merely  from  the  easy  and  plain  dictates  of  reason  and 
nature,  that  many  did  not  believe  it. 

§  28.  Socrates,  in  the  Phacdon  of  Plato,  says  most  men  were 
of  opinion,  that  the  soul  upon  its  separation  from  the  body,  is 
dissipated  and  reduced  to  nothing.  And  Tully,  in  his  first 
Tusculan  question,  says,  Phercydes  Cyrus,  preceptor  to  Pytha- 
goras, was  the  first  person  known  to  the  learned  world,  who 
taught  the  immortality  of  the  soul.  The  other  arguments 
brought  by  Plato  and  Cicero  for  the  immortality  of  the  soul, 
besides  that  already  mentioned,  are  very  inconclusive.  They 
themselves  thought  so.  The  former,  in  his  Phsedon,  makes 
Socrates  speak  with  some  doubt  concerning  his  own  arguments, 
and  introduces  Simmias  saying  to  Socrates,  ofter  having  listen- 
ed to  his  principal  reasonings,  "  We  ought  to  lay  hold  of  the 
strongest  arguments  for  this  doctrine,  that  either  we  ourselves, 
or  others  can  suggest  to  us.  If  both  ways  prove  ineffectual,  we 
must  however  put  up  with  the  best  proofs  we  can  get,  till  some 
promise  or  revelation  shall  clear  up  the  point  to  us. — One  of 
Plato's  arguments  for  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  is  this  : 
u  Every  cause  produces  an  effect  contrary  to  itself;  and  that 
therefore,  as  life  produces  death,  so  death  shall  produce  life.'''' 
Cicero,  to  prove  that  the  soul  will  exist  after  it  is  separated  from 
the  body,  endeavours  to  prove  that  it  existed  before  it  was  joined 
to  it  ;  and  to  that  end  he  insists,  "  that  what  we  call  aptness  in 
children  to  learn,  is  nothing  more  than  memory."  Another 
argument  of  Plato  is  this  :  "  That  alone  which  moves  itself,  in- 
asmuch as  it  is  never  deserted  by  itself,  never  ceases  to  move  : 
but  the  mind  moves  itself,  and  borrows  not  its  motion  from  any 
thing  else,  and  therefore  must  move,  and  consequently  exist 
for  ever." 

The  wisdom  of  Socrates  and  Plato  united,  produce  such 
arguments  for  a  most  favourite  opinion,  as  they  themselves 
are  dissatisfied  with,  and  therefore  call  for  more  than  human 
help. 

§  29.  Cicero  being  so  fond  of  this  opinion,  that,  as  he  says 
he  would  rather  err  with  Plato  in  holding  it,  than  think  rightly 
with  thoxe  who  deny  it,  poorly  echoes  the  arguments  of  Plato: 
adds  little  to  them  himself;  and  at  the  conclusion,  in  a  manner 
giving  up  the  point,  with  all  the  arguments  brought  to  support 
it,  endeavours  to  comtbrt  himself  and  others  against  the  ap- 
proach of  death,  by  proving  death  to  be  no  evil,  even  supposing 
the  soui  to  perish  with  the  body.  And  this  great  philosopher, 
with  all  his  knowledge,  gives  but  one  lot  to  the  good  and  evil 


MISCELLANEOUS   OBSERVATIONS,  '257 

m  another  life.  It  was  his  opinion,  If  the  soul  is  immortal,  it 
mast  be  happy  :  if  it  perishes  ivith  the  body,  it  cannot  be  mise- 
rable. This  consolation  he  administers  alike  to  all  men,  with- 
out making  any  distinction,  and  consequently  leaves  moral  ob- 
ligation on  a  mere  temporal  footing,  which  in  effect,  is  not  a 
whit  better  than  downright  atheism.  But  in  his  dream  of  Sci- 
pio,  when  he  does  not  reason  nor  seem  to  inculcate  any  parti- 
cular doctrine,  he  indeed  introduces  the  elder  Scipio  telling 
the  younger,  by  way  of  dream,  that  those  who  served  their  coun- 
try, and  cultivated  justice  and  the  other  virtues,  should  go  to 
heaven  after  death  :  But  that  the  souls  of  those  that  had  viola- 
ted the  laws  of  the  Gods  and  men,  should,  after  leaving  their 
bodies,  be  tossed  about  on  the  earth,  and  not  return  to  heaven 
for  many  ages.  Now  if  a  person  of  Cicero's  abilities  and  learn- 
ing could,  from  the  light  of  nature,  work  out  no  better  scheme 
than  this,  which  renders  futurity  almost  useless  to  moral  obliga- 
tion, how  much  farther  from  truth  and  reason  must  we  suppose 
the  bulk  of  mankind  to  stray,  if  each  ignorant  person  is  to  be 
left  entirely  to  his  own  thoughts  and  discoveries,  in  respect  to 
the  future  rewards  of  virtue,  and  punishments  of  vice  ? 

§  30.  Thus  upon  considering  the  extent  and  strength  of  hu- 
man faculties,  we  have  found  them  at  present  utterly  incapable 
of  attaining  to  any  competent  notion  of  divine  law,  if  left  wholly 
to  themselves.  This  is  vastly  confirmed  by  experience ;  from 
which  it  appears,  that  mankind,  instead  of  being  able,  through 
a  long  series  of  ages,  by  the  mere  light  of  nature,  to  find  out  a 
right  idea  of  God  and  his  laws;  on  the  contrary— after  having 
without  doubt,  been  well  acquainted  at  first  with  both— gra- 
dually, and  at  length  almost  universally,  lost  sight  of  both;  inso- 
much, that  idolatry  as  bad  as  atheism,  and  wichedness  worse 
than  brutality,  were  established  for  religion  and  law  in  all  coun- 
tries. The  philosophers  who  lived  in  the  most  knowing  coin> 
tries,  and  sought  for  religion  and  moral  truth,  but  sought  in 
vain,  as  the  wisest  of  them  confess,  render  this  argument  still 
more  cogent  and  conclusive. 

§  31.  As  the  apostle  Paul  observes  in  the  first  chapter  of  his 
epistle  to  the  R,omans,  men  did  not  like  to  retain  God  in  their 
knowledge  ;  and,  professing  themselves  to  be  wise,  they  became 
fools,  and  changed  the  glory  of  the  incorruptible  God  into  an 
image  like  to  corruptible  man,  and  to  birds,  and  four-footed 
beasts,  and  creeping  things.  Thus  were  their  foolish  hearts 
darkened;  upon  which  God  gave  them  over  to  a  reprobate 
mind,  and  gave  them  up  to  uncleanness,  to  sins  of  all  kinds, 
even  such  as  were  utterly  against  nature.  St.  Chrysostom,  in 
his  descant  on  this  passage,  says,  "  The  Gentiles  fell  into  a  kind 
of  madness,  insomuch,  that  having  deprived  themselves  of  the 
light,  and  involved  their  minds  in  the  darkness  of  their  own 
thoughts,  their  attempt  to  travel  towards  heaven  ended  in  ^ 
Vol.  VII.  33 


2ob  ^ilacELiLANiiOO'S    OBSERVATIONS. 

miserable  shipwreck,  as  his  must  do,  who,  in  a  dark  night,  un- 
dertakes a  voyage  by  sea."  Being  guided  by  conceit,  and  too 
great  an  attachment  to  sensible  things,  they  entered  upon  a 
wrong  way ;  so  that,  still  the  longer  they  travelled,  the  farther 
they  wandered  from  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God,  and  right 
religion.  The  doctrine  of  St.  Paul,  concerning  the  blindness 
into  which  the  Gentiles  fell,  is  so  confirmed  by  the  state  of  reli- 
gion in  Africa,  Ameriea,  and  even  China,  where,  to  this  day,  no 
advances  towards  the  true  religion  have  been  made,  that  we 
can  no  longer  be  at  a  loss  to  judge  of  the  insufficiency  of  unas- 
sisted reason,  to  dissipate  the  prejudices  of  the  Heathen  world, 
and  open  their  eyes  to  religious  truths. 

§  32.  The  starting  of  a  proposition  is  one  thing,  and  the  proof 
of  it  quite  another.  Every  science  has  its  proofs  in  the  nature 
of  things.  Yet  all  sciences  require  to  be  taught  ;  and  those  re- 
quire it  most,  the  first  principles  of  which  lie  a  little  out  of  the 
reach  of  ordinary  capacities.  The  first  principles  of  religion, 
being  of  a  high  and  spiritual  nature,  are  harder  to  be  found  out 
than  those  of  any  other  science  ;  because  the  minds  of  men  arc 
gross  and  earthly,  used  to  objects  of  sense ;  and  all  their  depra- 
ved appetites  and  corrupt  dispositions,  which  are  by  nature 
opposite  to  the  true  religion,  help  to  increase  the  natural  weak- 
ness of  their  reason,  and  clip  the  wings  of  their  contemplation, 
when  they  endeavour  by  their  own  strength,  to  soar  towards 
God  and  heavenly  things.  No  man  in  his,  nor  hardly  in  any 
other  time,  knew  better  how  to  catch  at  the  evidence  of  divine 
truths  discovered  in  the  works  of  creation,  nor  had  better  op- 
portunities than  Plato.  Yet,  with  all  the  help  he  derived  from 
foreign  and  domestic  instruction,  he  finds  himself  on  every 
occasion  at  a  loss.  When  he  speaks  of  God  and  divine  matters, 
he  relies  on  oracles,  traditions,  and  revelations  ;  and  having 
got  a  little  taste  of  this  kind  of  instruction,  is  every  now  and 
then  confessing  his  want  of  more,  and  wishing  for  it  with  the 
greatest  anxiety.  And,  not  thinking  the  traditions  which  he 
was  acquainted  with  sufficient,  he  talks  of  a  future  instructor  to 
be  sent  from  God,  to  teach  the  world  a  more  perfect  knowledge 
of  religious  duties.  "  The  truth  is,"  (says  he,  speaking  in  his 
first  book,  De  Legibus,  concerning  future  rewards  and  punish- 
ments,) "  to  determine  or  establish  any  thing  certain  ahout 
these  matters,  in  the  midst  of  so  many  doubts  and  disputations, 
is  the  work  of  God  only."  In  his  Phaedon,  one  of  the  speakers 
says  to  Socrates  concerning  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  "  I  am 
of  the  same  opinion  with  you,  that  in  this  life,  it  is  either  abso- 
lutely impossible,  or  extremely  difficult,  to  arrive  at  a  clear 
knowledge  in  this  matter."  In  the  apology  he  wrote  for  Socrates, 
he  puts  these  words  into  his  mouth,  on  the  subject  of  reforma- 
tion of  manners  :  u.  You  may  pass  the  remainder  of  your  days 
in  sleep,  or  despair  of  finding  out  a  sufficient  expedient  for  this 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS,  "-£3!* 

purpose,  if  God,  in  his  providence,  doth  not  send  you  some 
other  instructor."  And  in  his  Epinomis  he  says,  "  Let  no  man 
take  upon  him  to  teach,  if  God  do  not  lead  the  way." 

§  33.  In  the  book  De  Mundo,  ascribed  to  Aristotle,  we  have 
a  remarkable  passage  to  this  effect :  "  It  is  an  old  tradition, 
almost  universal iy  received,  that  all  things  proceeded  from  God, 
ari'l  subsist  through  him  ;  and  that  no  nature  is  self-sufficient, 
or  independent  of  God's  protection  and  assistance."  In  his  me- 
taphysics, he  ascribes  the  belief  of  the  gods,  and  of  this,  that 
the  Deity  compasses  and  comprehends  all  nature,  to  a  tradi 
titulary  habit  of  speaking,  handed  down  from  the  first  men  to 
after  ages.  Cicero,  in  his  treatise  concerning  the  nature  of  the 
gods,  introduces  Cotta  blaming  those  who  endeavoured  by 
argumentation,  to  prove  there  are  gods,  and  affirming  that  this 
only  served  to  make  the  point  doubtful,  which  by  the  instruc- 
tions and  traditions  of  their  forefathers,  had  been  sufficiently 
made  known  to  them,  and  established.  Plutarch,  speaking  of 
the  worship  paid  to  a  certain  ideal  divinity,  which  his  friend 
had  called  in  question,  says,  "  It  is  enough  to  believe  pursuant 
to  the  faith  of  our  ancestors,  and  the  instructions  communicated 
to  us  in  the  country  where  we  were  born  and  bred  ;  than  which, 
we  can  neither  find  out  nor  apply,  any  argument  more  to  be 
depended  on." 

§  34.  It  will  be  further  useful  to  observe,  that  the  thoughts 
of  men,  with  regard  to  any  internal  law,  will  be  always  mainly 
influenced  by  their  sentiments  concerning  the  chief  good. 
Whatsoever  power  or  force  may  do,  in  respect  to  the  outward 
actions  of  a  man,  nothing  can  oblige  him  to  think  or  act,  as  often 
as  he  is  at  liberty,  against  what  he  takes  to  be  his  chief  good  or 
interest.  No  law,  or  system  of  laws,  can  possibly  answer  the 
end  and  purpose  of  a  law,  till  the  grand  question,  what  is  the 
chief  happiness  and  end  of  man,  be  determined,  and  so  cleared 
up,  that  every  man  may  be  fully  satisfied  about  it.  Before  our 
Saviour's  time,  the  world  was  infinitely  divided  on  this  import- 
ant head.  The  philosophers  were  miserably  bewildered  in 
all  their  researches  after  the  chief  good.  Each  sect,  each  sub- 
division of  a  sect,  had  a  chief  good  of  its  own,  and  rejected  all 
the  rest.  They  advanced  as  Varro  tells  us,  no  fewer  than  288 
opinions  in  relation  to  this  matter  ;  which  shows,  by  a  strong 
experiment,  that  the  light  of  nature  was  altogether  unable  to 
settle  the  difficulty.  Every  man,  if  left  to  the  particular  bias  of 
his  own  nature,  chooses  out  a  chief  good  for  himself,  and  lays 
the  stress  of  all  his  thoughts  and  actions  on  it.  Now,  if  the 
supposed  chief  good  of  any  man  should  lead  him,  as  it  often 
does,  to  violate  the  laws  of  society,  to  hurt  others,  and  act 
against  the  general  good  of  mankind,  he  will  be  very  unfit  for 
society  ;  and  consequently  as  he  cannot,  subsist  out  of  it.  an 
enemy  to  himself 


;J60  MISCELtiANEOtJS   OB5ERVAT! 

§  35.  It'  Christianity  came  too  late  into  the  world,  what  is 
called  natural  religion  came  full  as  late ;  and  there  are  no  foot- 
steps of  natural  religion,  in  any  sense  of  the  words,  to  be  found 
at  this  day,  but  where  Christianity  hath  been  planted.  In  every 
place  else,  religion  hath  no  conformity  with  reason  or  truth. 
So  far  is  the  light  of  nature  from  lending  sufficient  assistance. 
It  is  strange,  that  the  natural  light  should  be  so  clear,  and  yet 
darkness  so  great,  that  in  all  unassisted  countries  the  most 
monstrous  forms  of  religion,  derogatory  to  God,  and  prejudi- 
cial to  man,  should  be  contrived  by  some,  and  swallowed  by 
the  rest,  with  a  most  voracious  credulity.  I  could  wish  most 
heartly,  that  all  nations  were  Christians  ;  yet,  since  it  is  other- 
wise, we  derive  this  advantage  from  it,  that  we  have  a  stand- 
ing and  contemporary  demonstration  of  that  which  nature,  left 
to  herself,  can  do.  Had  all  the  world  been  Christians  for  some 
ages  past,  our  present  libertines  would  insist,  that  Christianity 
had  done  no  service  to  mankind  ;  that  nature  could  have 
sufficiently  directed  herself;  and  that  all  the  stories  told,  either 
in  sacred  or  profane  history,  of  the  idolatry  and  horrible  forms 
of  religion  in  ancient  times,  were  forged  by  Christian  priests, 
to  make  the  world  think  revelation  necessary,  and  natural 
reason  incapable  of  dictating  true  and  right  notions  of  religion. 
But,  as  the  case  stands  at  present,  we  have  such  proofs  of  the 
insufficiency  of  unassisted  reason  in  this  behalf,  as  all  the  sub- 
tility  of  libertines  is  unable  to  evade. 

§  36.  All  that  the  Grecians,  Romans,  and  present  Chinese, 
know  of  true  religion,  they  were  taught  traditionally.  As  to 
their  corrupt  notions  and  idolatries,  they  were  of  their  own 
invention.  The  Grecians,  who  were  by  far  the  most  knowing 
people  of  the  three,  were  as  gross  idolaters  as  the  rest,  till 
Plato's  time.  He  travelled  into  the  east,  and  ran  higher  to- 
wards truth  in  his  sentiments  of  religion  than  others  :  but  still 
worshipped  the  gods  of  his  country,  and  durst  not  speak  out 
all  he  knew.  However,  he  formed  a  great  school,  and,  both 
through  his  writings  and  scholars,  instructed  his  countrymen  in 
a  kind  of  religious  philosophy,  that  tended  much  more  directly 
and  strongly  to  reformation  of  manners,  than  either  the  dictates 
of  their  own  reason,  or  of  their  other  philosophers.  All  the 
philosophy  of  the  Gentile  nations,  excepting  that  of  Socrates 
and  Plato,  was  derived  from  the  source  of  self-sufficiency. 
Only  these  two  acknowledge  the  blindness  of  human  nature, 
and  the  necessity  of  a  divine  instructor.  No  other  Heathen 
philosopher  founded  his  morality  on  any  sense  of  religion,  or 
ever  dreamt  of  an  inability  in  man  to  render  himself  happy.* 

*  From  h  14 — h  36,  is  chiefly  out  of"  Deism  Revealed,"  second  editioD. 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATION-.  *2t).l 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Insufficiency  of  Reason  as  a  Substitute  for  Revelation. 

§  1.  By  reason,  I  mean  that  power  or  faculty  an  intelligent 
being  has  to  judge  of  the  truth  of  propositions;  either  immedi- 
ately, by  only  looking  on  the  propositions,  which  is  judging  by 
intuition  and  self-evidence;  or  by  puting  together  several  pro- 
positions, which  are  already  evident  by  intuition,  or  at  least 
whose  evidence  is  originally  derived  from  intuition. 

Great  part  of  Tindal's  arguing,  in  his  Christianity  as  old  as 
the  Creation,  proceeds  on  this  ground,  That  since  reason  is  the 
judge  whether  there  be  any  revelation,  or  whether  any  pretend- 
ed revelation  be  really  such  ;  therefore  reason  without  revela- 
tion, or  undirected  by  revelation,  must  be  the  judge  concern- 
ing each  doctrine  and  proposition  contained  in  that  pretended 
revelation.  This  is  an  unreasonable  way  of  arguing.  It  is  as 
much  as  to  say,  that  seeing  reason  is  to  judge  of  the  truth  of 
any  general  proposition,  therefore,  in  all  cases,  reason  alone, 
without  regard  to  that  proposition,  is  to  judge  separately  and 
independently  of  each  particular  proposition  implied  in,  or  de- 
pending and  consequent  upon,  that  general  proposition.  For, 
whether  any  supposed  or  pretended  divine  revelation  be  indeed 
such,  is  a  general  proposition  :  and  the  particular  truths  deliver- 
ed in  and  by  it,  are  particular  propositions  implied  in,  and 
consequent  on,  that  general  one.  Tindal  supposes  each  of 
these  truths  must  be  judged  of  by  themselves,  independently  of 
our  judging  of  that  general  truth,  that  the  revelation  that  de- 
clares them  is  the  word  of  God  ;  evidently  supposing,  that  if 
each  of  these  propositions,  thus  judged  of  particularly,  cannot 
be  found  to  be  agreeable  to  reason,  or  if  reason  alone  will  not 
show  the  truth  of  them  ;  then,  that  general  proposition  on  which 
they  depend,  viz.  That  the  word  which  declares  them  is  a 
divine  revelation,  is  to  be  rejected  :  which  is  most  unreasonable, 
and  contrary  to  all  the  rules  of  common  sense,  and  of  the  pro- 
ceeding of  all  mankind,  in  their  reasoning  and  judging  of  things 
in  all  affairs  whatsoever. — For  this  is  certain,  that  a  proposition 
may  be  evidently  true,  or  we  may  have  good  reason  to  re- 
ceive it  as  true,  though  the  particular  propositions  that  de- 
pend upon  it,  and  follow  from  it,  may  be  such,  that  our  rea- 
son, independent  of  it,  cannot  see  the  truth,  or  can  see  it  to  be 
true  by  no  other  means,  than  by  first  establishing  that  other 
truth  on  which  it  depends.  For  otherwise,  there  is  an  end  of  all 
use  of  our  reasoning  powers  ;  an  end  of  all  arguing  one  propo- 
sition from  another;  and  nothing  is  to  be  judged  true,  but 
what  appears  true  by  looking  on  it  directly  and  immediately, 
without  the  help  of  another  proposition  first  established,  on 


XJ62  .HbCKLLAAKOUS  OBSERVATIONS.. 

which  the  evidence  of  it  depends. — For  therein  consists  all  rea- 
soning or  argumentation  whatsoever ;  viz.  in  discovering  the 
truth  of  a  proposition,  whose  truth  does  not  appear  to  our  rea- 
son immediately,  or  when  we  consider  it  alone,  but  by  the  help 
of  some  other  proposition,  on  which  it  depends. 

§  2.  If  this  be  not  allowed,  we  must  believe  nothing  at  all, 
but  self-evident  propositions,  and  then  we  must  have  done  with 
all  such  things  as  arguments  :  and  all  argumentation  whatso- 
ever, and  all  Tindal's  argumentations  in  particular,  are  absurd. 
He  himself,  throughout  his  whole  book,  proceeds  in  that  very 
method  which  this  principle  explodes.  He  argues  and  attempts 
to  make  evident,  one  proposition  by  another  first  established. — 
There  are  some  general  propositions,  the  truth  of  which  can 
be  known  only  by  reason,  from  whence  an  infinite  multitude 
of  other  propositions  are  inferred,  and  reasonably  and  justly 
determined  to  be  true,  and  rested  in  as  such,  on  the  ground  of 
the  truth  of  that  general  proposition  from  which  they  are  infer- 
red by  the  common  consent  of  all  mankind,  being  led  thereto 
by  the  common  and  universal  sense  of  the  human  mind.  And 
yet  not  one  of  those  propositions  can  be  known  to  be  true  by 
reason,  if  reason  consider  them  by  themselves  independently  of 
that  general  proposition. 

Thus,  for  instance,  what  numberless  truths  are  known  only 
by  consequence  from  that  general  proposition,  that  the  testimo- 
ny of  our  senses  may  be  depended  on?  The  truth  of  number- 
less particular  propositions,  cannot  be  known  by  reason,  consi- 
dered independently  of  the  testimony  of  our  senses,  and  with- 
out an  implicit  faith  in  that  testimony.  That  general  truth, 
that  the  testimony  of  our  memories  is  worthy  of  credit,  can  be 
proved  only  by  reason ;  and  yet,  what  numberless  truths  are 
there,  which  we  know  no  other  wav,  and  cannot  be  known  to 
be  true  by  reason,  considering  the  truths  in  themselves,  or  any 
otherwise  than  by  testimony  of  our  memory,  and  an  implicit 
faith  in  this  testimony  ?  That  the  agreed  testimony  of  all  we 
see,  and  converse  with  continually,  is  to  be  credited,  is  a  gene- 
ral proposition,  the  truth  of  which  can  be  known  only  by  rea- 
son. And  yet  how  infinitely  numerous  propositions  do  men  re- 
ceive as  truth,  that  cannot  be  known  to  be  true  by  reason,  view- 
ing them  separately  from  such  testimony  ;  even  all  occurrences, 
and  matters  of  fact,  persons,  things,  actions,  works,  events,  and 
circumstances,  that  we  are  told  of  in  our  neighbourhood,  in  our 
iawn  country,  or  in  any  other  part  of  the  world  that  we  have  not 
seen  ourselves. 

§  3.  That  the  testimony  of  history  and  tradition  is  to  be  de- 
pended on,  when  attended  with  such  and  such  credible  circum- 
stances, is  a  general  proposition,  whose  truth  can  be  known 
only  by  reason.  And  yet,  how  numberless  are  the  particular 
truths  concerning  what  has  been  before  the  present  age,  that 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  26o 

cannot  be  known  by  reason  considered  in  themselves,  and  sepa- 
rately from  this  testimony,  which  yet  are  truths  on  which  all 
mankind  do,  ever  did,  and  ever  will  rely  ? 

That  the  experience  of  mankind  is  to  be  depended  on ;  or, 
that  those  things  which  the  world  finds  to  be  true  by  experience, 
are  worthy  to  be  judged  true,  is  a  general  proposition,  of  which 
none  doubt.  By  what  the  world  finds  true  by  experience,  can 
be  meant  nothing  else,  than  what  is  known  to  be  true  by  one  or 
other  of  those  fore-mentioned  kinds  of  testimony,  viz.  the  testi- 
mony of  history  and  tradition  ;  the  testimony  of  those  we  see 
and  converse  with  ;  the  testimony  of  our  memories,  and  the  tes- 
timony of  our  senses.  I  say,  all  that  is  known  by  the  experience 
of  mankind,  is  known  only  by  one  or  more  of  these  testimonies  ; 
excepting  only  the  existence  of  that  idea,  or  those  few  ideas, 
which  are  at  this  moment  present  in  our  minds,  or  are  the  im- 
mediate objects  of  present  consciousness.  And  yet,  how  unrea- 
sonable would  it  be  to  say,  that  we  must  first  know  those  things 
to  be  true  by  reason,  before  we  give  credit  to  our  experience  of 
the  truth  of  them  !  Not  only  are  there  innumerable  truths, 
that  are  reasonably  received  as  following  from  such  general 
propositions  as  have  been  mentioned,  which  cannot  be  known 
by  reason,  if  they  are  considered  by  themselves,  or  otherwise 
than  as  inferred  from  these  general  propositions ;  but  also,  ma- 
ny truths  are  reasonably  received,  and  are  received  by  the  com- 
mon consent  of  the  reason  of  all  rational  persons,  as  undoubted 
truths,  whose  truth  not  only  would  not  otherwise  be  discovera- 
ble by  reason,  but,  when  they  are  discovered  by  their  conse- 
quence from  that  general  proposition,  appear  in  themselves  not 
easy,  and  reconcilable  to  reason,  but  difficult,  incomprehensi- 
ble, and  their  agreement  with  reason  not  understood.  So  that 
men,  at  least  most  men,  are  not  able  to  explain,  or  conceive 
of  the  manner  in  which  they  are  agreeable  to  reason. 

§  4.  Thus,  for  instance,  it  is  a  truth,  which  depends  on  that 
general  proposition,  that  credit  is  to  be  given  to  the  testimony 
of  our  senses,  that  our  souls  and  bodies  are  so  united,  that  they 
act  on  each  other.  But  it  is  a  truth  which  reason  otherwise 
cannot  discover,  and,  now  that  it  is  revealed  by  the  testimony 
of  our  senses,  reason  cannot  comprehend,  that  what  is  imma- 
terial, and  not  solid  nor  extended,  can  act  upon  matter.  Or, 
if  any  choose  to  say,  that  the  soul  is  material,  then  other  diffi- 
culties arise  as  great.  For  reason  cannot  imagine  any  way, 
that  a  solid  mass  of  matter,  whether  at  rest  or  in  motion,  should 
have  perception,  should  understand,  and  should  exert  thought 
and  volition,  love,  hatred,  &,c.  And  if  it  be  said  that  spirit 
acts  on  matter,  and  matter  on  spirit,  by  an  established  law  of 
the  Creator,  which  is  no  other  than  a  fixed  method  of  his  pro- 
ducing effects  ;  still  the  manner  how  it  is  possible  to  be,  will  be 
inconceivable.     We  can  have  no  conception  of  any  w"ay  or 


^t)4  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS, 

manner,  in  which  God,  who  is  a  pure  Spirit,  can  act  upon 
matter,  and  impel  it. 

There  are  several  things  in  mechanics  and  hydrostatics,  that 
by  the  testimony  of  our  senses  are  true  in  fact,  not  only  that 
reason  never  first  discovered  before  the  testimony  of  sense  de- 
clared them,  but,  now  they  are  declared,  are  very  great  para- 
doxes, and,  if  proposed,  would  seem  contrary  to  reason,  at 
least  to  the  reason  of  the  generality  of  mankind,  and  such  as  are 
not  either  mathematicians,  or  of  more  than  common  penetra- 
tion, and  what  they  cannot  reconcile  to  their  reason.  But 
G<»d  has  given  reason  to  the  common  people,  to  be  as  much 
their  guide  and  rule,  as  he  has  to  mathematicians  and  philoso- 
phers. 

§  5.  Even  the  very  existence  of  a  sensible  world,  which  we 
receive  for  certain  from  the  testimony  of  our  senses,  is  attended 
with  difficulties  and  seeming  inconsistencies  with  reason,  which 
are  insuperable  to  the  reason  at  least  of  most  men.  For,  if 
•there  be  a  sensible  world,  that  world  exists  either  in  the  mind 
only,  or  out  of  the  mind,  independent  of  its  imagination  or 
perception.  If  the  latter,  then  that  sensible  world  is  some  ma- 
terial substance,  altogether  diverse  from  the  ideas  we  have  by 
any  of  our  senses — as  colour,  or  visible  extension  and  figure, 
which  is  nothing  but  the  quantity  of  colour  and  its  various  limi- 
tations, which  are  sensible  qualities  lhat  we  have  by  sight  ;  and 
solidity,  which  is  an  idea  we  have  by  feeling;  and  extension  and 
figure,  which  is  only  the  quantity  and  limitation  of  these  ;  and 
so  of  all  other  qualities. — But  that  there  should  be  any  sub- 
stance entirely  distinct  from  any,  or  all  of  these,  is  utterly  in- 
conceivable. For,  if  we  exclude  all  colour,  solidity,  or  conceiv- 
able extension,  dimension  and  figure,  what  is  there  left,  that 
we  can  conceive  of?  Is  there  not  a  removal  on  our  minds  of 
all  existence,  and  a  perfect  emptiness  of  every  thing  ? 

But,  if  it  be  said,  that  the  sensible  world  has  no  existence, 
but  only  in  the  mind,  then  the  sensories  themselves,  or  the  organs 
of  sense,  by  which  sensible  ideas  are  let  into  the  mind  ;  have 
no  existence  but  only  in  the  mind ;  and  those  organs  of  sense 
have  no  existence  but  what  is  conveyed  into  the  mind  by 
themselves ;  for  they  are  a  part  of  the  sensible  world.  And 
then  it  will  follow,  that  the  organs  of  sense  owe  their  existence 
to  the  organs  of  sense,  and  so  are  prior  to  themselves,  being 
the  causes  or  occasions  of  their  own  existence  ;  which  is  a 
seeming  inconsistence  with  reason,  that,  1  imagine,  the  reason 
of  all  men  cannot  explain  and  remove. 

§  6.  There  are  innumerable  propositions,  that  we  reasonably 
receive  from  the  testimony  of  experience,  all  depending  on 
the  truth  of  lhat  general  proposition,  "  that  experience  is  to  be 
relied  on,"  (what  is  meant  by  experience  has  been  already  ex- 
plained.) that  yet  are  altogether  above  reason.     They  are  pa- 


MiSCELLANKOUa    OBSERVATIONS*  '2foo 

radoxes  attended  with  such  seeming  inconsistencies,  that  reason 
cannot  clearly  remove,  nor  fully  explain  the  mystery. 

By  experience  we  know  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  thought, 
love,  hatred,  &c.  But  yet  this  is  attended  with  inexplicable 
difficulties.  If  there  be  such  a  thing  as  thought  and  affec- 
tion, where  are  they  ?  If  they  exist,  they  exist  in  some  place, 
or  no  place.  That  they  should  exist,  and  exist  in  no  place,  is 
above  our  comprehension.  It  seems  a  contradiction,  to  say, 
they  exist,  and  yet  exist  nowhere.  And,  if  they  exist  in  some 
place,  then  they  are  not  in  other  places,  or  in  all  places ;  and 
therefore  must  be  confined,  at  one  time,  to  one  place,  and  that 
place  must  have  certain  limits  ;  from  whence  it  will  follow,  that 
thought,  love,  &,c.  have  some  figure,  either  round,  or  square,  or 
triangular  ;  which  seems  quite  disagreeable  to  reason,  and  ut- 
terly  inconsonant  to  the  nature  of  such  things  as  thought  and 
the  affections  of  the  mind. 

§  7.  It  is  evident,  by  experience,  that  something  now  is.  Bui 
this  proposition  is  attended  with  things  that  reason  cannot 
comprehend,  paradoxes  that  seem  contrary  to  reason.  For,  if 
something  now  is,  then  either  something  was  from  all  eternity; 
or,  something  began  to  be,  without  any  cause  or  reason  of  its 
existence.  The  last  seems  wholly  inconsistent  with  natural 
sense  :  And  the  other,  viz.  That  something  has  been  from  all 
eternity,  implies,  that  there  has  been  a  duration  past,  which  is 
without  any  beginning,  which  is  an  infinite  duration  :  which  is 
perfectly  inconceivable,  and  is  attended  with  difficulties  that 
seem  contrary  to  reason.  For  we  cannot  conceive  how  an  in- 
finite duration  can  be  made  greater,  any  more  than  how  a  line 
of  infinite  length  can  be  made  longer.  But  yet  we  see  that 
past  duration  is  continually  added  to.  If  there  were  a  duration 
passed  without  beginning,  a  thousand  years  ago,  then  that  past 
infinite  duration  has  now  a  thousand  years  added  to  it :  and 
if  so,  it  is  greater  than  it  was  before  by  a  thousand  years  , 
because  the  whole  is  greater  than  a  part.  Now,  the  past 
duration  consists  of  two  parts,  viz.  that  which  was  before 
the  last  thousand  years,  and  that  which  is  since.  Thus  here  are 
seeming  contradictions,  involved  in  this  supposition  of  an  infi- 
nite duration  past. 

And,  moreover,  if  something  has  been  from  eternity,  it  is 
cither  an  endless  succession  of  causes  and  effects,  as  for  instance 
an  endless  succession  of  fathers  and  sons,  or  something  equiva- 
lent ;  but  the  supposition  is  attended  with  manifold  apparent 
contradictions  ;  or,  there  must  have  been  some  eternal  self-exist- 
ent being,  having  the  reasons  of  his  existence  within  himself: 
or,  he  must  have  existed  from  eternity,  without  any  reason  of 
his  existence  ;  both  which  are  inconceivable.  That  a  thing 
should  exist  from  eternity,  without  any  reason  why  it  should  be 
so,  rather  than  otherwise,  is  altogether  inconceivable,  and  s<?em? 

Vol.  VII.  84 


~bl>  >llo<JELLAiUt:OUs>    OBSERVATIONS. 

quite  repugnant  to  reason.  Awl  why  a  being  should  be  self- 
existent,  and  have  the  reason  of  his  existence  within  himself, 
seems  also  inconceivable,  and  never,  as  J  apprehend,  has  yet 
been  explained.  If  there  has  been  any  thing  from  eternity, 
then  that  past  eternity  is  either  an  endless  duration  of  succes- 
sive parts  as  successive  hours,  minutes,  &,c.  or  it  is  an  eternal 
duration  without  succession. — The  latter  seems  repugnant  to 
reason,  and  incompatible  with  any  faculty  of  understanding 
that  we  enjoy:  and,  the  other,  an  infinite  number  of  succes- 
sive parts,  involves  the  very  same  contradictions  with  the  sup- 
position of  an  eternal  succession  of  fathers  and  sons. 

That  the  world  has  existed  from  eternity  without  a  cause, 
seems  wholly  inconsistent  with  reason.  In  the  first  place,  it  is 
inconsistent  with  reason,  that  it  should  exist  without  a  cause. 
For  it  is  evident,  that  it  is  not  a  thing,  the  nature  and  manner 
of  which  is  necessary  in  itself;  and  therefore  it  requires  a  cause 
or  reason  out  of  itself,  why  it  is  so,  and  not  otherwise.  And  in 
the  next  place,  if  it  exists  from  eternity,  then  succession  has 
been  from  eternity  ;  which  involves  the  fore-mentioned  contra- 
dictions. But,  if  it  be  without  a  cause,  and  does  not  exist  from 
eternity,  then  it  has  been  created  out  of  nothing ;  which  is  al- 
together inconceivable,  and  what  reason  cannot  show  to  be 
possible  ;  and  many  of  the  greatest  philosophers  have  supposed 
it  plainly  inconsistent  with  reason. — Many  other  difficulties 
might  be  mentioned  as  following  from  that  proposition,  "  that 
something  now  is,"  that  are  insuperable  to  reason. 

§  8.  It  is  evident,  by  experience,  that  great  evil,  both  moral 
and  natural,  abounds  in  the  world.  It  is  manifest,  that  great 
injustice,  violence,  treachery,  perfidiousness,  and  extreme  cru- 
elty to  the  innocent,  abound  in  the  world ;  as  well  as  innume- 
rable extreme  sufferings,  issuing  finally  in  destruction  and  death, 
are  general  all  over  the  world,  in  all  ages. — But  this  could 
not  otherwise  have  been  known  by  reason  ;  and  even  now  is 
attended  with  difficulties,  which  the  reason  of  many,  yea  most 
of  the  learned  men  and  greatest  philosophers  that  have  been 
in  the  world,  have  not  been  able  to  surmount.  That  it  should 
be  so  ordered  or  permitted  in  a  world,  absolutely  and  perfectly 
under  the  care  and  government  of  an  infinitely  holy  and  good 
God,  discovers  a  seeming  repugnancy  to  reason,  that  few,  if  any, 
have  been  able  fully  to  remove. 

§  9.  That  men  are  to  be  blamed  or  commended  for  their  good 
or  evil  voluntary  actions,  is  a  general  proposition  received,  with 
good  reason,  by  the  dictates  of  the  natural,  common,  and  uni- 
versal moral  sense  of  mankind  in  all  nations  and  ages  ;  which 
moral  sense  is  included  in  what  Tindal  means  by  reason  and  the 
law  of  nature.  And  yet  many  things  attend  this  truth,  that  ap- 
pear difficulties  and  seeming  repugnancies  to  reason,  which  have 
proved  altogether  insuperable  to  the  reason  of  many  of  the 
greatest  and  most  learned  men  in  the  world. 


MISCELLANEOUS    otiSER/Y  A'i'IOfc'S. 


:ifv 


§  10.  I  observe,  further,  that  when  any  general  proposition  is 
recommended  to  us  as  true,  by  any  testimony  or  evidence,  that, 
considered  by  itself,  seems  sufficient,  without  contrary  testimo- 
ny or  evidence  to  countervail  it ;  and  difficulties  attend  that  pro- 
position :  if  these  difficulties  are  no  greater,  and  of  no  other  sort. 
than  what  might  reasonably  be  expected  to  attend  true  propo- 
sitions of  that  kind,  then  these  difficulties  are  not  only  no  valid 
or  sufficient  objection  against  that  proposition,  but  they  are  no 
objection  at  all. 

Thus,  there  are  many  things,  that  I  am  told  concerning  the 
effects  of  electricity,  magnetism,  &c.  and  many  things  that  are 
recorded  in  the  philosophical  transactions  of  the  Royal  Society, 
which  I  have  never  seen,  and  are  very  mysterious  :  but,  being 
well  attested,  their  mysteriousness  is  no  manner  of  objection 
against  my  belief  of  the  accounts  ;  because,  from  what  I  have 
observed,  and  do  know,  such  a  mysteriousness  is  no  other  than 
is  to  be  expected  in  a  particular,  exact  observation  of  nature, 
and  a  critical  tracing  of  its  operations.  It  is  to  be  expected. 
that  the  further  it  is  traced,  the  more  mysteries  will  appear.  To 
apply  this  to  the  case  in  hand:  If  the  difficulties  which  attend 
that  which  is  recommended  by  good  proof  or  testimony  to  our 
reception,  as  a  divine  revelation,  are  no  greater,  nor  of  any 
other  nature,  than  such  as,  all  things  considered,  might  reason- 
ably be  expected  to  attend  a  revelation  of  such  a  sort,  of 
things  of  such  a  nature,  and  given  for  such  ends  and  purposes; 
and  under  such  circumstances  ;  these  difficulties  not  only  are 
not  of  weight  sufficient  to  balance  the  testimony  or  proof  that 
recommends  it,  but  they  are  of  no  weight  at  all  as  objections 
against  the  revelation.  They  are  not  reasonably  to  be  looked 
upon  as  of  the  nature  of  arguments  against  it ;  but  on  the  con- 
trary, may,  with  good  reason,  be  looked  upon  as  confirmations. 
and  of  the  nature  of  arguments  in  its  favour. 

§  11.  This  is  very  evident,  and  the  reason  of  it  very  plain. 
For,  certainly,  whatever  is  reasonably  expected  to  be  found  in 
a  truth,  when  we  are  seeking  it,  cannot  be  an  objection  against 
that  truth,  when  we  have  found  it.  If  it  be  reasonably  expect- 
ed in  truth  beforehand,  then  reason  unites  it  with  truth,  as  one 
property  of  that  sort  of  truth :  and,  if  so,  then  reason  unites  it 
with  the  truth,  after  it  is  found.  Whatever  reason  determines 
to  be  a  property  of  any  kind  of  truth,  that  is  properly  looked 
upon  in  some  degree  as  a  mark  of  truths  of  that  sort,  or  as 
belonging  to  the  marks  and  evidences  of  it:  for  things  are 
known  by  their  properties.  Reason  determines  truth  by  things 
which  reason  determines  to  be  the  properties  of  truth.  And 
if  we  do  not  find  such  things  belonging  to  supposed  truth,  that 
were  before  reasonably  expected  in  truth  of  that  kind,  this  is 
an  objection  against  it,  rather  than  the  finding  of  them.  The 
disappointment  of  reason  is  rather  an  objection  with  reason, 
than  something  to  induce  its   acceptance  and  acquioscpnrp. 


•_'»)S  BI/LANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS. 

If  the  expectation  be  reasonable,  then  the  not  answering  of  it 
must  so  far  appear  unreasonable,  or  against  reason,  and  so  an 
objection  in  the  way  of  reason. 

Thus,  if  any  one  that  is  in  search  for  things  of  a  certain  kind, 
reasonably  expects  beforehand,  that  if  he  be  successful  in  find- 
ing the  thing,  of  the  kind  and  quality  that  he  is  in  search  of,  he 
shall  find  it  possessed  of  certain  properties  :  when  he  hath  ac- 
tually founcf  something,  with  all  those  properties  and  circum- 
stances that  he  expected,  he  receives  it,  and  rests  in  it  so  much 
the  more  entirely,  as  the  very  thing  that  he  was  in  quest  of. 
And  surely,  it  would  be  no  argument  with  him,  that  his  inven- 
tion is  right,  that  some  things,  that  he  reasonably  expected,  are 
wanting:  but  on  the  contrary,  this  would  rather  be  an  objection 
with  his  reason. 

§  V2.  In  order  to  judge  what  sort  of  difficulties  are  to  be  ex- 
pected in  a  revelation  made  to  mankind  by  God,  such  as  Chris- 
tians suppose  the  scriptures  to  be,  we  must  remember,  that  it 
is  a  revelation  of  what  God  knows  to  be  the  very  truth  concern- 
ing his  own  nature  ;  of  the  acts  and  operations  of  his  mind 
with  respect  to  his  creatures  ;  of  the  grand  scheme  of  infinite 
wisdom  in  his  works,  especially  with  respect  to  the  intelligent 
and  moral  world;  a  revelation  of  the  spiritual  and  invisible 
world  ;  a  revelation  of  that  invisible  world  which  men  shall 
belong  to  after  this  life ;  a  revelation  of  the  greatest  works  of 
God,  the  manner  of  his  creating  the  world,  and  of  his  governing 
of  it,  especially  with  regard  to  the  higher  and  more  important 
parts  of  it ;  a  revelation  delivered  in  ancient  languages. 

Difficulties  and  incomprehensible  mysteries  are  reasonably  to 
be  expected  in  a  declaration  from  God,  of  the  precise  truth  as 
he  knows  it,  in  matters  of  a  spiritual  nature  ;  as  we  see  things 
that  are  invisible,  and  not  the  objects  of  any  of  the  external 
senses,  are  very  mysterious,  involved  much  more  in  darkness, 
attended  with  more  mystery  and  difficulty  to  the  understanding, 
than  others  ;  as  many  things  concerning  even  the  nature  of  our 
own  souls  themselves,  that  are  the  nearest  to  us,  and  the  most 
intimately  present  with  us,  and  so  most  in  our  view,  of  any 
spiritual  things  whatsoever. 

The  farther  things  are  from  the  nature  of  what  language  is 
chiefly  formed  to  express,  viz.  things  appertaining  to  the  com- 
mon business  and  vulgar  affairs  of  life — things  obvious  to  sense 
and  men's  direct  view  and  most  vulgar  observation,  without 
speculation,  reflection  and  abstraction — the  more  difficult  it  is 
clearly  to  express  them  in  words.  Our  expressions  concerning 
them  will  be  attended  with  greater  abstruseness,  difficulty,  and 
seeming  inconsistence;  language  not  being  well  fitted  to  express 
these  things ;  words  and  phrases  not  being  prepared  for  that 
end.  Such  a  reference  to  sensible  and  vulgar  things,  is  una- 
voidably introduced,  that  naturally  confounds  the  mind,  and 
involves  it  in  Harknp««. 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  289 

§  13.  if  God  gives  a  revelation  of  religious  things,  it  must 
be  mainly  concerning  the  affairs  of  the  moral  and  intelligent 
universe:  which  is  the  grand  system  of  spirits:  it  must  be 
chiefly  about  himself  and  intelligent  creatures.  It  may  well 
be  supposed,  that  a  revelation  concerning  another  and  an  invi- 
sible world,  a  future  state  that  we  are  to  be  in  when  separated 
from  the  body,  should  be  attended  wit ii  much  mystery.  It 
may  well  be  supposed,  that  the  things  of  such  a  world,  are  of 
an  exceeding  different  nature  from  the  things  of  this  world, 
the  things  of  sense,  and  all  the  objects  and  affairs  which  earthly 
language  was  made  to  express  :  and  that  they  are  not  agreea- 
ble to  such  notions,  imaginations,  and  ways  of  thinking  that 
grow  up  with  us,  and  are  connatural  to  us,  as  we  are  from  our 
infancy  formed  to  an  agreeableness  to  the  things  which  we 
are  conversant  with  in  this  world.  We  could  not  conceive  of 
the  things  of  sense,  if  we  had  never  had  these  external  senses. 
And,  if  we  had  only  some  of  these  senses,  and  not  others  ;  as, 
for  instance,  if  we  had  only  a  sense  of  feeling,  without  the 
senses  of  seeing  and  hearing,  how  mysterious  would  a  declara- 
tion of  things  of  these  last  senses  be  !  Or,  if  we  had  feeling 
and  hearing,  but  had  been  born  without  eyes  or  optic  nerves, 
the  things  of  light,  even  when  declared  to  us,  would  many  of 
them  be  involved  in  mystery,  and  would  appear  exceedingly 
strange  to  us. 

§  14.  Thus  persons  without  the  sense  of  seeing,  but  who  had 
the  other  senses,  might  be  informed  by  all  about  fhem,  that 
they  can  perceive  things  at  a  distance,  and  perceive  as  plain- 
ly, and  in  some  respects  more  plainly,  than  by  touching  them  ; 
yea,  that  they  could  perceive  things  at  so  sjreat  a  distance, 
that  it  would  take  up  many  ages  to  travel  to  them.  They 
might  be  informed  of  many  things  concerning  colours,  that 
would  be  all  perfectly  incomprehensible,  and  yet  might  be  be- 
lieved ;  and  it  could  not  be  said  that  nothing  at  all  is  proposed 
to  their  belief,  because  they  have  no  idea  of  colour. 

They  might  be  told  that  they  perceive  an  extension,  a 
length  and  breadth  of  colour,  and  terminations  and  limits,  and 
so  a  figure  of  this  kind  of  extension  :  and  yet,  that  it  is  nothing 
that  can  be  felt.  This  would  be  perfectly  mysterious  to  them, 
and  would  seem  an  inconsistence,  as  they  have  no  ideas  of 
any  such  things  as  length,  breadth,  and  limits,  and  figure  of 
extension,  but  only  certain  ideas  they  have  by  touch.  They 
might  be  informed,  that  they  could  perceive  at  once  the  extent 
and  shape  of  a  thing  so  great  and  multiform  as  a  tree,  without 
touch :  this  would  seem  very  strange  and  impossible. — They 
might  be  told,  that,  to  those  who  see,  some  things  appear  a 
thousand  times  as  great  as  some  others,  which  yet  are  made 
up  of  more  visible  parts,  than  those  others:  which  would  be 
very  mysterious,  and  seem  quite  inconsistent   with  reason, — 


\J?0  MISCELLANEOUS   OBSERVATIONS. 

These,  and  many  other  things,  would  be  attended  with  un- 
searchable mystery  to  them,  concerning  objects  of  sight;  and, 
concerning  which,  they  could  never  fully  see  how  they  can  be 
reconciled  to  reason  ;  at  least,  not  without  very  long,  particu- 
lar, gradual,  and  elaborate  instruction  ;  and  which,  after  all. 
they  would  not  fully  comprehend,  so  as  clearly  to  see  how  the 
ideas  connected  in  these  propositions  do  agree. — And  yet  I 
suppose,  in  such  a  case,  the  most  rational  persons,  would  give 
full  credit  to  things  that  they  know  not  by  reason,  but  only 
by  the  revelation  of  the  word  of  those  that  see.  I  suppose,  a 
person  born  blind  in  the  manner  described,  would  nevertheless 
give  full  credit  to  the  united  testimony  of  the  seeing  world,  in 
things  which  they  said  about  light  and  colours,  and  would  en- 
tirely rest  on  their  testimony. 

§  15.  If  God  give  us  a  revelation  of  the  truth,  not  only  about 
spiritual  beings  in  an  unseen  state;  but  also  concerning  a  spiri- 
tual being  or  beings  of  a  superior  kind,  (and  so  of  an  unexpe- 
rienced nature,)  entirely  diverse  from  any  thing  we  now  expe- 
rience in  our  present  state, — and  from  any  thing  that  we  can  be 
conscious  of  in  any  state  whatsoever — then,  especially,  may 
mysteries  be  expected  in  such  a  revelation. 

The  truth  concerning  any  kind  of  percipient  being,  of  a  dif- 
ferent nature  from  our  own,  though  of  a  kind  inferior,  might 
well  be  supposed  to  be  attended  with  difficulty,  by  reason  of 
its  diversity  from  what  we  are  conscious  of  in  ourselves  :  but 
much  more  so,  when  the  nature  and  kind  is  superior.  For  a 
superior  perceptive  nature  may  well  be  supposed,  in  some  re- 
spects, to  include  and  comprehend  what  belongs  to  an  inferior, 
as  the  greater  comprehends  the  less,  and  the  whole  includes  a 
part ;  and  therefore,  what  the  superior  experiences  may  give 
him  advantage  to  conceive  of  concerning  the  nature  of  the  in- 
ferior. But,  on  the  contrary,  an  inferior  nature  does  not  include 
what  belongs  to  a  superior.  When  one  of  an  inferior  nature  con- 
siders what  concerns  beings  of  a  nature  entirely  above  his  own. 
there  is  something  belonging  to  it  that  is  over  and  above  all 
that  the  inferior  nature  is  conscious  of. 

A  very  great  superiority,  even  in  beings  of  the  same  nature 
with  ourselves,  sets  them  so  much  above  our  reach,  that  many 
of  their  affairs  become  incomprehensible,  and  attended  with 
inexplicable  intricacies.  Thus  many  of  the  affairs  of  adult 
persons  are  incomprehensible,  and  appear  inexplicably  strange 
to  the  understandings  of  little  children  :  and  many  of  the  affairs 
of  learned  men,  and  great  philosophers  and  mathematicians, 
things  with  which  they  are  conversant,  and  well  acquainted, 
are  far  above  the  reach  of  the  vulgar,  and  appear  to  them  not 
only  unintelligible,  but  absurd  and  impossible,  and  full  of  incon- 
sistencies. But  much  more  may  this  be  expected  when  the  su- 
periority is  not  only  in  the  degree  of  improvement  of  faculties 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  2fl 

and  properties  of  the  same  kind  of  beings,  but  also  in  the  na- 
ture itself.  So  that,  if  there  be  a  kind  of  created  perceptive 
beings,  in  their  nature  vastly  superior  to  the  human,  which 
none  will  deny  to  be  possible,  and  a  revelation  should  be  given 
us  concerning  the  nature,  acts,  and  operations  of  this  kind  of 
creatures  ;  it  would  be  no  wonder,  if  such  a  revelation  should 
contain  some  things  very  much  out  of  our  reach,  attended  with 
great  difficulty  to  our  reason,  being  things  of  such  a  kind,  that 
no  improvement  of  our  minds,  that  we  are  capable  of,  will  bring 
us  to  an  experience  of  any  thing  like  them.  But,  above  all,  if 
a  revelation  be  made  to  us  concerning  that  being  who  is  uncre- 
ated and  self-existent,  who  is  infinitely  diverse  from  and  above 
all  others,  in  his  nature,  and  so  infinitely  above  all  that  any  ad- 
vancement of  our  nature  can  give  us  any  consciousness  of:  in 
such  a  revelation,  it  would  be  very  strange  indeed,  if  there 
should  not  be  some  great  mysteries,  quite  beyond  our  compre- 
hension, and  attended  with  difficulties  which  it  is  impossible  for 
us  fully  to  solve  and   explain. 

§  16.  It  may  well  be  expected,  that  a  revelation  of  truth,  con- 
cerning an  infinite  being,  should  be  attended  with  mystery.  We 
find,  that  the  reasonings  and  conclusions  of  the  best  metaphysi- 
cians and  mathematicians,  concerning  infinites,  are  attended 
with  paradoxes  and  seeming  inconsistencies.  Thus  it  is  con- 
cerning infinite  lines,  surfaces  and  solids,  which  are  things  ex- 
ternal. But  much  more  may  this  be  expected  in  infinite  spiri- 
tual things ;  such  as  infinite  thought,  infinite  apprehension,  infi- 
nite reason,  infinite  will,  love,  and  joy,  infinite  spiritual  power, 
agency,  &c. 

Nothing  is  more  certain,  than  that  there  must  be  an  unmade 
and  unlimited  being  ;  and  yet,  the  very  notion  of  such  a  being  is 
all  mystery,  involving  nothing  but  incomprehensible  paradoxes, 
and  seeming  inconsistencies.  It  involves  the  notion  of  a  being, 
self-existent  and  without  any  cause,  which  is  utterly  inconceiva- 
ble, and  seems  repugnant  to  all  our  ways  of  conception.  An 
infinite  spiritual  being,  or  infinite  understanding  and  will  and 
spiritual  power,  must  be  omnipresent,  without  extension;  which 
is  nothing  but  mystery  and  seeming  inconsistence. 

The  notion  of  an  infinite  eternal,  implies  absolute  immuta- 
bility. That  which  is  in  all  respects  infinite,  absolutely  perfect, 
to  the  utmost  degree,  and  at  all  times,  cannot  be  in  any  re- 
spect variable.  And  this  immutability  being  constant  from  eter- 
nity implies  duration  without  succession,  and  is  wholl)  a  mys- 
tery and  seeming  inconsistence.  It  seems  as  much  as  to  say, 
an  infinitely  great  or  long  duration  all  at  once,  or  all  in  a  mo- 
ment ;  which  seems  to  be  saying,  an  infinitely  great  in  an  infi- 
nitely little;  or  an  infinitely  long  line  in  a  point  without  any 
length. 

§  17.  Infinite  understanding,  which  implies  an  understanding 
of  all  things  past,  present  and  future ;  and  of  all  truth  and  all 


'27'2  MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS. 

reason  and  argument,  implies  infinite  thought  and  reason,  But, 
how  this  can  be  absolutely  without  mutation,  or  succession  of 
acts,  seems  mysterious  and  absurd.  We  can  conceive  of  no 
such  thing  as  thinking,  without  successive  acting  of  the  mind 
about  ideas.  Perfect  knowledge  of  all  things,  even  of  all 
the  things  of  external  sense,  without  any  sensation,  or  any 
reception  of  ideas  from  without,  is  an  inconceivable  myste- 
ry. Infinite  knowledge,  implies  a  perfect  comprehensive  view 
of  a  whole  future  eternity ;  which  seems  utterly  impossible. 
For,  how  can  there  be  any  reaching  of  the  whole  of  this  to 
comprehend  it  without  reaching  to  the  utmost  limits  of  it? 
But  this  cannot  be,  where  there  is  no  such  thing  as  utmost 
limits.  And  again,  if  God  perfectly  views  an  eternal  succession 
or  chain  of  events,  then  he  perfectly  sees  every  individual  part 
of  that  chain,  and  there  is  no  one  link  of  it  hid  from  his  sight. 
And  yet  there  is  no  one  link  that  has  not  innumerable  links  be- 
yond it;  from  which  it  would  seem  to  follow,  that  there  is  a 
link  beyond  all  the  links  that  he  sees,  and  consequently,  that 
there  is  one  link,  yea,  innumerable  links,  that  he  sees  not ; 
inasmuch  as  there  are  innumerable  links  beyond  every  one 
that  he  sees.  And  many  other  such  seeming  contradictions 
might  be  mentioned,  which  attend  the  supposition  of  God's 
omniscience. 

If  there  be  absolutely  immutability  in  God,  then  there  never 
arises  any  new  act  in  God,  or  new  exertion  of  himself;  and 
yet  there  arise  new  effects :  which  seems  an  utter  inconsist- 
ence. And  so  innumerable  other  such  like  mysteries  and  pa- 
radoxes are  involved  in  the  notion  of  an  infinite  and  eternal  in- 
telligent being.  Insomuch,  that  if  there  had  never  been  any 
revelation,  by  which  God  had  made  known  himself  by  his  word 
to  mankind  ;  the  most  speculative  persons  would,  without  doubt, 
have  for  ever  been  exceedingly  at  a  loss  concerning  the  nature 
of  the  Supreme  Being  and  first  cause  of  the  universe.  And 
that  some  of  the  ancient  philosophers  and  wiser  Heathens  had 
so  good  notions  of  God  as  they  had,  seems  to  be  much  more 
owing  to  tradition,  which  originated  from  divine  revelation, 
than  from  their  own  invention;  though  human  nature  served  to 
keep  those  traditions  alive  in  the  world,  and  led  the  more  con- 
siderate to  embrace  and  retain  the  imperfect  traditions  which 
were  to  be  found  in  any  parts  remaining  as  they  appeared, 
when  once  suggested  and  delivered  agreeable  to  reason. 

§  18.  If  a  revelation  be  made  of  the  principal  scheme  of  the 
supreme  and  infinitely  wise  Ruler  respecting  his  moral  king- 
dom, wherein  his  all-sufficient  wisdom  is  displayed,  in  the  case 
of  its  greatest  trial  ;  ordering  and  regulating  the  said  moral 
kingdom  to  its  great  ends,  when  in  the  most  difficult  circum- 
stances ;  extricating  it  out  of  the  most  extreme  calamities,  in 
which  it  had  been  involved  by  the  malice  and  subtilty  of  the 
chief  and  most  crafty  of  all  God's  enemies,  should  we  expect 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBftKRVAT.ti  "<^J 

no  mysteries?  If  it  be  the  principal  of  all  the  effects  of  the 
wisdom  of  him,  the  depth  of  whose  wisdom  is  unsearchable 
and  absolutely  infinite  ;  his  deepest  scheme,  by  which  mainly 
the  grand  design  of  the  universal,  incomprehensibly  complica- 
ted system  of  all  his  operations,  and  the  infinite  series  of  his 
administrations,  is  most  happily,  completely  and  gloriously 
attained  ;  the  scheme  in  which  God's  wisdom  is  mainly  exer- 
cised and  displayed  :  it  may  reasonably  be  expected,  that  such 
a  revelation  will  contain  many  mysteries. 

We  see  that  to  be  the  case,  even  as  to  many  works  of  human 
wisdom  and  art.  They  appear  strange,  paradoxical,  and 
incomprehensible,  by  those  that  are  vastly  inferior  in  sagacity, 
or  are  entirely  destitute  of  that  skill  or  art.  How  are  many 
of  the  effects  of  human  art  attended  with  many  things  that 
appear  strange  and  altogether  incomprehensible  by  children, 
and  many  others  seeming  to  be  beyond  and  against  nature  ; 
and  in  many  cases,  the  effect  produced  not  only  seems  to  be 
beyond  the  power  of  any  visible  means,  but  inconsistent  with  it, 
being  an  effect  contrary  to  what  would  be  expected :  the 
means  seems  inconsistent  with  the  end. 

§  19.  If  God  reveal  the  exact  truth  in  those  things  which,  in 
the  language  of  the  Heathen  sages,  are  matters  of  philosophy, 
especially,  things  concerning  the  nature  of  the  Deity,  and  the 
nature  of  man  as  related  to  the  Deity,  &c.  it  may  most  reason- 
ably be  expected,  that  such  a  revelation  should  contain  many 
mysteries  and  paradoxes,  considering  how  many  mysteries  the 
doctrines  of  the  greatest  and  best  philosophers,  in  all  ages, 
concerning  these  things,  have  contained  ;  or  at  least,  how  very 
mysterious,  and  seemingly  repugnant  they  are  to  the  reason 
of  the  vulgar,  and  persons  of  less  understanding;  and  consider- 
ing how  mysterious  the  principles  of  philosophers,  even  concern- 
ing matters  far  inferior  to  these,  would  have  appeared  in  any 
former  age,  if  they  had  been  revealed  to  be  true,  which  how- 
ever are  now  received  as  the  most  undoubted  truths. 

If  God  gives  mankind  his  word  in  a  large  book,  consisting 
of  a  vast  variety  of  parts,  many  books,  histories,  prohecies,  pray- 
ers, songs,  parables,  proverbs,  doctrines,  promises,  sermons, 
epistles,  and  discourses  of  very  many  kinds,  all  connected  to- 
gether, all  united  in  one  grand  drift  and  design  ;  and  one  part 
having  a  various  and  manifold  respect  to  others  ;  so  as  to  be^ 
come  one  great  work  of  God,  and  one  grand  system:  as  is  the 
system  of  the  universe,  with  its  vast  variety  of  parts  connected 
in  one  grand  work  of  God  :  it  may  well  be  expected  that  there 
should  be  mysteries,  things  incomprehensible  and  exceeding 
difficult  to  our  understanding  ;  analogous  to  the  mysteries  that 
are  found  in  all  the  other  works  of  God,  as  the  works  of  crea- 
tion and  providence  ;  and  particularly  such  as  are  a«alogous  to 
Vol.  VII.  35      ' 


'274  WXACELLAMiOCs     OBSERVATIONS. 

rhc  mysteries  that  are  observable  in  the  system  of  the  natural 
world,  and  the  frame  of  man's  own  nature. 

§  tlO.  If  it  be  still  objected,  that  it  is  peculiarly  unreasonable 
that  mysteries  should  be  supposed  in  a  revelation  given  to 
mankind  ;  because,  if  there  be  such  a  revelation,  the  direct  and 
principal  design  of  it  must  be,  to  teach  mankind,  and  to  inform 
their  understandings,  which  is  inconsistent  with  its  delivering 
things  to  man  which  he  cannot  understand  :  and  which  do  not  in- 
form but  only  puzzle  and  confound  his  understanding  :  I  answer, 

is/.  Men  are  capable  of  understanding  as  much  as  ispretend- 
cd  to  be  revealed  ;  though  they  cannot  understand  all  that 
belongs  to  the  things  revealed.  For  instance,  God  may  reveal, 
that  there  are  three  who  have  the  same  nature  of  the  Deity, 
whom  it  is  most  proper  for  us  to  look  upon  as  three  persons  ; 
1  hough  the  particular  manner  of  their  distinction,  or  how  they 
differ,  may  not  be  revealed.  He  may  reveal  that  the  Godhead 
was  united  to  man,  so  as  to  be  properly  looked  upon  as  the 
same  person  ;  and  yet  not  reveal  how  it  was  effected. 

2d.  No  allowance  is  made  in  the  objection,  for  what  may  be 
understood  of  the  word  of  God  in  future  ages,  which  is  not  now 
understood.  And  it  is  to  be  considered,  that  divine  revelation 
is  not  given  only  for  the  present  or  past  ages. 

3d.  The  seeming  force  of  this  objection,  lies  wholly  in  this, 
that  we  must  suppose  whatever  God  does,  tends  to  answer  the 
end  for  which  he  does  it ;  but  that  those  parts  of  a  revelation 
which  we  cannot  understand,  do  not  answer  the  end,  inasmuch 
as  informing  our  understandings  is  the  very  end  of  a  revelation, 
if  there  be  any  such  thing. 

§  21.  But  this  objection  is  no  other,  than  just  equivalent  to  an 
objection  which  may  be  made  against  many  parts  of  the  crea- 
tion, particularly  of  this  lower  world.  It  is  apparent,  the  most 
direct  and  principal  end  of  this  lower  world  was,  to  be  for  the 
habitation,  use,  and  benefit  of  mankind,  the  head  of  this  lower 
world.  But  there  are  some  parts  of  it  that  seem  to  be  of  no  use 
to  man,  but  are  rather  inconvenient  and  prejudicial  to  him  ;  as, 
the  innumerable  stones  and  rocks  that  overspread  so  great  a  part 
of  the  earth,  which  as  to  any  thing  known,  are  altogether  use- 
less, and  oftentimes  are  rather  an  inconvenience  than  benefit. 

Thus,  it  is  reasonable  to  expect,  that,  in  such  a  revelation, 
there  should  be  many  things  plain  and  easy  to  be  understood  ; 
and  that  the  revelation  should  be  most  intelligible,  wherein  it 
is  most  necessary  for  us  to  understand  it,  in  order  to  our  gui- 
dance and  direction  in  the  way  to  our  happiness  ;  but  that 
there  should  also  be  many  incomprehensible  mysteries  in  it, 
many  things-understood  in  part,  but  yet  that  room  should  be 
left  for  vast  improvement  in  the  knowledge  of  them,  to  the  end 
of  the  world.  It  is  reasonable  to  expect,  that  the  case  should 
actually  be   the  <*a me   as  concerning  the   works    of  nature  ; 


falaCELLANEOUij  OBSEi»\  A  liUxN  S>\  \J?:  i 

that  many  things  which  were  formerly  great  and  insupera- 
ble difficulties,  unintelligible  mysteries,  should  now,  by  further 
study  and  improvement,  be  well  cleared  up,  and  cease  longer 
to  remain  difficulties  ;  and  that  other  difficulties  should  be 
considerably  diminished,  though  not  yet  fully  cleared  up. 

It  may  be  expected  that,  as  in  the  system  of  nature  so  in  the 
system  of  revelation,  there  should  be  many  parts  whose  use  is 
but  little  understood,  and  many  that  should  seem  wholly  use- 
less, yea,  and  some  that  should  seem  rather  '  do  hurt  than 
good.  I  might  further  observe,  that  if  we  have  a  revelation 
given  in  ancient  languages,  used  among  a  people  whose  customs 
and  phraseology  are  but  very  imperfectly  understood,  many 
difficulties  will  arise  from  hence.  And,  in  a  very  concise  his- 
tory, in  which  only  some  particular  facts  and  circumstances 
that  concern  the  special  purpose  of  that  revelation,  are  men- 
tioned— and  innumerable  others  are  omitted  that  would  be 
proper  to  be  mentioned,  if  the  main  design  were  to  give  a  full, 
clear,  connected,  continued  history  of  such  a  people,  or  such 
affairs  as  the  history  mentions — it  is  no  wonder  that  many 
doubts  and  difficulties  arise. 

§  22.  Tindal's  main  argument  against  the  need  of  any  reve* 
Jation,  is,  that  the  law  of  nature  is  absolutely  perfect.  But 
how  weak  and  impertinent  is  this  arguing,  that  because  the 
law  of  nature  (which  is  no  other  than  natural  rectitude  and 
obligation)  is  perfect,  therefore  the  light  of  nature  is  sufficient. 
To  say,  that  the  law  of  nature  is  perfect,  yea,  absolutely  perfect. 
is  no  more  than  to  say,  that  what  is  naturally  fit  and  right  in 
itself,  is  indeed  right;  and  that  what  is  in  itself,  or  in  its  own 
nature  perfectly  and  absolutely  right,  is  absolutely  right.  But 
this  is  an  empty,  insipid  kind  of  doctrine.  It  is  an  idle  way  of 
spending  time,  ink,  and  paper,  to  spend  them  in  proving,  that 
what  is  in  its  own  nature  perfectly  true,  is  perfectly  true  ;  and 
what  is  in  its  nature  perfectly  good,  is  perfectly  good  ;  or  that 
what  is,  is,. and  is  as  it  is.  But  this  is  all  that  can  be  meant  h\ 
the  law  of  nature  being  perfect. 

And  how  far  is  this  from  having  any  reference  to  that  ques- 
tion, whether  we  have  by  mere  nature,  without  instruction,  all 
that  light  and  advantage  that  we  need,  clearly  and  fully  to  know 
what  is  right,  and  all  that  is  needful  for  us  to  be^and  to  do. 
in  our  circumstances  as  sinners,  &c.  in  order  to  the  forgiveness 
of  sin,  the  favour  of  God,  and  our  own  happiness?  What,  ac- 
cording to  the  nature  of  things,  is  fittest  and  best,  may  be  most 
perfect ;  and  yet  our  natural  knowledge  of  this,  may  be  most 
imperfect. 

If  Tindal,  or  any  other  deist,  would  assert,  and  urge  it  upon 
mankind  as  an  assertion  that  they  ought  to  believe,  that  the 
light  of  nature  is  so  sufficient  to  teach  all  mankind  what  they 
(night,  or  in  any  respect  need  to  be,  and  to  hHievo  nnd  practicr 


;J7(.»  MiSCELL.^EUi;:*   OlibiMVA'iiOJNa. 

for  their  good,  that  any  additional  instruction  is  needless  and 
useless  :  then,  all  instruction  in  families  and  schools  is  needless 
and  useless;  all  instruction  of  parents,  tutors,  and  philosophers  ; 
all  that  has  been  said  to  promote  any  such  knowledge  as  tends 
to  make  men  good  and  happy  by  word  of  mouth,  or  by  writing 
and  books  -,  all  that  is  written  by  ancient  and  modern  philoso- 
phers and  learned  men ;  and  then,  also,  all  the  pains  the  deists 
take  in  talking  and  writing  to  enlighten  mankind,  is  wholly 
needless  and  vain. 

§  23.  When  it  is  asserted  that  the  light  of  nature,  or  the  means 
and  advantages  which  all  mankind  have  by  pure  nature,  to 
know  the  way  of  their  duty  and  happiness,  are  absolutely  suf- 
ficient, without  any  additional  means  and  advantages ;  one  of 
these  two  things  must  be  meant  by  it,  if  it  has  any  meaning ; 
either  that  they  are  sufficient  in  order  to  a  mere  possibility  of 
obtaining  all  needful  and  useful  knowledge  in  these  important 
concerns ;  or  that  these  natural  means  have  a  sufficient  tend- 
ency actually  to  reach  the  effect,  either  universally,  or  generally, 
or  at  least  in  a  prevailing  degree,  according  as  the  state  of  man- 
kind may  be. 

If  the  former  of  these  be  meant,  viz.  that  the  means  of  un- 
derstanding these  things,  which  all  mankind  have  by  mere 
nature,  is  sufficient,  in  order  to  a  bare  possibility  of  obtaining 
this  knowledge  :  even  that,  should  it  be  allowed,  will  not  at  all 
prove,  that  further  light  is  not  extremely  needed  by  mankind. 
A  bare  possibility  may  be  ;  and  yet  there  may  be  no  tendency 
or  probability  that  ever  the  effect  (however  necessary,  and  how- 
ever dreadful  the  consequence  of  its  failing)  will  be  reached, 
in  one  single  instance,  in  the  whole  world  of  mankind,  from 
the  beginning  of  the  world  to  the  end  of  it,  though  it  should 
stand  millions  of  ages. 

But  if  by  the  sufficiency  of  these  natural  means  be  meant,  a 
sufficiency  of  tendency  actually  to  reach  the  effect — either  uni- 
versally, or  in  a  prevailing  degree,  considering  all  things  be- 
longing to  the  state  and  circumstances  of  mankind — it  is  the 
very  same  thing  as  to  say,  that  it  actually  does  obtain  the  effect. 
For,  if  the  tendency,  all  things  considered,  be  sufficient  actually 
to  obtain  the  effect,  doubtless  it  does  actually  obtain  it.  For, 
what  should  hinder  a  cause  from  actually  obtaining  the  effect 
that  it  has  a  sufficient  tendency  to  obtain,  all  things  considered  ? 
So  that  here,  what  we  have  to  inquire,  is,  whether  that  effect 
be  actually  obtained  in  the  world  ?  whether  the  world  of  man- 
kind be  actually  brought  to  all  necessary  or  very  important 
knowledge  of  these  things,  merely  by  the  means  they  have  by 
nature  ?  History,  observation,  and  experience,  are  the  things 
which  must  determine  the  question. 

§  24.  In  order  the  more  clearly  to  judge  of  this  matter,  of 
-he  sufficiency  of  the  light  of  nature  to  knpw  what  is  necessary 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS'.  27/ 

to  be  known  of  religion  in  order  to  man's  happiness,  we 
must  consider  what  are  the  things  that  must  be  known  in 
order  to  this  ;  which  are  these  two  :  1st.  The  religion  of  nature, 
or  the  religion  proper  and  needful,  considering  the  state  and 
relations  we  stand  in  as  creatures  :  2c?.  The  religion  of  a  sin- 
ner, or  the  religion  and  duties  proper  and  necessary  for  us, 
considering  our  state  as  depraved  and  guilty  creatures,  having 
incurred  the  displeasure  of  our  Creator. 

As  to  the  former,  it  is  manifest  (torn  fact,  that  nature  alone 
is  not  sufficient  for  the  discovery  of  the  religion  of  nature,  in 
the  latter  sense  of  sufficiency  :  that  is,  no  means  we  have  by 
mere  nature,  without  instruction,  bring  men  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  nature  of  God,  and  our  natural  relation  to,  and  depend- 
ence on  him,  and  the  consequent  relations  we  stand  in  to  our 
fellow-creatures,  and  the  duties  becoming  these  relations,  suffi- 
cient actually  to  reach  the  effect,  either  universally,  or  generally, 
or  in  any  prevailing  degree.  No  ;  nor  does  it  appear  to  have 
proved  sufficient  so  much  as  in  a  single  instance.  A  suffi- 
ciency to  see  the  reasonableness  of  these  things,  when  pointed 
out,  is  not  the  same  thing  as  a  sufficiency  to  find  them  out. 
None  but  either  mere  dunces,  or  those  who  are  incorrigibly 
wilful,  will  deny  that  there  is  a  vast  difference. 

And  as  to  the  latter,  viz.  the  religion  of  a  sinner,  or  the 
duties  proper  and  necessary  for  us  as  depraved,  guilty,  and 
offending  creatures  ;  it  is  most  evident,  the  light  of  nature  can- 
not be  sufficient  for  our  information,  by  any  means,  or  in  any 
sense  whatsoever.  No,  nor  is  the  law  of  nature  sufficient  either 
to  prescribe  or  establish  this  religion.  The  light  of  nature  is, 
in  no  sense  whatsoever,  sufficient  to  discover  this  religion.  It 
has  no  sufficient  tendency  to  it ;  nor,  indeed,  any  tendency  at 
all  to  discover  it  to  any  one  single  person  in  any  age.  And  it 
not  only  has  no  tendency  to  the  obtaining  of  this  knowledge, 
by  mere  natural  means,  but  it  affords  no  possibility  of  it. — Not 
only  is  the  light  of  nature  insufficient  to  discover  this  religion, 
but  the  law  of  nature  is  not  sufficient  to  establish  it,  or  to  give 
any  room  for  it. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

On  the  Medium  of  moral  Government — particularly 
Conversation. 

§  1.  By  conversation,  I  mean  intelligent  beings  expressing 
their  minds  one  to  another,  in  words,  or  other  signs  inten- 
tionally directed  to  us  for  our  notice,  whose  immediate  and 
main  design  is  to  be  significations  of  the  mind  of  him  who 
gives   them.     Those   signs  are  evidences  distinguished   from 


\2/S  MISCELLANEOUS  OlSSERVA'l  IONS. 

works  done  by  any,  from  which  we  may  argue  their  minds. 
The  first  and  most  immediate  design  of  the  work  is  something 
else  than  a  mere  signification  to  us  of  the  mind  of  the  efficient. 
Thus,  I  distinguish  God's  communicating  his  mind  to  us  by 
word  or  conversation,  from  his  giving  us  opportunity  to  learn 
it  by  philosophical  reasoning;  or,  by  God's  works  which  we  ob- 
serve in  the  natural  world. 

§  2.  There  is  a  great  difference  between  God's  moral 
government  of  his  creatures,  that  have  understanding  and  will, 
and  his  general  government  of  providential  disposal. — The  na- 
ture, design,  and  ends  of  the  latter,  by  no  means  require  that 
it  should  be  declared  and  made  visible  by  a  revelation  of  the 
methods,  rules,  particular  views,  designs,  and  ends  of  it :  these 
are  secret  things  that  belong  to  God ;  in  which  men's  under- 
standings and  wills  are  no  way  concerned.  There  is  no  appli- 
cation to  these  faculties  in  it ;  nor  are  these  faculties  any 
otherwise  concerned,  than  the  qualities  or  properties  of  inani- 
mate and  senseless  things. 

But  it  is  quite  otherwise  with  respect  to  God's  moral  govern- 
ment of  a  kingdom  or  society  of  intelligent  and  willing  crea- 
tures ;  to  which  society  he  is  united  as  its  head,  ruling  for  its 
good.  The  nature  of  that  requires,  that  it  should  be  declared, 
open  and  visible.  How  can  any  moral  government  be  properly 
and  sufficiently  established  and  maintained  in  a  kingdom  of  in- 
telligent agents,  consisting  in  exhibiting,  prescribing,  and  en- 
forcing methods,  rules,  and  ends  of  their  own  intelligent  vo- 
luntary actions,  without  declaring,  and  particularly  promul- 
gating to  their  understandings,  those  methods,  rules,  and  en- 
forcements ?  The  moral  government  of  a  society,  in  the  very 
nature  of  it,  implies,  and  consists  in  an  application  to  their  un- 
derstandings, in  directing  the  intelligent  will,  and  enforcing  the 
direction  by  the  declaration  made. 

§  3.  It  is  needful,  in  order  to  a  proper  moral  government. 
that  the  ruler  should  enforce  the  rules  of  the  society,  by  thrc  at- 
oning just  punishments,  and  promising  the  most  suitable  and 
wise  rewards.  But  without  word  or  voluntary  declaration, 
there  is  no  threatening  or  promising  in  the  case,  in  a  proper 
sense.  To  leave  the  subject  to  find  out  what  reward  would 
be  wise,  if  there  appear  in  the  state  of  things  room  for  every 
subject  to  guess  at  it  in  some  degree,  would  be  a  different  thing 
from  promising  it.  And  to  leave  men  to  their  own  reason,  to 
iind  out  what  would  be  a  just,  deserved,  and,  all  things  consi- 
dered, a  wise  punishment,  though  we  should  suppose  some  suffi- 
ciency in  every  one's  reason  for  this,  would  be  a  different  thing 
from  threatening  of  it. 

It  is  needful  in  a  moral  kingdom,  not  in  a  ruined  and 
deserted  state — the  union  between  the  head  and  members  re- 
maining— that  there  should  be  conversation  between  the  go- 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  2?H 

vernors  and  governed.  It  it  requisite  that  the  former  should 
have  intercourse  with  the  latter  in  a  way  agreeable  to  their  na- 
ture ;  that  is  by  way  of  voluntary  signification  of  their  mind  to 
the  governed,  as  the  governed  signify  their  minds  voluntarily 
one  to  another.  There  should  be  something  equivalent  to 
conversation  between  the  rulers  and  ruled  ;  and  thus  the  rulers 
should  make  themselves  visible.  The  designs  and  ends  of  go- 
vernment should  be  made  known  ;  it  should  be  \isible  what  is 
aimed  at,  and  what  g;  and  ends  or  events  are  in  view,  and  the 
mind  of  the  rulers  should  be  declared  as  to  the  rules,  measures, 
and  methods,  to  be  observed  by  the  society.  If  the  rulers  are 
sovereign,  absolute  disposers,  it  is  necessary  their  will  should  be 
particularly  declared,  as  to  the  good  and  evil  consequence  of  obe- 
dience or  disobedience,  which  they  intend  as  moral  enforce- 
ments of  the  rules  and  laws,  to  persuade  the  will  to  a  com- 
pliance. For  they  can  reach  the  will,  or  affect  it  at  all,  no 
further  than  they  are  made  known. — It  is  requisite  something 
should  be  known,  particularly,  of  the  nature,  weight,  and  de- 
gree of  the  rewards  and  punishments,  and  of  their  time,  place, 
and  duration. 

§  4.  Thus,  it  is  requisite  that  it  should  be  declared  what  is 
the  end  for  which  God  has  made  us,  and  made  the  world  ; 
supports  it,  provides  for  it,  and  orders  its  events.  For  what 
end  mankind  are  made  in  particular  ;  what  is  intended  to  be 
their  main  employment ;  what  they  should  chiefly  aim  at  in 
what  they  do  in  the  world  :  how  far  God,  the  Creator,  is  man's 
end ;  and  what  man  is  to  aim  at  with  respect  to  God,  who 
stands  in  no  need  of  us,  and  cannot  be  in  the  least  dependent 
on  us :  how  far,  and  in  what  respect,  we  are  to  make  God  our 
highest  end  ;  and  how  we  are  to  make  ourselves,  or  our  fellow- 
creatures,  our  end  :  what  benefits  man  will  have  by  complying 
with  his  end ;  what  evils  he  shall  be  subject  to  by  refusing,  or 
failing  so  to  comply,  in  a  greater  or  lesser  degree.  If  we  have 
offended,  and  deserved  punishment,  it  must  be  known  on  what 
terms  (if  at  all)  we  may  be  forgiven  and  restored  to  favour  % 
and  what  benefits  we  shall  receive,  if  we  are  reconciled. 

It  is  apparent,  that  there  would  be  no  hope  that  these  things 
would  ever  be  determined  among  mankind,  in  their  present 
darkness  and  disadvantages,  without  a  revelation.  Without  a 
revelation — now  extant,  or  once  extant,  having  some  remaining 
influence  by  tradition — men  would  undoubtedly  for  ever  be  at 
a  loss,  what  God  expects  from  us,  and  what  we  may  expect 
from  him  ;  what  we  are  to  depend  upon  as  to  our  concern  with 
God,  and  what  ground  we  are  to  go  upon  in  our  conduct  and 
proceedings  that  relate  to  him  ;  what  end  we  are  to  aim  at ; 
what  rule  we  are  to  be  directed  by ;  and  what  good,  and  what 
harm,  is  to  be  expected  from  a  right  or  wrong  conduct.  Yea, 
without  a  revelation,  men  would  be  greatlv  at  a  loss  concern* 


•JNt)  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATION'S. 

ing  God;  what  he  is;  what  manner  of  being;  whether  pro- 
perly intelligent  and  willing;  a  being  that  has  will  and  design, 
maintaining  a  proper,  intelligent,  voluntary  dominion  over  the 
world.  Notions  of  the  first  being,  like  those  of  Hobbes  and 
Spinosa,  would  prevail.  Especially  would  they  be  at  a  loss 
concerning  those  perfections  of  God,  which  he  exercises  as  a 
moral  governor.  For  we  find  that  some  of  the  deists,  though 
they,  from  revelation,  have  been  taught  these  ;  yet,  having 
cast  off  revelation,  apparently  doubt  of  them  all.  Lord  Bo- 
Iingbroke,  in  particular,  insists  that  we  have  no  evidence  of 
them. 

§  5.  And  though,  with  regard  to  many,  when  they  have  a 
revelation  fully  setting  forth  the  perfections  of  God — giving  a 
rational  account  of  them,  and  pointing  forth  their  consistence — 
their  reason  may  rest  satisfied  in  them  ;  this  is  no  evidence  that 
it  is  not  exceeding  needful  that  God  should  tell  us  of  them.  It 
is  very  needful  that  God  should  declare  to  mankind  what  man- 
ner of  being  he  is.  For,  though  reason  may  be  sufficient  to 
confirm  such  a  declaration  after  it  is  given,  and  enable  us  to  see 
its  consistence,  harmony,  and  rationality,  in  many  respects  ;  yet 
reason  may  be  utterly  insufficient  first  to  discover  these  things. 

Yea,  notwithstanding  the  clear  and  infinitely  abundant  evi- 
dences of  his  being,  we  need  that  God  should  tell  us  that  there 
is  a  great  Being,  who  understands,  who  wills,  and  who  has 
made  and  governs  the  world.  It  is  of  unspeakable  advantage, 
as  to  the  knowledge  of  this,  that  God  has  told  us  of  it ;  and  there 
is  much  reason  to  think,  that  the  notion  mankind  in  general 
have  entertained  in  all  ages  concerning  a  Deity,  has  been  very 
much  originally  owing  to  revelation. 

On  the  supposition,  that  God  has  a  moral  kingdom  in  the 
world,  that  he  is  the  head  of  a  moral  society,  consisting  either 
of  some  part  of  mankind,  or  of  the  whole  ;  in  what  darkness 
must  the  affairs  of  this  moral  kingdom  be  carried  on,  without  a 
communication  between  the  head  and  the  body  ;  the  ruler  never 
making  himself  known  to  the  society  by  any  word,  or  other 
equivalent  expression  whatsoever,  either  by  himself,  or  by  any 
mediators,  or  messengers? 

§  6.  So  far  as  we  see,  all  moral  agents  are  conversible  agents. 
It  seems  to  be  so  agreeable  to  the  nature  of  moral  agents,  and 
their  state  in  the  universal  system,  that  we  observe  none  with- 
out it ;  and  there  are  no  beings  that  have  even  the  semblance 
of  intelligence  and  will,  but  possess  the  faculty  of  conversation  ; 
as  in  all  kinds  of  birds,  beasts,  and  even  insects.  So  far  as 
there  is  any  appearance  of  something  like  a  mind,  so  far  they 
give  significations  of  their  minds  one  to  another,  in  something 
like  co  nvcrsation  among  rational  creatures.  And,  as  we  rise 
higher  in  the  scale  of  beings,  we  do  not  see  that  an  increase  of 
perfection  diminishes  the  need  or  propriety  of  communication 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBS&RVAT10&&.  !28i 

and  intercourse  of  this  kind,  but  augments  it.  And  accord- 
ingly, we  see  most  of  it  among  the  most  perfect  beings.  So 
we  see  conversation  by  voluntary  immediate  significations  of 
each  other's  minds,  more  fully,  properly,  and  variously,  between 
mankind,  than  any  other  animals  here  below.  And  if  there  are 
creatures  superior  to  mankind  united  in  society,  doubtless  still 
voluntary  converse  is  more  full  and  perfect. 

Especially  do  we  find  conversation  proper  and  requisite  be- 
tween intelligent  creatures  concerning  moral  affairs,  which  are 
most  important :  affairs  wherein  especially  moral  agents  arc 
concerned,  as  joined  in  society,  and  having  union  and  com- 
munion one  with  another.  As  to  other  concerns  that  are  merely 
persona]  and  natural,  wherein  we  are  concerned  more  sepa- 
rately, and  by  ourselves,  and  not  as  members  of  society,  in  them 
there  is  not  equal  need  of  conversation. 

§  7.  Moral  agents  are  social  agents  ;  affairs  of  morality  are 
affairs  of  society.  It  is  concerning  moral  agents  as  united  in 
society,  in  a  commonwealth  or  kingdom,  that  we  have  been 
speaking.  Particular  moral  agents  so  united,  need  conversa- 
tion. The  affairs  of  their  social  union  cannot  well  be  maintain- 
ed without  conversation.  And  if  so,  what  reason  can  be  given, 
why  there  should  be  no  need  of  conversation  with  the  head  of 
the  society  ?  The  head  of  the  society,  so  far  as  it  is  united  with 
it  on  a  moral  ground,  is  a  social  head.  The  head  belongs  to 
the  society,  as  the  natural  head  belongs  to  the  body.  And  the 
union  of  the  members  with  the  head  is  greater,  stricter,  and 
more  important,  than  one  with  another.  And  if  their  union 
with  other  members  of  the  society  require  conversation,  much 
more  their  greater  union  with  the  head.  By  all  that  we  see  and 
experience,  the  moral  world,  and  the  conversible  world,  are  the 
same  thing;  and  it  never  was  intended,  that  the  affairs  of  soci- 
ety, in  any  that  are  united  in  society  among  intelligent  crea- 
tures, should  be  upheld  and  carried  on  without  conversation. 

There  is  no  more  reason  to  deny  God  any  conversation  with 
his  moral  kingdom,  in  giving  laws,  and  enforcing  them  with 
promises  and  threatenings,  than  to  deny  him  any  conversation 
with  them  in  another  world,  when  judging  them.  But,  can  any 
that  believe  a  future  state,  rationally  imagine,  that  when  men" 
go  into  another  world  to  be  judged  by  their  Supreme  Governor, 
nothing  will  pass  or  be  effected  through  the  immediate  inter- 
position of  the  judge,  but  all  things  be  left  wholly  to  go  on  ac- 
cording to  laws  of  nature  established  from  the  beginning  of  the 
world  :  and  that  souls  pass  into  another  state  by  a  law  of  nature, 
as  a  stone,  when  shaken  off  from  a  building,  falls  down  by 
gravity,  without  any  miraculous  signification  from  God  ?  But 
there  is  as  much  reason  to  suppose  this,  as  to  deny  any  miracu- 
lous interposition  in  giving  and  establishing  the  laws  of  the 

Vol.  VII,  36 


■2£>'2  .      MISCELLANEOUS   OBSEHV  ATIU&3. 

moral  society.    If  judgment  and  execution  by  law,  be  by  im- 
mediate interposition  and  declaration,  why  not  legislation  ? 

§  8.  The  ground  of  moral  behaviour,  and  all  moral  govern- 
ment and  regulation,  is  society,  or  mutual  intercourse  and  so- 
cial regards.  The  special  medium  of  union  and  communica- 
tion of  the  members  of  the  society,  and  the  being  of  society  as 
such,  is  conversation  ;  and  the  well-being  and  happiness  of  so- 
ciety is  friendship.  It  is  the  highest  happiness  of  all  moral 
agents;  but  friendship,  above  all  other  things  that  belong  to 
society,  requires  conversation.  It  is  what  friendship  most  na- 
turally and  directly  desires.  By  conversation,  not  only  is  friend- 
ship maintained  and  nourished,  but  the  felicity  of  friendship  is 
tasted  and  enjoyed.  The  happiness  of  God's  moral  kingdom 
consists,  in  an  inferior  degree,  in  the  members1  enjoyment  of 
each  other's  friendship;  but  infinitely  more  in  the  enjoyment  of 
their  head.  Therefore,  here  especially,  and  above  all,  is  con- 
versation requisite. 

§  9.  Conversation  between  God  and  mankind  in  this  world, 
is  maintained  by  God's  ivord  on  his  part,  and  by  prayer  on 
ours.  By  the  former,  he  speaks  and  expresses  his  mind  to  us  ; 
by  the  latter,  we  speak  and  express  our  minds  to  him.  Sincere 
friendship  towards  God,  in  all  who  believe  him  to  be  properly 
an  intelligent,  willing  being,  does  most  apparently,  directly  and 
strongly,  incline  to  prayer ;  and  it  no  less  disposes  the  heart 
strongly  to  desire  to  have  our  infinitely  glorious  and  gracious 
Friend  expressing  his  mind  to  us  by  his  word,  that  we  may 
know  it.  The  same  light  which  has  directed  the  nations  of 
the  world  in  general  to  prayer,  has  directed  them  to  suppose, 
that  God,  or  the  gods,  have  revealed  themselves  to  men.  And 
we  see,  that  the  same  infidelity  that  disposes  men  to  deny  any 
divine  revelation,  disposes  them  to  reject  as  absurd  the  duty 
of  prayer. 

§  10.  If  God's  moral  kingdom,  or  the  society  of  his  friends 
and  willing  subjects,  shall  be  in  a  most  happy  state  in  another 
world — in  the  most  complete  friendship,  and  in  perfect  union 
with  God  their  head,  as  some  of  the  deists  pretend  to  believe 

is  it  reasonable  to  suppose   any  other,   than  that  they  will 

fully  enjoy  the  sweets  of  their  friendship  one  with  another,  in 
the  most  perfect  conversation,  either  by  words,  or  some  more 
perfect  medium  of  expressing  their  minds  ?  And  shall  they 
have  at  the  same  time,  no  conversation  at  all  with  their  glori- 
ous head,  the  fountain  of  all  the  perfection  and  felicity  of  the 
society,  in  friendship  with  whom  their  happiness  chiefly  con- 
sists ?  That  friendship,  and  the  happiness  they  have  in  it,  is 
begun  in  this  world  ;  and  this  is  the  state  wherein  they  are 
trained  up  for  that  more  perfect  state  :  and  shall  they  never- 
't1)Hi>sm  live  here  wholly  without   any  intercourse  with  God  ot 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS'.  '<!Kl 

this  sort ;  though  their  union  with  him,  as  their  moral  head, 
and  their  great  friend,  begins  here  ;  and  though  their  happiness, 
as  consisting  in  friendship  to  him,  and  also  the  enjoyment  of 
that  subordinate  happiness  of  holding  a  virtuous  and  holy  con- 
versation one  with  another,  be  begun  here  ?  The  need  of  con- 
versation in  order  properly  to  support  and  carry  on  the  concerns 
of  society,  may  well  appear,  by  considering  the  need  of  it  for 
answering  all  the  purposes  of  friendship,  which  is  one  of  the 
main  concerns  of  society,  in  some  respects  the  main  social 
concern,  and  the  end  of  all  the  rest. 

Let  us  suppose,  that  some  friend,  above  all  others  dear  to 
us,  in  whose  friendship  consisted  the  main  comfort  of  our  life, 
should  leave  us  in  possession  of  something  he  had  contrived 
and  accomplished,  some  manifold  complicated  effect  that  he 
had  produced  which  we  might  have  always  in  our  view.  Sup- 
pose also  that  this  work  should  be  a  very  great  and  manifold 
evidence  of  the  excellencies  of  our  friend's  mind,  of  his  great, 
fixed,  and  firm  benevolence  to  us  ;  and  that  he  should  withdraw 
for  ever,  and  never  have  any  conversation  with  us ;  that  no 
word  should  ever  pass,  or  any  thing  of  that  nature  ;  and  that 
no  word  should  be  left  behind  in  writing,  nor  any  word  ever 
spoken  left  in  the  memory :  would  this  sufficiently  and  com- 
pletely answer  the  purposes  of  this  great  friendship,  and  satisfy 
its  ends  and  desires,  or  be  a  proper  support  of  this  great  end  of 
society?  I  cannot  but  think,  every  sober,  considerate  person 
will  at  once  determine,  that  it  would  be  very  far  from  it,  for 
such  reasons  as  these, — -that  it  would  not  give  us  those  views  of 
things,  pertaining  to  the  support  and  enjoyment  of  friendship, 
suitable  to  the  nature  of  intelligent,  volitive,  and  conversible 
beings  ;  not  giving  the  direct  and  immediate  view,  nor  at  all 
tending,  in  so  great  a  degree  and  so  agreeable  a  manner,  to  af- 
fect and  impress  the  mind.  And  as,  for  these  reasons,  thin 
alone  would  not  answer  the  ends  and  purposes  of  society  in 
this  respect ;  so,  for  the  same  reasons,  it  would  not  answer  the 
other  purposes  of  society. 

§  11.  As  we  may  suppose,  that  God  will  govern  mankind,  in 
that  moral  kingdom  which  he  hath  mercifully  set  up  among 
them,  in  a  manner  agreeable  to  their  nature  ;  so  it  is  reasonable 
to  suppose,  that  he  would  make  his  moral  government,  with 
respect  to  them,  visible,  not  only  in  declaring  the  general  ends, 
methods,  and  rules  of  his  government,  but  also  by  making 
known  the  chief  of  his  more  particular  aims  and  designs.  As 
in  human  kingdoms,  in  order  to  the  wisdom,  righteousness,  and 
goodness  of  the  administration  being  properly  visible — so  far 
as  is  requisite  for  encouraging  and  animating  of  the  subject, 
and  in  order  to  the  suitable  convenience,  satisfaction,  and  bene^ 
fit  of  the  whole  society  of  intelligent  agents — it  is  needful,  not 
only  that  the  general  end,  viz,   the  public  good,  should   bo 


1&4  ttlSCELLAJyEdtJS    OBSERVATIONS. 

known,  but  also  the  particular  design  of  many  of  the  princi- 
pal parts  of  the  administration,  among  which  we  may  reckon 
the  main  negociations,  treaties,  and  changes  of  affairs, 
the  cause  and  end  of  wars  engaged  in,  the  ground  of  trea- 
ties of  peace  and  commerce,  the  design  of  general  revolu- 
tions in  the  state  of  the  kingdom,  &c.  Otherwise  the  society  is 
not  governed  in  a  manner  becoming  their  rational  and  active 
nature  ;  but  affairs  are  carried  on  in  the  dark,  and  the  members 
have  no  opportunity  to  consent  or  concur,  to  approve  or  disap- 
prove, to  rejoice  in  the  goodness,  wisdom,  and  benefit  of  the 
administration,  and  to  pay  proper  regards  to  those  in  whose 
hands  the  government  is,  &c.  These  things  are  necessary  for 
the  establishment  and  confirmation  of  the  government.  God's 
moral  government  over  his  moral  kingdom  on  earth,  cannot,  in 
such  like  respects,  be  carried  on  in  a  visible  manner,  and  in  a 
way  suitable  to  our  nature,  without  divine  history  and  prophecy. 
Without  divine  history,  we  cannot  properly  see  the  grounds 
and  foundation  of  divine  administrations,  the  first  formation  or 
erection  of  God's  moral  kingdom,  the  nature  and  manner  of  the 
main  revolutions  to  which  it  has  been  subject,  which  are  the 
ground  of  future  designs,  and  to  which  future  events  and  intend- 
ed revolutions  have  a  relation.  It  is  also  necessary  that  those 
past  events  should  be  known,  in  order  that  the  reason,  wisdom, 
and  benefit  of  the  present  state  of  the  kingdom  and  of  God's 
present  dispensations  towards  it,  may  be  known.  And  pro- 
phecy is  needful  to  reveal  the  future  designs  and  aims  of  govern- 
ment, and  what  good  things  are  to  be  expected. 

These  things  are  necessary,  in  order  to  the  proper  establish- 
ment, health  and  prosperity,  of  God's  moral,  intelligent  king- 
dom. Without  them,  the  government  of  an  infinitely  wise  and 
good  head,  is  not  sensible.  There  is  no  opportunity  to  see  the 
effects  and  success  of  the  administration.  There  is  no  oppor- 
tunity to  find  it  by  experience.  Neither  the  designs  of  govern- 
ment, nor  the  accomplishment  of  those  designs,  are  sensible  ; 
and  the  government  itself,  with  respect  to  fact,  is  not  made 
visible. 

§  12.  If  it  be  said,  that  reason  and  the  light  of  nature,  with- 
out revelation,  are  sufficient  to  show  us,  that  the  end  of  God's 
government,  in  his  moral  kingdom,  must  be,  to  promote  these 
two  things  among  mankind,  viz.  their  virtue  and  their  happiness: 

In  reply,  1  would  ask,  What  satisfaction  can  men  without 
revelation  have,  with  respect  to  the  design,  wisdom,  and  success 
of  God's  government,  as  to  these  ends,  when  wickedness  so 
generally  prevails  and  reigns,  through  all  ages  hitherto,  in  the 
far  greater  part  of  the  world  ;  and  the  world,  at  all  times,  is  so 
full  of  calamities,  miseries,  and  death,  having  no  prophecies  of 
a  better  state  of  things  in  which  all  is  to  issue  at  last,  in  the 
latter  ages  of  the.  world  :  or  assuring  us  that  all  these  miserable 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATION-.  S285 

changes  and  great  confusion  are  guided  by  Infinite  Wisdom  to 
that  great  final  issue,  and  without  any  revelation  of  a  future 
state  of  happiness  to  the  city  of  God  in  another  world  ? 

§  13.  Object.  God  does  maintain  a  moral  government  over 
all  mankind  :  but  we  see,  in  fact,  that  many  are  not  governed 
by  revelation,  since  the  greater  part  of  the  world  have  been 
destitute  of  divine  revelation  :  which  shows  that  God  does  not 
look  upon  conversation  as  necessary  in  order  to  his  moral  go- 
vernment of  mankind,  as  God  judges  for  himself,  and  acts 
according  to  his  own  judgment. 

Ans  1.  What  1  have  been  speaking  of,  is  God's  moral  go- 
vernment over  a  society  of  moral  agents,  which  are  his  king- 
dom, or  a  society  that  have  God  for  their  king,  united  to  them 
as  the  head  of  the  society  ;  as  it  is  with  earthly  kings  with  re- 
spect to  their  own  kingdoms,  where  the  union  between  king 
and  subjects  is  not  broken  and  dissolved  ;  and  not  of  a  society 
or  country  of  rebels,  who  have  forsaken  their  lawful  sovereign, 
withdrawn  themselves  from  subjection  to  him,  and  cast  off  his 
government :  though  they  may  still  be  under  the  king's  power, 
and  moral  dominion,  in  some  sense,  as  he  may  have  it  in  his 
power  and  design,  to  conquer,  subdue,  judge,  and  punish  them 
for  their  rebellion.  But  yet  the  sense  in  which  such  a  nation  is 
under  the  moral  government  of  this  king,  and  may  be  said  to 
be  his  kingdom  or  people,  is  surely  extremely  diverse  from  that 
of  a  kingdom  remaining  in  union  with  their  king.  In  the  case 
of  a  people  broken  off  from  their  king,  maintaining  of  inter= 
course  by  conversation  is  in  no  wise  in  like  manner  requisite- 
The  reasons  for  such  intercourse,  which  take  place  in  the  other 
case,  do  not  take  place  in  this. 

In  that  case,  society  ceases  ;  i.  e.  that  union  ceases  between 
God  and  man,  by  which  they  should  be  of  one  society.  And 
where  society  ceases,  there  the  argument  for  conversation 
ceases.  If  a  particular  member  of  the  society  were  wholly  cut 
off,  and  ceases  to  be  of  the  society — the  union  being  entirely 
broken — the  argument  for  conversation,  the  great  medium  of 
social  concerns,  ceases.  So  if  the  body  be  cut  off  from  the 
head,  or  be  entirely  disunited  from  it,  intercourse  ceases. 
Moral  government  in  a  society  is  a  social  affair  ;  wherein  con- 
sists the  intercourse  between  superior  and  inferior  constituents, 
between  that  which  is  original,  and  that  which  is  dependent, 
directing  and  directed  in  the  society.  It  is  proper,  in  this  case, 
that  the  rebel  people  should  have  sufficient  means  of  knowing 
the  end  of  their  rebellion,  and  that  it  is  their  duty  to  be  subject 
to  their  king,  to  seek  reconciliation  with  him,  and  to  inquire 
after  his  will.  But  while  they  remain  obstinate  in  their  re- 
bellion, and  the  king  has  not  received  them  into  favour,  the 
state  of  things  does  not  require,  that  he  should  particularly  de- 
clare his  intentions  with  respect  to  them,  or  should  open  to 


XJJSG  .MISCELLANEOUS   OBSERVATIONS. 

them  the  designs  and  methods  of  his  administration.  It  is  not 
necessary  that  he  should  publish  among  them  the  way  and  terms 
of  reconciliation  ;  make  revelations  of  his  goodness  and  wis- 
dom and  the  great  benefits  of  his  government;  converse  with 
them  as  their  friend,  and  so  open  the  way  for  their  being  happy 
in  so  great  a  friend  ;  or  that  he  should  so  particularly  and  im- 
mediately publish  among  them,  particular  statutes  ami  rules  for 
their  good,  as  a  society  of  moral  agents,  &,c.  Conversation, 
in  this  sense,  when  there  is  an  utter  breach  of  the  union,  is  not 
to  be  expected,  nor  is  it  requisite,  though  judging  and  con- 
demning may. 

Ans.  %  So  far  as  the  union  between  God  and  the  Heathen 
world  has  not  been  utterly  broken  ;  so  far  they  have  not  been 
left  utterly  destitute  of  all  benefit  of  divine  revelation.  They  are 
not  so  entirely  and  absolutely  cast  off,  but  that  there  is  a  possi- 
bility of  their  being  reconciled  ;  and  God  has  so  ordered  the 
case,  that  there  is  an  equal  possibility  of  their  receiving  the 
benefit  of  divine  revelation. 

If  the  Heathen  world,  or  any  parts  of  it,  have  not  only  en- 
joyed a  mere  possibility  of  being  restored  to  favour,  but  have 
had  some  advantages  for  it  ,  so,  a  great  part,  yea,  mostly  the 
greater  part  of  the  Heathen  world,  have  not  been  left  merely 
to  the  light  of  nature.  They  have  had  many  things,  especially 
in  the  times  of  the  Old  Testament,  that  were  delivered  to  man- 
kind in  the  primitive  ages  of  the  world  by  revelation,  handed 
down  from  their  ancestors  by  tradition  ;  and  many  things  bor- 
rowed from  the  Jews.  And,  during  those  ages,  by  many  won- 
derful dispensations  towards  the  Jews — wherein  God  did  in  a 
most  public  and  striking  manner,  display  himself  and  show  his 
hand — the  world  had,  from  time  to  time,  notices  sufficient  to 
convince  them,  that  there  was  a  divine  revelation  extant,  and 
sufficient  to  induce  them  to  seek  after  it.  And  things  sufficient 
to  make  revelation  public,  to  spread  it  abroad — to  extend  the 
fame  of  it  and  its  effects  to  the  utmost  end  of  the  earth,  and  to 
draw  men's  attention  to  it — have  been  vastly  more  and  greater 
in  later  times,  than  in  the  primitive  ages. 

Ans.  3.  The  nations  that  are  separated  from  the  true  God, 
and  live  in  an  open  and  obstinate  full  rejection  of  him  as 
their  supreme  moral  Governor,  reject  all  friendly  intercourse 
while  their  state  is  such.  They  are  open  enemies  ;  and,  so  far 
as  God  treats  them  as  such,  he  does  not  exercise  any  friendly 
moral  government  over  them.  And  they  have  light  sufficient 
without  revelation,  for  any  other  exercise  of  moral  government 
and  intercourse,  besides  those  that  are  friendly,  viz.  in  judging 
and  condemning  them.  They  have  light  sufficient  for  that 
judgment  and  condemnation,  of  which  they  shall  be  the  sub- 
jects. For  their  condemnation  shall  proceed  no  further,  than 
proportioned  to  their  light.     They  shall  be  condemned  for  the 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  287 

violation  of  the  law  of  nature  and  nations  ;  and  the  degree  of 
their  condemnation  shall  be  only  answerable  to  the  degree  of 
the  means  and  advantages  they  have  had  for  information  of 
the  duties  of  this  law,  and  of  their  obligations  to  perform 
them. 

Ans.  4.  What  has  appeared  in  those  parts  of  the  world  which 
have  been  destitute  of  revelation,  is  so  far  from  being  any  evi- 
dence that  revelation  is  not  necessary,  that  in  those  nations  and 
ages  which  have  been  most  destitute  of  revelation,  the  neces- 
sity of  it  has  most  evidently  and  remarkably  appeared,  by  the 
extreme  blindness  and  delusion  which  have  prevailed  and  reign- 
ed, without  any  remedy,  or  any  ability  in  those  nations  to  extri- 
cate themselves  from  their  darkness. 

§  14.  I  think,  a  little  sober  reflection  on  those  opinions  which 
appear  among  the  deists,  weighing  them  together  with  the  na- 
ture of  things,  may  convince  us,  that  a  general  renunciation  of 
divine  revelation,  after  nations  have  enjoyed  it,  would  soon  bring 
those  nations  to  be  more  absurd,  brutish,  and  monstrous  in  their 
notions  and  practices,  than  the  heathens  were  before  the  gospel 
came  among  them.     For,  (1.)  Those  nations  had  many  things 
among  them  derived   originally  from  revelation,  by  tradition 
from  their  ancestors,  the  ancient  founders  of  nations,  or  from 
the  Jews,  which  led  them  to  embrace  many  truths  contained  in 
the  scripture  ;  and  they  valued  such  tradition.     It  was  not  in 
general,  their  humour  to  despise  such  an  original  of  doctrines, 
or  to  contemn  them  because  they  had  their  first  foundation  in 
divine  revelation,  but  they  valued  them  the  more  highly  on  this 
account ;  and  had  no  notion  of  setting  them  aside,  in  order  to 
the  drawing  of  every  thing  from  the  foundation  of  their  own 
reason.     By  this  means,  they  had  a  great  deal  more  of  truth  in 
matters  of  religion  and  morality,  than  ever  human  reason  would 
have  discovered  without  helps.     But  now,  the  humour  of  the 
deists  is,  to  reject  every  thing  that  they  have  had  from  supposed 
revelation  or  any  tradition  whatsoever,  and  to  receive  nothing 
but  what  they  can  clearly  see,  and  demonstrate  from  the  foun 
tain  of  their  own  unassisted  reason.     (2.)  The  heathens,  by  tra- 
dition, received  and  believed  many-great  truths,  of  vast  import- 
ance,  that  were  incomprehensible;  and    it  was  no  objection 
with  them  against  receiving  them,  that  they  were  above  their 
comprehension.     But  now,  it  is  a  maxim  with  the  free-thinkers, 
that  nothing  is  to  be  believed  but  what  can  be  comprehended ; 
and  this  leads  them  to  reject  all  the  principles  of  natural  reli- 
gion (as  it  is  called)  as  well  as  revealed.     For  there  is  nothing- 
pertaining  to  any  doctrine  of  natural  religion,  not  any  perfec- 
tion of  God,  no,  nor  his  very  existence  from  eternity,  without 
many  things  attending  it  that  are  incomprehensible.    (3.)  The 
heathens  of  old,  in  their  reasonings,  did  not  proceed  in  that  ex 
c.ceding  haughtiness  and  dependence  on  their  own  mere  sin 


5288  MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS. 

lar  understanding,  disdaining  all  dependence  on  teaching,  as 
our  deists  do ;  which  tends  to  lead  one  to  reject  almost  all  im- 
portant truths,  out  of  an  affectation  of  thinking  freely,  indepen- 
dently, and  singularly.  Some  of  the  heathens  professed  their 
great  need  of  teaching,  and  of  divine  teaching.  (4.)  The  hea- 
thens did  not  proceed  with  that  enmity  against  moral  and  di- 
vine truth,  not  having  been  so  irritated  by  it.  They  were  will- 
ing to  pick  up  some  scraps  of  this  truth  which  came  from  reve- 
lation, which  our  deists  reject  all  in  the  lump. 

§  15.  If  we  suppose  that  God  never  speaks  to,  or  converses  at 
all  with  mankind,  and  has  never,  from  the  beginning  of  the 
world,  said  any  thing  to  them,  but  has  perfectly  let  them  alone, 
as  to  any  voluntary,  immediate,  and  direct  signification  of  his 
mind  to  them,  in  any  respect  teaching,  commanding,  promising, 
threatening,  counselling  or  answering  them  ;  such  a  notion  if 
established,  would  tend  exceedingly  to  atheism.  It  would  na- 
turally tend  to  the  supposition,  that  there  is  no  Being  that 
made  and  governs  the  world.  And  if  it  should  nevertheless  be 
supposed,  that  there  is  some  Being  who  is,  in  some  respect,  the 
original  of  all  other  beings  ;  yet  this  notion  would  naturally 
lead  to  doubt  of  his  being  properly  an  intelligent,  volitive 
Being ;  and  to  doubt  of  all  duties  to  him  implying  intercourse, 
such  as  prayer,  praise,  or  any  address  to  him,  external  or  inter- 
nal, or  any  respect  to  him  at  all  analogous  to  that  which  we 
exercise  towards  rulers  or  friends,  or  any  intelligent  beings  we 
here  see  and  know  ;  and  so  it  would  tend  to  overthrow  every 
doctrine  and  duty  of  natural  religion.  Now,  in  this  respect, 
deism  has  a  tendency  to  a  vastly  greater  degree  of  error  and 
brutishness,  with  regard  to  matters  of  religion  and  morality, 
than  the  ancient  heathenism.  For  the  heathens  in  general  had 
no  such  notion,  that  the  Deity  never  at  all  conversed  with  man- 
kind in  the  ways  above-mentioned  ;  but  received  many  tra- 
ditions, rules,  and  laws,  as  supposing  they  came  from  God,  or 
the  gods,  by  revelation. 

§  16.  Many  of  the  free-thinkers  of  late  deceive  themselves, 
through  the  ambiguity  or  equivocal  use  of  the  word  Reason. 
They  argue  that  we  must  make  our  reason  the  highest  rule  by 
which  to  judge  of  all  things,  even  of  the  doctrines  of  revela- 
tion ;  because  reason  is  that  by  which  we  must  judge  of  revela- 
tion itself.  It  is  the  rule  on  which  our  judgment  of  the  truth 
of  a  revelation  depends,  and  therefore  undoubtedly  must  be 
that,  by  which  particular  doctrines  of  it  must  be  judged  :  not 
considering  that  the  word  reason  is  here  used  in  two  senses. 
In  the  former,  viz.  in  our  judging  of  the  divinity  of  a  supposed 
revelation,  the  word  means  the  faculty  of  reason  taken  in  the 
whole  extent  of  its  exercise  :  in  the  latter,  it  is  the  opinion  of 
our  reason,  or  some  particular  opinions  that  have  appeared  ra- 
tional to  us.     Now,  there  is  a  great  difference  between  these 


.vijSuJLLL,ANt;OUS    OBSERVATIONS.  5J8U 

two.  it  is  true,  the  faculty  of  reason  is  that  by  which  we  are 
io  judge  of  every  thing,  as  it  is  the  eye  by  which  we  see  all 
truth.  And  after  we  have  received  revelation,  still,  by  the  faculty 
of  reason,  we  receive  the  particular  doctrines  of  revelation, 
yea,  even  those  that  are  most  difficult  to  our  comprehension. 
For,  by  the  faculty  of  reason  we  determine  this  principle,  that 
God  knows  better  than  us ;  and  whatever  God  declares  is  true. 
But  this  is  an  exceedingly  different  thing  from  making  an  opi- 
nion, which  we  first  established  without  revelation,  by  reason 
only,  as  our  rule  !o  judge  of  particular  doctrines  which  revela- 
tion declares.  It  may  be  illustrated  by  this  :  If  there  be  a  man 
with  whom  we  have  the  most  thorough  acquaintance,  and  have 
long  known  to  be  a  person  of  the  soundest  judgment  and  great- 
est integrity,  who  goes  a  journey  or  voyage  to  a  place  where  we 
never  were ;  and,  when  he  returns,  gives  an  account  of  some 
strange  phoenomena  or  occurrences  that  he  was  an  eye-witness  ot 
there,  which  we  should  not  have  otherwise  believed  ;  but  we 
believe  them  now  to  be  true,  because  we  rely  on  his  testimony. 
Here,  it  would  be  ridiculous  for  a  man  to  say,  that  it  is  unreason- 
able to  believe  him,  because  what  he  says  is  not  agreeable  to  rea- 
son, (meaning,  by  reason,  that  particular  opinion  we  should  have 
had,  independent  of  his  testimony  ;)  and  urging  that  reason, 
must  be  our  highest  rule,  and  not  his  testimony,  because  it  is  by 
our  reason  that  we  judge  of  the  testimony,  and  credibility  of 
the  man  that  testifies ;  meaning,  in  this  case,  the  faculty  of 
reason.  This  would  be  as  unreasonable,  as  for  a  man  to  say, 
that  he  never  will  rely  on  any  representation  made  by  the  best 
microscope  or  telescope  that  is  different  from  the  representation 
which  he  has  by  the  naked  eye  ;  because  his  eye  is  the  rule  by 
which  he  sees  even  the  optic  glass  itself,  and  by  which  he 
judges  whether  it  be  regularly  made,  tending  to  give  a  true  re- 
presentation of  objects  ;  urging  that  his  eye  must  be  the  high- 
est rule  for  him  to  determine  by.  because  it  is  by  the  eye  he  de- 
termines the  goodness  and  sufficiency  of  the  glass  itself;  and 
therefore  he  will  credit  no  representation  made  by  the  glass, 
wherein  the  glass  differs  from  his  eyes  ;  and  so  will  not  believe 
that  the  blood  consists  partly  of  red  particles,  and  partly  of  a 
limpid  liquor,  because  it  appears  all  red  to  the  naked  eye  ;  not 
considering  the  different  sense  in  which  he  uses  the  word  eye. 
In  the  former  case,  viz.  with  respect  to  judging  of  the  goodness 
of  the  optic  glass,  he  means  the  sense  of  seeing,  or  the  organ 
of  sight.  In  the  latter,  when  he  says  he  will  not  believe  the 
representation  of  the  glass,  wherein  it  differs  from  his  eye,  be- 
cause his  eye  is  the  highest  rule  :  by  the  eye,  he  means  the 
particular  representation  he  has  by  his  eye,  separately,  and 
without  the  glass. 

§  17.  Again  :  They  blunder  exceedingly,  through  not  making 
a  distinction  between  reason  and  a  rule  of  reason.     Thev  say. 

Vol.  VI J.  37 


•J9U  .MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS. 

that  reason  is  our  highest  rule  by  which  to  judge  of  all  things; 
and  therefore  they  must  judge  of  the  doctrines  of  revelation  by 
it ;  whereas,  they  seem  not  to  consider  what  they  mean  by  rea- 
son being  the  highest  rule.  It  is  true,  our  reason  or  understand- 
ing is  the  only  judging  faculty  by  which  we  determine  truth 
and  falsehood.  But  it  is  not  properly  our  highest  rule  of  judg- 
ing of  truth  and  falsehood,  nor  any  rule  at  all.  The  judge,  and 
the  rule  by  which  he  judges,  are  diverse.  A  power  of  discern- 
ing truth,  and  a  rule  to  regulate  and  determine  the  use  of  that 
power,  are  quite  different  things.  The  ride  may  be  divine  reve- 
lation, especially  in  matters  of  religion.  As  it  is  with  the  fa- 
culty or  organ  of  sight,  the  organ  is  not  properly  the  highest 
means,  but  the  only  immediate  means  we  have  of  discerning  the 
objects  of  sight.  But  if  men  were  talking  of  rules  how  to  use 
their  eyes  to  the  best  advantage,  so  as  to  see  most  certainly  and 
clearly — to  see  the  most  distant  or  the  minutest  objects,  so  as 
to  have  the  most  certain  and  full  information — it  would  be  ri- 
diculous for  any  one  to  say  that  his  eye  was  the  highest  rule  to 
regulate  his  sight. 

§  18.   Sometimes,  by  the  word  reason,  is  intended  the  same 
as  argument  or  evidence,  which  the  faculty  of  reason  makes  use 
of  in  judging  of  truth :    as  when  we  say,  we  should   believe 
nothing  without,  or  contrary  to  reason ;  that  is,  we  should  not 
give  the  assent  of  our  judgments  without,  or  against  evidence,  or, 
something  that  appears  which  argues  the  thing  to  be  true.  But 
if  this  be  meant  by  them  who  assert  reason  to  be  a  rule  superi- 
or to  revelation,  it  is  absurd  in  them  thus  to  speak  of  reason  as 
contra-distinguished  from  revelation.     To  say,  that  argument 
or  evidence  is  a  higher  rule  than  revelation,  is  to  make  evidence 
and  divine  revelation  entirely  distinct ;  implying,  that  divine  re- 
velation is  not  of  the  nature  of  evidence  or  argument.     They 
ought  to  explain  themselves  who  assert,  that  evidence  is  superi- 
or to  the  evidence  we  have  by  divine  revelation.     It  is  true,  di- 
vine testimony  is  not  the  same  thing  as  argument  or  evidence 
in  general ;  because  it  is  a  particular  sort  of  evidence.     There 
are  other  particular  sorts  of  evidence  ;  and  persons  might  speak 
as   intelligibly,  if  they  single  out  any  other  kind  of  evidence, 
and  assert,  that  reason  or  evidence  was  superior  to  that  sort  of 
evidence.     As  for  instance,  one  sort  of  evidence  is  human  testi- 
mony of  credible  eye-witnesses  ;   another  is  credible  history : 
another  is  memory  ;  another  is  present  experience  ;  another  is 
geometrical  mensuration  ;  another  is  arithmetical  calculation  ; 
another  is  strict  metaphysical  distinction  and  comparison.  Now, 
would  it   not  be  an  improper  and  unintelligible  way  of  speak- 
ing, to  ask,  whether  evidence  was  not  above  experience  ?   or 
whether  argument  was  not  above  mensuration  or  calculation  ? 
If  they  who  plead,  that  reason  is  a  rule  to  judge  of  truth  supe- 
rior to  revelation,  mean  by  reason,  that  evidence,  which  is  wor 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  '-"-'1 

ihy  to  influence  the  faculty  of  reason  ;  it  seems  not  to  be  consi- 
dered by  them,  that  such  evidence,  when  spoken  of  in  general, 
comprehends  divine  testimony,  as  well  as  other  sorts  of  evidence : 
unless  they  would  entirely  set  aside  divine  revelation,  as  carry- 
ing in  it  no  evidence  at  all.  If  this  be  their  meaning,  they  are 
deceitful  ;  for  this  is  not  what  they  pretend  :  since  it  would  en- 
tirely change  the  point  in  dispute,  and  alter  the  whole  contro- 
versy. 

Or  if,  when  they  say  reason  is  a  higher  rule  than  revelation, 
they  mean  reason  exclusive  of  revelation,  or  that  such  argu- 
ments of  truth  as  we  have  without  revelation,  are  better  than 
divine  testimony  ;  that  is  as  much  as  to  say,  all  other  arguments 
are  better  than  divine  testimony.  For  reason  or  argument, 
without  divine  testimony,  comprehends  all  other  arguments  that 
are  without  divine  testimony :  and  then,  this  is  as  much  as  to 
say,  that  divine  testimony  is  the  very  least  and  lowest  of  all 
possible  arguments,  that  ever  can  occur  to  the  mind  of  man, 
in  any  measure  to  influence  his  judgment ;  which  meaning 
they  will  hardly  own.  On  the  whole,  it  is  manifest,  that,  let 
us  turn  the  expressions  which  way  we  will,  all  the  boasted 
proof  of  their  assertion  is  owing  wholly  to  confusion,  and  an 
ambiguous  use  of  terms ;  it  is  talking  without  ideas,  and  ma- 
king sounds  without  fixing  any  distinct  meaning. 

§  19.  Here,  if  any,  in  disdain  of  such  an  imputation,  shall 
say,  "  I  see  no  necessity  of  supposing  this  assertion  to  be  so  un- 
reasonable and  unintelligible.  By  reason,  we  mean  that  evi- 
dence which  is  seen  by  reason  simply  considered  ;  reason  itself, 
without  dependence  on  the  dictates  of  another  ;  viewing  things 
as  they  are  in  themselves  :"  such  an  objector  is  mistaken,  if  he 
thinks  he  has  got  clear  of  the  difficulty.  All  evidence  whatso- 
ever, even  that  by  divine  revelation,  is  included  in  his  descrip- 
tion of  reason.  It  is  by  viewing  things  as  they  are  in  themselves, 
and  judging  by  our  own  reason,  and  not  by  the  reason  of  ano- 
ther, that  we  judge  there  is  a  divine  revelation,  and  that  we 
judge  divine  revelation  must  be  agreeable  to  truth.  Reason 
judges  by  viewing  things  as  they  are  in  themselves,  not  the  less 
because  it  makes  use  of  a  medium  of  judgment;  and  when  rea- 
son makes  use  of  divine  testimony  as  an  evidence  or  medium 
of  judgment,  it  judges  as  much  by  viewing  things  as  they  arc 
in  themselves,  as  when  it  makes  use  of  any  other  medium 
of  judgment ;  as,  for  instance  a  measuring  rod  in  judging  of  dis- 
tances, a  compass  in  judging  of  directions  and  courses,  and 
figures  and  characters  in  calculating  and  determining  numbers. 

If  any  should  say,  that  reason,  in  our  inquiries  after  truth,  is 
to  be  regarded  as  a  rule  superior  to  experience,  this — accord- 
ing to  what  would  be  most  naturally  suggested  to  the  mind  by 
such  a  saying,  and  might  generally  be  supposed  to  be  intended 
by  it  according  to  the  more  usual  acceptation  of  words — would 


^92  MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATION'S, 

be  a  foolish  assertion.  For  by  the  comparison  which  takes 
place  in  the  proposition  between  reason  and  experience,  reason 
would  be  understood  in  such  a  sense  as  that  it  might  properly 
be  set  in  opposition  to  experience,  or  taken  in  contradiction  to 
it ;  and  therefore  the  proposition  must  be  understood  thus,  viz. 
That  our  highest  rule  is  what  our  reason  wouid"  suggest  to  us 
independent  of  experience,  in  the  same  things  that  are  matters 
of  experience.  Or,  wiiat  our  reason  would  lead  us  to  suppose 
before  experience,  is  what  we  must  regard  as  our  highest  rule, 
even  in  those  matters  that  afterward  are  tried  by  experience. 
Certainly,  he  that  should  proceed  in  this  manner  in  his  inquiries 
after  truth,  would  not  be  thought  wise  by  considerate  persons. 

§  20.  Yet  it  is  really  true,  in  some  sense,  that  our  reason  is 
our  highest  rule  ;  and  that  by  which  we  are  to  try  and  judge  of 
all  things  :  even  our  experience  and  senses  themselves  must  be 
tried  by  it.  For  we  have  no  other  faculty  but  our  reason,  by 
which  we  can  determine  of  truth  or  falsehood,  by  any  argument 
or  medium  whatsoever.  Let  the  argument  be  testimony  or  ex- 
perience, or  what  it  will,  we  must  judge  of  the  goodness  or 
strength  of  the  argument  by  reason.  And  thus  it  is  we  actually 
determine,  that  experience  is  so  good  and  sure  a  medium  of 
proof.  We  consider  the  nature  of  it ;  and  our  reason  soon 
shows  us  the  necessary  connexion  of  this  medium  with  truth. 
So  we  judge  of  the  degree  of  dependence  that  is  to  be  had 
on  our  senses  by  reason  ;  by  viewing  the  agreement  of  one 
sense  with  another,  and  by  comparing,  in  innumerable  in- 
stances, the  agreement  of  the  testimonies  of  the  senses  with 
other  criteria  of  truth,  and  so  rationally  estimating  the  value  of 
these  testimonies. 

But  if  this  is  what  is  meant  by  saying,  that  our  reason  is  a 
surer  rule  than  experience,  it  is  an  improper  way  of  speaking, 
and  an  abuse  of  language.  For,  take  reason  thus  ;  and  so  rea- 
son and  experience  are  not  properly  set  in  contradiction,  or 
put  in  comparison  one  with  another  ;  for  the  former  includes 
the  latter,  as  the  genus  includes  the  species,  or  as  a  whole  in- 
cludes the  several  particular  sorts  comprehended  in  that  whole. 
For,  judging  by  experience  is  one  way  of  judging  by  reason, 
or  rather,  experience  is  one  sort  of  argument  which  reason 
makes  use  of  in  judging.  And  to  say  that  reason  is  a  more 
sure  rule  than  experience,  is  to  say,  that  arguing  is  a  more 
sure  rule  than  a  particular  way  of  arguing :  or  to  say  that  argu- 
ment (in  general)  is  a  more  sure  rule  than  that  particular  sort 
of  argument,  viz.  experience.  Or  if,  by  reason,  is  meant  the 
faculty  of  reason,  or  that  power  or  ability  of  the  mind,  whereby 
it  can  see  the  force  of  arguments  ;  then  such  an  assertion  will 
appear  still  more  nonsensical.  For  then,  it  is  as  much  as  to  say, 
tnat  the  mind's  ability  to  see  the  force  of  arguments,  is  a  surer 
rule  by  which  to  judge  of  truth,  than  that  particular  argument. 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  ;29o 

viz.  experience ;  which  is  the  same  as  to  say,  an  ability  to  judge 
of  arguments  is  a  surer  argument  than  that  sort  of  argument, 
experience  ;  or  that  a  man's  understanding  is  a  better  rule  to 
understand  by,  than  such  a  particular  means  or  rule  of  under- 
standing. 

These  observations  concerning  reason  and  experience,  when 
these  two  are  compared  as  rules  by  which  to  judge  of  truth,  may 
be  applied  to  reason  and  revelation,  or  divine  testimony,  when 
in  like  manner  compared  as  distinct  rules  of  truth.  To  insist, 
that  men's  own  reason  is  a  rule  superior  to  divine  revelation, 
under  a  pretence,  that  it  is  by  reason  that  we  must  judge  even 
of  the  authority  of  revelation  ;  that  all  pretended  revelations 
must  be  brought  to  the  test  of  reason  ;  and  that  reason  is  the 
judge  whether  they  are  authentic  or  not,  <fcc,  is  as  foolish  as  it 
would  be  to  assert,  for  the  like  reasons,  that  man's  own  reason 
is  a  test  of  truth  superior  to  experience.  There  is  just  the  same 
fallacy  in  the  arguments  that  are  brought  to  support  one  and  the 
other  of  these  foolish  assertions ;  and  both  are,  for  reasons  equal- 
ly forcible,  very  false,  or  very  nonsensical. 

§  21.  If  the  assertion  of  those  who  say,  that  men's  own  rea- 
son is  a  higher  test  of  truth  than  divine  revelation,  has  any 
sense  in  it,  it  must  imply  a  comparison  of  different  sorts  of  ar- 
guments or  evidences  of  truth  ;  and  so  the  meaning  of  it  must 
be,  that  those  evidences  of  truth,  which  men  find  before  they 
have  the  help  of  divine  revelation,  are  a  better  criterion  of 
truth,  than  any  discovery  they  have  by  revelation.  And  their 
great  argument  to  prove  it,  is  this,  that  the  faculty  of  reason, 
by  which  the  mind  is  able  to  discern  the  force  of  truth,  is  the 
only  faculty  by  which  we  are  able  to  judge  of  the  value  and 
force  of  revelation  itself.  It  is  just  such  a  sort  of  arguing,  as 
if  a  person  should  go  about  to  demonstrate,  that  a  man  could 
more  certainly  discover  the  form  and  various  parts  of  the  pla- 
nets with  the  naked  eye,  than  with  a  telescope  ;  because  the  eye 
is  that  by  which  we  see  all  visible  things,  yea  by  which  we  see 
and  discern  how  to  use  and  to  judge  of  the  goodness  of  teles- 
copes themselves. 

In  the  argument  these  men  use,  to  prove  that  reason  is  a 
better  test  of  truth  than  revelation,  they  wretchedly  deceive 
themselves,  by  sliding  off  from  the  meaning  which  they  give  to 
the  word  reason  in  the  premises,  into  another  meaning  of  it  ex- 
ceedingly diverse  in  the  conclusion.  In  the  premises,  wherein 
they  assert,  that  reason  is  that  by  which  we  judge  of  all  things, 
even  of  revelation  itself,  they  mean  either  the  power  of  dis- 
cerning evidence  ;  or  the  act  of  reasoning  in  general.  The 
consequence  they  draw  is,  therefore,  reason  is  a  higher  test  of 
truth  than  revelation.  Here  if  they  retained  the  same  sense  of 
the  word  as  in  the  premises,  the  conclusion  would  be  perfect 
nonsense.     For  then,  the   conclusion  would   be   thus :   The 


294  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS. 

power  or  the  act  of  discerning  evidence,  is  a  better  evidence  of 
truth,  than  divine  revelation.  But  Ihis  is  not  what  is  intended 
to  be  understood.  What  is  intended  in  the  conclusion,  is,  that 
the  evidence  we  have  before  we  have  revelation,  or  indepen- 
dently of  it,  is  better  and  more  certain  than  revelation  itself. 

§  22.  The  outward  provision  which  God  makes  through  the 
ages  of  the  world  for  the  temporal  benefit  and  comfort  of  man- 
kind, in  causing  his  sun  to  shine,  and  his  rain  to  descend  upon 
them,  and  in  numberless  other  things,  is  a  great  argument  that 
God  was  not  determined  to  be  their  everlasting,  irrcconcileablc 
enemy.  And  if  God  be  reconcileable,  it  will  follow,  that  he 
must  make  a  revelation  to  mankind,  to  make  known  to  them 
the  terms  and  methods  of  reconciliation.  For  God,  who  is 
offended,  alone  can  tell  us,  on  what  terms  he  is  willing  to  be 
reconciled  ;  and  how  he  will  be  at  peace  with  us,  and  receive 
us  to  favour.  And  there  surely  is  nothing  which  can  be  pre- 
tended to  be  any  revelation  of  this  kind,  if  the  holy  scripture  is 
not. 

§  23.  Objection.  The  scriptures  are  communicated  to  but. 
few  of  mankind  ;  so  that  if  a  revelation  of  the  method  of  re- 
conciliation be  necessary,  a  very  great  part  of  those  who  en- 
joy these  external  benefits  and  bounties  of  divine  providence, 
still  have  no  opportunity  to  obtain  reconciliation  with  God, 
not  having  the  benefit  of  that  revelation.  So  that,  notwith- 
standing these  seeming  testimonies  of  favour  and  placableness, 
it  is  all  one  to  them,  as  if  God  was  irreconcileable.  For  still, 
for  want  of  the  knowledge  of  the  method  of  reconciliation,  it 
is  all  one  to  them,  as  though  there  were  no  such  method,  and 
as  though  no  reconciliation  were  possible. — To  this,  1  answer, 

1st.  The  case  of  mankind  is  not  just  the  same  as  if  there 
were  no  such  thing  as  reconciliation  for  mankind,  or  as  though 
reconciliation  were  utterly  impossible.  For  although  the  cir- 
cumstances of  a  great  part  of  the  world  be  such,  that  their  re- 
conciliation be  very  improbable,  yet  is  not  utterly  impossible. 
There  is  a  way  of  reconciliation,  and  it  is  publicly  known  in 
the  world  ;  and  God  has  ever  afforded  opportunity  to  the  gene- 
rality of  the  habitable  world,  that  if  the  minds  of  men  had 
been  as  much  engaged  in  the  search  of  divine  truth  as  they 
ought  to  have  been,  they  might  have  felt  after  God,  and  found 
him  ;  and  might  probably  have  come  to  an  acquaintance  with 
divine  revelation. 

2d.  If  there  have  been  some  parts  of  mankind,  in  some  ages, 
for  whom  it  was  next  to  impossible  that  they  should  ever 
come  to  know  that  revelation  which  God  has  made,  yet  that 
hinders  not  the  force  of  the  argument  for  God's  placableness 
to  sinners,  and  the  existence  of  a  revealed  method  of  recon- 
ciliation. The  common  favours  of  Providence  may  be  a 
proof,  that  God  intends  favour  to  some  among  mankind,  bill 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  295 

\  et  be  no  proof  that  he  intends  that  all  shall  actually  have  the 
benefits  of  his  favour.  None  will  deny,  but  that  those  out- 
ward blessings  of  God's  goodness  were  intended  for  the  tem- 
poral benefit  of  mankind ;  and  yet  there  are  numbers  who 
never  actually  receive  any  temporal  benefit  by  many  of  them. 
None  will  doubt,  but  that  God  aimed  at  men's  outward  good, 
in  providing  grain,  and  grapes,  and  other  fruits,  which  the  earth 
produces  for  man's  subsistence  and  comfort  in  the  world  ;  as 
also  the  most  useful  animals.  But  yet  a  very  great  part  of 
the  world  were  for  a  long  time  wholly  destitute  of  the  most 
useful  of  these.  All  the  innumerable  nations  that  dwelt  on  this 
American  side  of  the  globe,  were  from  age  to  age,  till  the  Eu- 
ropeans came  hither,  wholly  destitute  of  wheat,  rye,  barley, 
pease,  wines,  horses,  neat  cattle,  sheep,  goats,  swine,  poultry, 
and  many  other  useful  animals  and  fruits,  which  abounded  in 
the  other  continent. 

And  it  is  probable,  that  some  of  those  gifts  of  nature  and 
providence,  which  are  most  useful  to  mankind,  were  what  all 
men  remained  without  the  benefit  of  for  many  ages  ;  as  metals, 
wine,  and  many  things  used  for  food,  clothing,  and  habita- 
tions. The  loadstone,  with  regard  to  its  polar  direction,  was 
doubtless  intended  for  the  use  of  mankind  ;  but  yet  it  is  but 
lately  that  any  of  them  have  had  any  benefit  of  it.  Glass  is  a 
great  gift  of  providence,  and  yet  but  lately  bestowed  ;  and  also 
some  of  the  most  useful  medicines.  And  with  regard  to  those 
things  which  are  most  universally  useful,  some  have  the  benefit 
of  them  in  vastly  lesser  degrees  than  others  ;  as  the  heat  of  the 
sun,  vegetation,  &c. 

§  *24.  If  it  should  be  further  objected,  That,  if  God's  true 
aim  in  these  outward  benefits  of  providence,  which  have  the  ap- 
pearances of  favour,  be  real  favours  to  mankind,  and  so  that 
the  true  happiness  of  mankind  should  be  the  consequence  ;  one 
would  think  it  would  have  the  same  effect  in  all  places  where 
those  blessings  are  bestowed. 

1  answer,  that  it  will  not  follow.  God  may  grant  things  in 
all  parts  of  the  world,  the  main  design  of  which  may  evidently 
be  the  benefit  of  mankind,  and  yet  not  have  that  effect  in  all 
places  where  they  are  given.  As  the  main  design  of  him  who 
orders  the  existence  of  rain  in  the  world,  is  making  the  earth 
fruitful ;  yet  it  does  not  follow,  that  he  designed  this" should  ac- 
tually be  the  effect  of  all  parts  of  the  globe  where  the  rain  falls. 
For  it  falls  on  the  sea  as  well  as  the  dry  land,  which  is  more 
than  one  half  the  globe  :  but  yet  there  it  cannot  answer  this  in- 
tention. 

§  25.  Reason  alone  cannot  certainly  determine,  that  God 
will  not  insist  on  some  satisfaction  for  injuries  he  receives.  If 
Ave  consider  what  have  in  fact  been  the  general  notions  of  man- 
kind, we  shall  see  cause  to  think,  that  the  dictates  of  men's 


^Ub"  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATION^. 

minds,  who  have  been  without  revelation,  have  been  contrari- 
wise, viz.  that  the  Deity  will  insist  on  some  satisfaction.  Re- 
pentance makes  some  satisfaction  for  many  injuries  that  men 
are  guilty  of  one  towards  another;  because  it  bears  some  pro- 
portion to  the  degree  of  injury.  But  reason  will  not  certainly 
determine,  that  it  is  proper  for  God  to  accept  of  repentance  as 
some  satisfaction  for  an  offence,  when  that  repentance  is  infi- 
nitely disproportionate  to  the  heinousness  of  the  offence,  or  the 
degree  of  injuriousness  that  is  offered.  And  reason  will  not 
certainly  determine,  that  the  offence  of  forsaking  and  renoun- 
cing God  in  heart,  and  treating  him  with  such  indignity  and 
contempt,  as  to  set  him  below  the  meanest  and  vilest  things, 
is  not  immensely  greater,  and  more  heinous,  than  any  injury 
offered  to  men  ;  and  that  therefore  all  our  repentance  and  sor- 
row fall  infinitely  short  of  proportion  in  measure  and  degree.  If 
it  be  said,  that  we  may  reasonably  conclude,  and  be  fully 
satisfied  in  it,  that  a  good  God  will  forgive  our  sin  on  repent- 
ance ;  I  ask,  what  can  be  meant  by  repentance  in  the  case  of 
them  that  have  no  love  nor  true  gratitude  to  God  in  their 
hearts,  but  who  discover  such  an  habitual  disregard  and  con- 
tempt of  God  in  their  conduct,  as  to  treat  created  things,  of  the 
lowest  value,  with  greater  respect  than  him  ?  If  it  be  said, 
that  thereby  is  meant  being  sorry  for  the  offence  ;  I  ask,  whe- 
ther that  sorrow  is  worthy  to  be  accepted  as  true  repentance, 
that  does  not  arise  from  any  change  of  heart,  or  from  a  better 
mind,  a  mind  more  disposed  to  love  God,  and  honour  him,  be- 
ing now  so  changed  as  to  have  less  disregard  and  contempt  ? 
whether  or  not  the  sorrow  which  arises  only  from  fear  and  self- 
love,  with  a  heart  still  in  rebellion  against  God,  be  such  as  we 
can  be  certain  will  be  accepted  ?  If  not,  how  shall  a  man,  who 
at  present  has  no  better  heart,  but  yet  is  greatly  concerned  for 
himself  through  fear,  know  how  to  obtain  a  better  heart  ?  How 
does  it  appear,  that  he,  if  he  tries  only  from  fear  and  self-love, 
can  make  himself  better,  and  make  himself  love  God  ?  what 
proper  tendency  can  there  be  in  the  heart  to  make  itself  better, 
until  it  sincerely  repents  of  its  present  badness?  and  how  can 
the  heart  have  sincerity  of  repentance  of  the  present  badness, 
until  it  begins  to  be  better,  and  so  begins  to  forsake  its  bad- 
ness, by  truly  disapproving  it,  from  a  good  disposition,  or  a 
better  tendency  arising  in  it  ?  If  the  disposition  remain  just 
the  same,  then  no  sincere  disapprobation  arises  ;  but  the  reign- 
ing disposition,  instead  of  destroying,  on  the  contrary,  approves 
and  confirms  itself.  The  heart  can  have  no  tendency  to  make 
itself  better,  until  it  begins  to  have  a  better  tendency  ;  for 
therein  consists  its  badness,  viz.  having  no  good  tendency 
or  inclination.  And  to  begin  to  have  a  good  tendency,  or, 
which  is  the  same  thing,  to  begin  to  have  a  sincere  inclina- 
tion to  be  better,  is  the  same  thing  as  to  begin  already  to  be 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  t2«J7 

I»eiier.  So  that  it  seems,  that  they  that  are  now  under  the 
reigning  power  of  an  evil  heart,  can  have  no  ability  to  help 
themselves,  how  sensible  soever  they  may  be  of  their  mis- 
ery, and  concerned  through  fear  and  self-love  to  be  deli- 
vered ;  but  they  need  this  from  God,  as  part  of  their  salvation, 
viz.  that  God  should  give  them  sincere  repentance,  as  well  as 
pardon  and  deliverance  from  the  evil  consequences  of  sin. 
And  how  shall  they  know,  without  revelation,  that  God  will 
give  sinners  a  better  heart,  to  enable  them  truly  to  repent ;  or 
in  what  way  they  can  have  any  hope  to  obtain  it  of  him  ?  And 
if  men  could  obtain  some  sincere  repentance  of  their  being 
wholly  without  that  love  of  God  that  they  ought  to  have ;  yet 
how  can  reason  determine,  that  God  will  forgive  their  sin,  until 
they  wholly  forsake  it?  or  until  their  repentance  is  perfect  1  un- 
til they  relinquish  all  their  sinful  contempt,  ingratitude,  and 
regardlessness  of  God  ?  or,  which  is  the  same  thing,  until  they 
fully  return  to  their  duty,  i.  e.  to  that  degree  of  love,  honour, 
gratitude  and  devotedness  to  God,  that  is  their  duty  ?  If  they 
have  robbed  God,  who  can  certainly  say  that  God  will  forgive 
them,  until  they  restore  all  that  they  have  robbed  him  of,  and 
give  him  the  whole  that  he  claims  by  the  most  absolute  right  1 
But  where  is  any  man  that  repents  with  such  a  perfect  repent- 
ance ?  and  if  there  be  ever  any  instances  of  it  in  this  world, 
who  will  say,  that  it  is  in  every  man's  power  to  obtain  it  ?  or 
that  there  certainly  are  no  lower  terms  of  forgiveness  ?  and  if 
there  are,  who  can  tell  certainly  where  to  set  the  bounds,  and 
say  precisely  to  what  degree  a  man  must  repent  ?  How  great 
must  his  sorrow  be  in  proportion  to  his  offences,  &c?  Or,  who 
can  say,  how  long  a  man's  day  of  probation  shall  last  ?  Will 
reason  alone  certainly  determine,  that  if  a  man  goes  on  for  a 
long  time  presumptuously  in  his  contempt,  rebellion,  and 
affronts,  presuming  on  God's  goodness,  depending,  that  though 
he  does  thus  abuse  his  grace  as  long  as  he  pleases,  yet  if  he  re- 
pents at  any  time,  God  will  forgive  him,  and  receive  him  to 
favour,  forgiving  all  his  presumptuous  aggravated  rebellion,  in- 
gratitude and  provocation,  and  will  receive  him  into  the  arms 
of  his  love  ?  will  reason  alone  fully  satisfy  the  mind,  that  God 
stands  ready  to  pardon  and  receive  to  favour  such  a  sinner,  af- 
ter long  continuance  in  such  horrid  presumption  and  most  vile 
ingratitude  ?  Or,  will  reason  fully  determine  for  a  certainty, 
that  God  will  do  it,  if  men  thus  presumptuously  spend  their 
youth,  the  best  part  of  their  lives,  in  obstinate  and  ungrateful 
wickedness,  depending  that  God  will  stand  ready  to  pardon 
afterward  :  and,  in  short,  how  can  reason  alone  be  sufficient 
to  set  the  bounds,  and  say  how  long  God  will  bear  with  and 
wait  upon  presumptuous  sinners  ?  how  many  acts  of  such  in- 
gratitude and  presumption  he  will  be  ready  to  forgive,  and  on 
what  terms,  &c.  ?  I  say,  how  can  reason  fix  these  limits,  with 
Vol.  VII,  ?,8 


"-".'S  JiIsOKLLA^EOUS    OBSERVATIONS, 

any  clear  evidence  that  shall  give  the  mind  a  fixed  establish' 
nient  and  satisfaction  ? 

Therefore  if  there  be  any  such  thing  as  the  forgiveness  and 
salvation  of  sinful  men  ;  new  relations  of  God  to  men,  and 
concerns  of  God  with  men,  and  a  new  dependence  of  men  on 
God,  will  arise,  no  less,  probably  much  more  important,  than 
those* which  are  between  God  as  man's  creator,  and  the  author 
of  his  natural  good.  And  as  God  must  manifest  his  perfec- 
tions in  a  new  work  of  redemption  or  salvation,  contrived  and 
ordered  by  his  infinite  wisdom,  and  executed  by  his  power — in 
a  perfect  consistence  with  his  justice  and  holiness,  and  a  greater 
manifestation  of  his  goodness,  than  is  made  in  his  works  as  the 
author  of  nature — so  these  things  must  be  the  foundation  of 
new  regards  to  God,  new  duties,  and  a  new  religion,  founded 
on  those  displays  of  his  perfections  in  the  work  of  salvation, 
and  on  the  new  relations  God  sustains  towards  men,  and  the 
new  dependence  of  men  on  God,  and  new  obligations  laid  on 
men  in  that  work,  which  may  be  called  revealed  religion,  dif- 
ferent from  that  natural  religion  which  is  founded  on  the  works 
of  God,  as  the  creator  and  the  author  of  nature,  and  our  con- 
cerns with  God  in  that  work ;  though  not  at  all  contrary  to  it. 

The  light  of  nature  teaches  that  religion  which  is  necessary 
to  continue  in  the  favour  of  the  God  that  made  us  :  but  it 
cannot  teach  us  tha  religion  which  is  necessary  to  our  being 
restored  to  the  favour  of  God.  after  we  have  forfeited  it 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Mahometanism  compared  with  Christianity — particularly  with 
respect  to  their  propagation, 

§  1.  In  what  respect  the  propagation  of  Mahometanism  is 
far  from  being  parallel  with  the  propagation  of  Christanity, 
will  appear  by  these  observations. —  The  revolution  that  was 
brought  to  pass  in  the  world,  by  the  propagation  of  Mahome- 
tanisn,  was  not  so  great  as  that  which  happened  by  the  propa- 
gation  of  Christianity ;  yea,  in  this  respect,  was  by  no  means 
worthy  to  be  compared  to  it.  Consider  the  state  the  world  was 
in  before  Christianity  was  propagated  ;  how  dark,  ignorant, 
barbarous,  and  wicked  ;  how  strongly  these  things  were  esta- 
blished by  long  universal  immemorial  custom  ;  how  fixed  in 
men's  hearts  ;  how  established  by  all  human  authority,  and 
power,  and  inclination  ;  and  how  vast  the  alteration,  when 
Christianity  was  introduced  and  established  ;  how  vast  the 
overthrow  of  that  which  had  been  built  up  before,  and  stood 
from  age  to  age ;  how  great,  how  strong  the  building ;  how 
absolute  its  destruction  :  and  also,  how  great  the  building  that 


ELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS 


299 


was  erected  in  its  room ;  and  how  different  and  opposite  a  na- 
ture from  that  which  had  stood  on  the  same  ground  before. 

§  2.  But  as  to  the  revolution  brought  to  pass  in  the  world  by 
Mahometanism,  it  consisted  either  in  the  change  made  among 
the  heathen — barbarous  nations,  which  had  their  orignal  from 
Arabia  or  Scythia — or  among  professing  Christians.  But, 
with  respect  to  either  of  these,  was  the  revolution  comparably 
so  great  as  the  other.  As  to  the  change  made  among  those 
Heathen,  they  long  had  entertained  some  obscure  notions  of 
the  true  God  ;  and  many  of  the  great  truths  of  what  is  called 
natural  religion,  they  had  obtained  by  those  glimmerings  of  the 
light  of  the  gospel  which  had  been  diffused  over  great  part  of 
the  world  ;  even  that  part  of  it  that  had  not  fully  embraced 
Christianity.  But  Mahometanism  carried  them  very  little  far- 
ther in  these  things,  and  was  an  occasion  of  but  small  advance 
of  light  and  knowledge.  As  to  the  change  made  among 
Christians,  there  was  no  advance  at  all  made  in  knowledge, 
or  in  any  thing  that  was  good.  And  as  to  the  change  made 
among  them  as  to  religious  customs,  they  had  so  degenerated 
before,  and  were  become  so  superstitious,  that  the  alteration 
was  not  very  perceptible. 

§  3.  The  difference  of  the  two  revolutions  was  immensely 
great  as  to  goodness.  The  change  made  in  the  world  by  the 
propagation  of  Christianity,  was  a  great  change  indeed,  with 
regard  to  light  and  knowledge.  It  was  a  change  from  great 
darkness  to  glorious  and  marvellous  light.  By  the  preaching 
of  the  gospel  in  the  world,  the  day-spring  from  on  high  visited 
the  earth,  and  the  sun  arose  after  a  long  night  of  the  grossest 
darkness.  But  as  to  the  change  made  in  Christendom  by  the 
propagation  of  Mahometanism,  there  was  no  increase  of  light 
by  it,  but,  on  the  contrary,  it  was  evidently  a  change  from  light 
to  darkness.  It  was  a  propagation  of  ignorance,  and  not  of 
knowledge.  As  to  the  change  made  among  the  Heathens,  as 
we  observed  before,  there  was  but  a  small  degree  of  increased 
light ;  and  all  that  was  added,  was  borrowed  from  Christianity. 
Any  increase  of  knowledge  that  arose,  proceeded  only  from 
Mahomet  and  his  followers,  communicating  what  had  before 
been  communicated  to  them  by  Christian  teaching.  There 
can  be  no  pretence  of  the  least  degree  of  addition  in  any  thing, 
beyond  what  they  had  before  received  from  the  gospel.  And 
as  to  rules  and  precepts,  examples,  promises,  or  incitements 
to  virtue  of  any  kind,  no  addition  at  all  was  made.  What  al- 
teration there  existed,  was  only  for  the  worse  ;  the  examples, 
histories,  representations,  and  promises  of  the  new  Mahometan 
religion,  only  tended  exceedingly  to  debase,  debauch  and  cor- 
rupt the  minds  of  such  as  received  it. 

§  4.  The  revolution  that  was  occasioned  by  the  propagation 
of  Christianity,  was  an  infinitely  greater  and  more  wonderful 


•>00  MISCELLANEOUS   OBSERVATIONS. 

effect,  il"  we  consider  the  opposition  that  was  overcome  iq 
bringing  it  to  pass.  Christianity  was  propagated  against  all 
the  opposition  that  could  be  made  by  man's  carnal  dispositions, 
.strengthened  by  inveterate  general  custom,  principles,  habits, 
and  practice,  prevailing  like  a  mighty  flood.  Mahometanism 
was  propagated,  not  in  opposition  to  those  inclinations,  but  by 
complying  with  them,  and  gratifying  them,  in  examples,  pre- 
cepts, and  promises,  as  Stapferus  observes,  (Theol.  Polem. 
torn,  iii.  p.  292.)  Speaking  of  Mahomet's  laws,  he  says,  "The 
law  which  he  published,  was,  above  all  others,  accommodated 
not  only  to  the  opinions  of  men,  but  also  to  the  depraved  na- 
ture, manners,  and  innate  vices  of  those  nations  among  whom 
he  propagated  it ;  nor  did  it  require  much  more  than  external 
exercises,  of  which,  to  a  carnal  man,  are  much  more  easy  to  be 
performed,  than  those  spiritual  exercises  which  the  sacred  pages 
prescribe.  He  allowed  of  revenge  for  injuries  ;  of  discarding 
wives  for  the  slightest  causes  ;  of  the  addition  of  wives  to 
wives,  which  must  have  served  only  as  so  many  new  provoca- 
tives to  lust.  At  the  same  time  he  indulged  himself  in  the 
greatest  excess  of  promiscuous  and  base  lasciviousness.  He 
placed  the  true  worship  of  God  in  such  external  ceremonies, 
as  have  no  tendency  to  promote  true  piety.  In  fine,  the  whole 
of  that  religion  which  he  instituted,  was  adapted  to  no  other 
end,  than  the  shedding  of  human  blood.11 

§  5.  This  religion  is  particularly  adapted  to  the  luxurious 
and  sensual  disposition.  Christianity  was  extremely  contrary, 
to  the  most  established  and  darling  notions  of  the  world  ; 
whereas  Mahomet  accommodated  his  doctrines  to  all  such  nor 
tions  as  were  most  pleasing  at  that  time,  among  the  Heathen, 
Arabians,  Jews,  and  the  several  most  prevailing  sects  of  Chris? 
tians  ;  as  Stapferus  observes  : 

"  Mahomet  retained  many  of  the  opinions  of  the  ancient 
Arabians  ;  he  mixed  his  doctrine  with  the  fables  of  the  Jews, 
and  retained  many  of  the  ceremonies  of  the  other  religions 
prevalent  at  that  time.  The  religion  of  Mahomet  favoured 
the  prejudices  of  the  Jews,  and  of  the  Heathens  ;  and  was 
suited  to  the  desires  of  the  flesh,  and  to  the  allurements  of  the 
world.  But  the  religion  which  Christ  taught,  did  not,  in  the 
least  instance,  favour  the  depraved  affections  of  men,  and  the 
indulgence  of  the  flesh :  but  was  diametrically  opposed  to 
them  ;  nor  was  it  suited  to  the  prejudices  of  either  Jews  or 
Gentiles ;  but  it  was  plainly  contrary  to  the  preconceived  opi- 
nions of  men.  Whence  the  apostles,  in  preaching  this  reli- 
gion, immediately  opposed  both  the  religion  of  the  Jews  and  of 
the  Gentiles.1'  (ibid.  p.  340.)  Christianity  was  propagated  under 
the  most  violent,  universal,  and  cruel  persecution  of  all  the  pow- 
ers of  the  world.  Mahometanism  was  not  so  ;  it  never  made  its 
Way  any  where,  in  any  remarkable  degree,  against  persecution, 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  301 

5  0.  The  difference  will  appear  great,  if  we  consider  the  time 
when  each  of  these  were  propagated.  Christianity  was  propa- 
gated at  a  time  when  human  learning  and  science  was  at  its 
greatest  height  in  the  world.  But  Mahometanism  was  broach- 
ed and  propagated  in  ages  of  great  darkness,  after  learning 
had  exceedingly  decayed,  and  was  almost  extinguished  in  the 
world. 

§  7.  The  difference  will  farther  appear,  if  we  consider  the 
places  from  whence  these  religions  were  propagated. — Chris- 
tianity was  first  begun  in  a  place  of  great  light,  the  greatest 
light  with  regard  to  religious  knowledge  then  known,  and  in  a 
very  public  part  of  the  globe ;  whither  resorted  innumerable 
multitudes  of  people  three  times  every  year,  from  almost  all 
parts  of  the  then  known  world.  And  beside  the  vast  resort  of 
Jews  and  proselytes  thither,  it  was  a  country  that  was  at  that 
time  under  the  inspection  and  government  of  the  Romans, 
where  they  had  a  governor,  and  other  public  officers  constantly 
residing.  It  was  propagated  especially  from  Jerusalem,  the 
chief  city  in  that  country,  and  one  of  the  greatest  and  most 
public  cities  in  the  world ;  and,  indeed,  all  things  considered, 
was  next  to  Rome  itself,  nay,  in  some  respects,  even  far  beyond 
Rome.  And  the  nations  among  whom  it  was  first  propagated 
after  the  Jews,  were— not  the  more  ignorant  and  barbarous, 
but — the  most  knowing  and  learned  in  the  world  ;  as  particu- 
larly the  Greeks  and  Romans.  And  the  cities  where  it  was 
very  early  received,  and  from  whence  it  was  promulgated  to 
other  parts,  were  the  greatest,  most  public  and  polite  ;  such  as 
Antioch,  Ephesus,  Alexandria,  Corinth,  Athens,  and  Rome  : 
And  some  of  these  were  the  greatest  seats  of  learning  and  phi- 
losophy on  earth. — Whereas,  Mahometanism  was  broached  in  a 
dark  corner  of  the  earth,  Arabia  ;  and  the  people  among  whom 
it  first  gained  strength,  who  sent  out  armies  to  propagate  it  to 
the  rest  of  the  world,  were  an  ignorant  and  barbarous  sort  of 
people  ;  such  as  the  Saracens  and  Turks,  who  originated  from 
Scythia. 

§  8.  The  difference  appears  in  the  means  and  method  of  pro- 
pagation. Christianity  was  propagated  by  light,  instruction  and 
knowledge,  reasoning  and  inquiry.  These  things  were  encou- 
raged by  the  gospel ;  and  by  these  means  the  gospel  prevailed, 
But  Mahometanism  was  not  propagated  by  light  and  instruc- 
tion, but  by  darkness ;  not  by  encouraging  reasoning  and  search, 
but  by  discouraging  knowledge  and  learning ;  by  shutting  out 
those  things,  and  forbidding  inquiry  ;  and  so,  in  short,  by  blind- 
ing the  eyes  of  mankind. — It  was  propagated  by  the  power  of 
the  sword  also  ;  by  potent  sultans,  absolute  tyrants,  and  mighty 
armies.  Christianity  was  propagated  by  the  weakest  of  men, 
unarmed  with  any  thing  but  meekness,  humility,  love,  miracles, 
clear  evidence,  most  virtuous,  holy,  and  amiable  examples,  and 


•'>02  MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS. 

the  power  and  favour  of  eminent  virtue,  joined  with  assured 
belief  of  the  truth,  with  self-denial  and  suffering  for  truth  and 
holiness.  By  such  weapons  as  these  was  it  propagated  against 
the  power,  authority,  wealth,  and  armour  of  the  world  :  against 
the  greatest  potentates,  most  absolute  and  cruel  tyrants,  their 
most  crafty  counsels,  and  greatest  strength,  utmost  rage  and 
cruelty,  and  determined  resolutions  to  put  a  stop  to  it.  It  was 
propagated  against  all  the  strength  of  the  strongest  empire  that 
ever  was  in  the  world. 

§  9.  One  principle  way  wherein  the  propagation  of  Chris- 
tianity is  a  proof  of  its  truth,  consists  in  its  being  an  evidence 
of  the  facts  that  are  the  foundation  of  it.  Christianity  is  built 
on  certain  great  and  wonderful  visible  facts ;  such  as,  Christ's 
resurrection  from  the  dead,  and  the  great  and  innumerable 
miracles  wrought  by  him  and  his  apostles,  and  other  his  follow- 
ers, in  Judea,  and  many  parts  of  the  world. — These  facts  were 
always  referred  to,  as  the  foundation  of  the  whole  ;  and  Chris- 
tianity always  pretended  to  be  built  on  them.  That  Christian- 
ity, which,  in  effect,  is  no  other  than  the  belief  of  these  facts, 
should  be  extensively  propagated  in,  and  near  the  places  and 
time  when  the  facts  were  said  to  be  wrought ;  when  and  where 
there  was  so  much  opportunity  and  advantage  to  know  the 
truth  of  the  matter ;  is  a  great,  standing  everlasting  evidence 
of  the  truth  of  the  facts.  But  as  to  Mahometanism,  it  pretends 
to  no  facts  for  its  proof  and  foundation,  but  only  Mahomet's 
pretences  to  intercourse  with  heaven,  and  his  success  in  rapine, 
murder,  and  violence. — Belief  of  sensible  miracles,  or  public 
attestations  of  heaven  to  Mahomet's  authority  and  doctrines, 
was  no  part  of  his  religion  ;  and  was  not  employed  in  its  propa- 
gation. 

§  10.  If  we  consider  the  propagation  of  Christianity  as  a 
doctrine  or  belief  of  wonderful  divine  facts,  Mahometanism  is 
not  set  up  in  opposition  to  it :  because  the  Mahometan  religion 
itself  acknowledges  the  principal  facts  of  Christianity,  though  it 
has  no  facts  of  its  own  to  urge.  And  so  Mahometanism  rather 
confirms  than  weakens  Christianity ;  and  the  propagation  of 
Mahometanism  itself,  may  be  considered  as  one  thing  belong- 
ing to  the  propagation  of  Christianity,  and  as  a  part  of  that 
propagation,  in  as  far  as  it  consists  in  a  propagation  of  a  pro- 
Jessed  belief  of  those  facts.  It  is  so  far  an  instance  of  the  pro- 
pagation  of  that  which  is  the  foundation  of  Chistianity,  that  it 
proves  all  the  rest.  The  Alcoran  owns  Jesus  to  be  a  great 
prophet;  "the  messenger  of  God,"  (Surat.  y.  84.)  that  he 
wrought  miracles,  healing  a  man  blind  from  his  birth,  and  the 
leprous,  (Surat.  v.  119.)  also  raising  the  dead;  and  that  Jesus 
as  born  of  Mary  was  himself  a  miracle,  (Surat.  xxiii.  52.)  He 
often  speaks  of  Jesus  as  the  servant  and  messenger  of  God  ; 
(Surat.  iv.  158.  iii.  152.  iv.  169,  170.  v.  84.)  Now,  owning  this, 


jUSCELLANEOIjS  OBSERVATIONS.  303 

is  in  effect  owning  the  whole.  This  is  the  foundation  of  the 
whole,  and  proves  all  the  rest.  It  owns  that  Jesus  was  miracu- 
lously conceived  and  born ;  (Surat.  iii.  47.  xix.  20.  21.)  and 
without  sin.  (Surat.  iii.  36.  xix.  19.) — Mahomet  owns  Jesus,  and 
ascribes  the  conception  of  Christ  alone  to  the  power  of  God, 
and  the  inflation  of  his  Spirit. — In  Surat.  xxi.  19.  are  these 
words,  as  the  words  of  God  ;  "  And  Mary  was  a  chaste  virgin, 
and  We  inspired  her  with  Our  Spirit,  and  set  up  her  and  her 
son  as  a  miracle  to  all  ages." — He  owned  Jesus  to  be  the  Mes- 
siah foretold  in  the  law  and  the  prophets;  Surat.  iii.  45.  "  When 
the  angels  said,  O  Mary,  certainly  God  declares  to  thee  his 
own  word  ;  his  name  shall  be  Jesus  Christ,  the  son  of  Mary :" 
Surat.  xix.  29.  Surat.  iv.  "  Certainly  Christ  Jesus,  the  son  of 
Mary,  is  the  ambassador  of  God  and  his  word."  He  owned 
Christ's  ascension  into  heaven.  "  God  raised  him  (Christ)  to 
himself;"  Surat.  iv.  157.  Concerning  Christ's  miracles,  Ma- 
homet says,  Surat.  iii.  45.  v.  119.  "God  says,  O  Jesus,  the 
son  of  Mary,  I  have  strengthened  thee  by  the  spirit  of  ho- 
liness ;  and  thou  shalt,  by  my  leave,  heal  a  man  blind  from 
his  birth ;  and  by  my  leave  thou  shalt  raise  the  dead  from  their 
graves." 

§  11.  In  this  respect  the  great  propagation  of  the  Mahome- 
tan religion  is  a  confirmation  of  revealed  religion — and  so  of 
the  Christian  in  particular,  which  alone  can  have  any  pretext 
to  be  a  religion  revealed  by  God — as  this  is  a  great  demonstra° 
tion  of  the  extreme  darkness,  blindness,  weakness,  childishness, 
folly,  and  madness  of  mankind  in  matters  of  religion,  and  shows 
how  greatly  they  stand  in  need  of  a  divine  guide,  and  divine 
grace  and  strength  for  their  help,  such  as  the  gospel  reveals, 
And  that  this  gross  delusion  has  continued  so  long  to  so  great 
an  extent,  shows  how  helpless  mankind  are,  under  ignorance 
and  delusion  in  matters  of  religion ;  and  what  absolute  need 
they  have  of  extraordinary  divine  interposition  for  their  relief 
And  besides,  such  a  miserable,  blind,  helpless  state  of  mankind, 
is  also  exactly  agreeable  to  the  representation  made  in  the 
Christian  revelation. 


CHAPTER  X. 

The  Jewish  nation  have,  from  their  very  beginning.,  been  a  re- 
markable standing  evidence  of  the  truth  of  revealed  religion. 

§  1.  When  every  other  nation  under  heaven  had  forsaken  the 
True  God,  and  was  overwhelmed  in  heathenish  darkness,  the 
Jews  had  among  them  the  knowledge  and  worship  of  the  True 
God,  and  rational  and  true  notions  of  his  being,  attributes,  and 
works  ;  of  his  relation  to  mankind,  our  dependence  upon  him-, 


304  MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATION, FS. 

and  the  worship  and  regards  due  to  him.  This  was  upheld 
among  them  alone,  for  so  many  ages,  to  the  coming  of  Christ  j 
while  they  were  surrounded  on  every  side,  with  nations  vastly 
differing  from  them,  and  the  worst  of  idolaters.  The  whole 
world  beside  themselves  had  forgotten  the  True  God  and  for- 
saken his  worship,  and  were  all  the  while  involved  in  gross 
heathenism.  They  lived  in  the  midst  of  the  most  frequented 
and  most  populous  parts  of  the  world.  They  did  not  live  sepa- 
rated from  the  rest  of  the  world  as  in  an  island  or  a  peninsula  ; 
or  yet  as  divided  from  others  by  vast  deserts,  or  impassable 
mountains  ;  but  on  the  continent,  in  the  midst  of  the  habitable 
world,  with  populous  countries  adjoining  to  them  almost  on 
every  side.  Those  nations,  who  were  their  next  neighbours  on 
every  side,  were  steadfastly  gross  Pagans,  and  some  of  the  most 
barbarous  idolaters. 

§  *2.  They  were  not  a  nation  that  studied  philosophy  ;  they 
had  no  schools  among  them  under  the  care  of  philosophers  who 
instructed  their  pupils  in  human  science ;  yet  they  had  most  ap- 
parently far  better,  more  sublime,  and  purer  notions  of  God 
and  religion,  of  man's  duty,  and  of  divine  things  in  general, 
than  the  best  of  the  heathen  philosophers.  Nor  do  they  seem 
to  have  been  a  people  any  way  remarkably  distinguished  from 
other  nations,  by  their  genius  and  natural  abilities.  They  were 
a  comparatively  small  people,  not  a  great  empire,  not  a  vast 
and  potent  commonwealth. 

§  3.  Such  changes  and  revolutions  frequently  came  to  pass 
in  their  nation,  and  such  was  their  peculiar  state  from  time  to 
time,  that  they  were  exceeding  liable  to  be  corrupted  and' 
overrun  with  heathenish  notions,  and  the  customs  of  idola- 
trous nations,  and  to  grow  into  a  conformity  to  the  rest  of  the 
world  in  that  respect.  They  were  above  two  hundred  years  in 
Egypt,  which  may  be  looked  upon  as  the  second  nation,  if 
not  the  first,  for  being  the  fountain  of  idolatry, — And  they  lived 
there  under  circumstances  tending  the  most  to  their  being  cor- 
rupted with  idolatry,  and  brought  to  a  conformity  with  the 
Egyptians  in  that  respect,  of  any  that  can  be  imagined  ;  es- 
pecially on  these  accounts  : — They  were  there  in  the  beginning 
and  rise  of  their  nation.  There  the  nation  had  its  birth.  It 
grew  from  one  family  of  about  seventy  persons,  with  the  father 
of  the  whole  family  at  the  head  of  it,  to  be  more  than  a  mil- 
lion of  people,  yea  probably  (reckoning  male  and  female,) 
about  two  millions.  And  they  lived  there,  not  separate  and 
distinct  from  the  Egyptians  ;  but  had  continual  intercourse  with 
them.  Yea,  they  dwelt  there  as  inferiors,  in  subjection  to  the 
Egyptians  ;  their  slaves  :  and  the  Egyptians  who  had  daily  con- 
cern with  them,  were  their  masters. 

§  4.  After  they  came  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  they  for  seve- 
ral ages  dwelt  there  with  the  remains  of  the  ancient  heathen 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  305 

inhabitants,  who  were  so  numerous  and  strong,  as  sometimes 
lo  overcome,  and  keep  them  long  in  subjection :  which  also, 
from  time  to  time,  their  idolatrous  neighbours  did. — And  after 
they  had  lived  long  in  the  land,  ten  of  their  tribes  were  carried 
away  into  final  captivity,  and  heathen  inhabitants  planted  in 
their  stead :  by  which  the  religion  of  the  remaining  two  tribes  was 
the  more  exposed.  At  last,  these  remaining  two  tribes,  with 
the  Levites,  and  all  that  were  left  of  the  ten  tribes  who  had 
mixed  with  them,  were  carried  away  into  Babylon,  the  chief 
city  of  Chaldea,  the  country  that  above  all  in  the  world,  (at 
least  excepting  Egypt,)  was  the  fountain  of  idolatry  :  there 
they  dwelt  during  the  time  of  one  generation.  So  that  before 
any  of  them  returned,  the  body  of  the  people  were  a  new  gene- 
ration, born  and  brought  up  in  that  land  of  darkness,  amongst 
idolaters,  their  superiors  and  masters,  and  most  of  them  the 
most  honourable  men  that  were  then  in  the  world ;  and  a  great 
part,  perhaps  the  greater  part  of  the  nation,  never  returned, 
but  continued  dispersed  in  heathen  countries  till  Christ's  com- 
ing. As  to  the  nation  in  general,  those  in  Canaan,  and  those 
out  of  it,  were  in  subjection  to  the  three  successive  heathen 
monarchies,  the  Persian,  Grecian,  and  Roman  ;  and  heathen 
people  belonging  to  each  of  those  empires,  often  swarmed  in 
their  country. 

§  5.  The  people  seemed  to  be,  from  their  very  beginning  till 
the  Babylonish  captivity,  exceedingly  prone  to  idolatry ;  were 
fond,  in  that  respect,  of  the  customs  of  those  heathen  neigh- 
bours, and  were  apt  to  think  it  honourable  to  be  like  the  rest 
of  the  nations,  and  a  disgrace  to  be  singular.  This  appears,  in 
that  they  actually  oftentimes  apostatized  to  idolatry,  embraced 
the  worship  of  the  heathen  gods,  and  neglected  the  worship  of 
the  true  God  ;  and  continued  sometimes  for  a  long  time  in  their" 
conformity  to  their  heathen  neighbours.  Yet  they  were  won- 
derfully reclaimed  from  time  to  time ;  so  that  they  were  never 
suffered  finally  to  apostatize,  as  all  other  nations  in  the  world 
had  done,  nor  were  left  in  their  apostacy  for  so  long  a  space  of 
time. 

§  G.  All  is  the  more  remarkable,  in  that  not  only  the  true 
God  and  his  spiritual  worship  are  so  infinitely  diverse  from  the 
gods  and  religion  of  the  heathens  ;  but  the  external  institutions 
and  rites  of  worship  observed  among  the  Jews,  and  the  law  of 
their  worship  and  religion,  were  remarkably  diverse  and  repug- 
nant to  the  religious  rites  of  their  heathen  neighbours.  They 
were  exceedingly  opposite  to  the  rites  of  the  Egyptians, 
among  whom  they  lived  so  long,  and  among  whom  they  first 
became  a  nation.  So  were  they  also  to  the  rites  of  the  an- 
cient inhabitants  of  Canaan,  of  the  Philistines,  Moabites,  Am- 
monites, &c. 

Vol.  Vir  39 


3UG  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATION?, 

§  7.  The  Jews  may  be  considered  as  a  remarkable  evidence* 
of  the  truth  of  revealed  religion,  in  that  they  were  preserved  so 
long  a  time  a  distinct  nation  from  all  others,  even  since  their 
father  Jacob's  time,  till  this  day  ;  being  neither  destroyed,  nor 
abolished,  nor  lost  by  mixing  with  othei  nations.  Jacob  him- 
self was  exposed  to  be  destroyed  by  his  brother  Esau,  before  he 
was  married.  His  family  were  greatly  exposed  to  destruction, 
at  least  as  to  any  permanent  distinction  from  other  people, 
when  Laban  pursued  after  him,  with  a  design  probably  to  kill 
him,  and  to  bring  back  his  wives  and  children  into  Padan-Aram, 
and  to  keep  them  there,  or,  at  least,  by  some  means  to  carry 
back  his  family,  and  to  prevent  their  ever  going  to  Canaan.  He 
and  his  family  were  in  imminent  danger  of  being  destroyed, 
when  Esau  came  out  against  him  with  four  hundred  men.  His 
family  were  greatly  exposed  to  danger  by  the  inhabitants  of 
Canaan,  when  provoked  by  his  sons  destroying  the  Shechem- 
ites.  A  series  of  wonderful  and  miraculous  providences  respect- 
ing Joseph,  were  the  means  of  preserving  the  family,  without 
which  they  would  probably  either  have  perished  by  the  famine, 
or  in  the  time  of  that  famine  have  wandered  away  from  Canaan, 
in  such  obscurity,  and  under  such  disadvantages,  that  they 
would  likely  have  never  returned  any  more  to  Canaan  ;  and  so 
the  family  would  have  been  broken  up. 

§  8.  In  Egypt  they  were  greatly  exposed  to  be  destroyed, 
when  Pharaoh  set  himself  to  effect  their  destruction  by  drown- 
ing all  the  males.  When  they  had  continued  so  long  in  Egypt, 
under  such  abject  circumstances ;  it  could  be  owing  to  nothing 
but  a  series  of  the  greatest  miracles,  that  ever  they  were  sepa- 
rated from  that  people  and  land,  so  as  to  return  again  to  dwell  by 
themselves,  to  be  kept  a  distinct  nation.  They  were  in  immi- 
nent danger  of  being  swallowed  up  by  Pharaoh  and  his  host  at 
the  Red  Sea ;  or  of  receiving  such  a  blow,  as  wholly  to  break 
up  the  design  of  their  proceeding  to  Canaan,  to  live  there, 
They  were  exposed  to  suffer  that  which  would  have  prevented 
their  proceeding,  when  the  Amalekites  met  them,  and  fought 
with  them. 

§  9.  Nothing  but  a  course  of  most  astonishing  miracles  for 
forty  years  could  have  prevented  their  perishing  in  the  wilder- 
ness, or  being  obliged  to  go  back  again  into  Egypt,  and  suffer- 
ing captivity,  dispersion,  and  ruin,  by  the  nations  that  dwelt 
around  that  wilderness. — They  were  greatly  exposed  to  be 
ruined  as  a  people,  by  the  opposition  of  the  Moabites,  Midian- 
ites,  Amorites,  and  Og  the  king  of  Bashan. — That  ever  they  got 
the  possession  of  Canaan,  which  was  then  held  by  many  nations 
greater  and  stronger  than  they,  was  owing  to  a  course  of  great 
miracles,  without  the  intervention  of  which  they  must  have 
perished  as  a  people. 


SilSCELLAiN'EOUS  OBSERVATIONS'.  305 

§  10.  After  they  had  obtained  the  possession  of  the  land,  they 
were  often  greatly  exposed  to  be  utterly  ruined  in  the  time  of 
the  judges,  when  their  enemies  in  those  parts,  who  seemed  to 
have  an  exceeding  great  hatred  of  them,  prevailed  against,  and 
had  the  mastery  of  them.  It  could  be  owing  to  nothing  but 
the  special  providence  of  God,  that  those  enemies  did  not  im- 
prove the  advantages  they  had  in  their  hands,  utterly  to  destroy 
them,  or  at  least  to  drive,  or  carry  them  captive,  out  of  that 
land  ;  particularly  the  provoked  Canaanites,  before  the  deli- 
verance by  Deborah  and  Barak  ;  the  Midianites,  and  the  people 
of  the  East,  before  the  deliverance  by  Gideon  ;  and  after  them 
the  Philistines. 

§  11.  Afterward,  in  the  time  of  the  kings,  there  were  many 
efforts  of  the  enemies  of  Israel,  utterly  to  destroy  the  whole 
nation,  to  cut  them  off  from  being  a  people,  and  to  blot  out 
their  very  name  from  under  heaven,  agreeably  to  Psalm  lxxxiii. 
3 — 8.  "  They  have  taken  crafty  counsel  against  thy  people, 
and  consulted  against  thy  hidden  ones.  They  have  said,  Come, 
let  us  cut  them  off  from  being  a  nation,  that  the  name  of  Israel 
may  be  no  more  in  remembrance.  For  they  have  consulted 
together  with  one  consent.  They  are  confederate  against  thee. 
The  tabernacles  of  Edom  and  the  Ishmaelites,  of  Moab  and 
the  Hagarenes,Gebal,  and  Amnion,  and  Amalek,the  Philistines 
with  the  inhabitants  of  Tyre ;  Assur,  also  is  joined  with  them ; 
they  have  holpen  the  children  of  Lot." — In  David's  time  there 
was  such  a  mighty  combination  of  enemies  against  them,  and 
so  great  a  force  was  raised,  that,  one  would  think,  might  have 
been  sufficient  to  swallow  up  the  nation. — After  Solomon's 
time,  the  nation  was  greatly  weakened,  and  so  much  the  more 
exposed  to  ruin,  by  their  division  into  two  kingdoms,  often  con- 
tending, and  seldom  in  amity,  the  one  with  the  other. — The 
nation  was  greatly  exposed  in  Rehoboam's  time  to  be  swal- 
lowed up  by  Shishak  king  of  Egypt ;  in  Asa's  time,  by  the 
vast  army  of  the  Ethiopians :  and  again,  by  the  mighty  army 
of  the  Moabites,  Ammonites  and  Edomites,  in  Jehoshaphat's 
time,  2  Chron.  xx.  When  the  kings  of  Assyria  overran  and 
utterly  destroyed  the  ten  tribes,  it  was  a  wonder  that  the  two 
tribes  were  spared,  and  the  people  were  greatly  exposed  to  be 
finally  ruined  by  Sennacherib's  army,  who  intended  nothing 
else. 

§  12.  When  the  people  were  carried  captive  into  Babylon 
by  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  the  whole  land  laid  utterly  waste  ;  it 
was  a  wonder,  that  this  did  not  prove  an  entire  end  to  them  as 
a  people.  It  was  a  wonder  they  were  kept  distinct  in  their 
captivity  ;  that  then  they  were  delivered  ;  and  that  after  they 
had  been  in  captivity  so  long,  till  those  that  had  formerly  lived 
in  Canaan  were  generally  dead,  and  a  new  generation  born  in 
Chaldea  was  risen  up,  they  should  be  brought  back,  and  again 


30S  MISCELLANEOUS.   OBSERVATIONS, 

settled  in  their  own  land,  and  established  as  a  people  there.  It 
was  a  wonder  that  the  land  was  vacant  for  them  ;  and  a  won- 
der that  they  were  not  hindered  in  their  design  of  re-settling 
there,  by  the  mighty  opposition  made  to  it  by  the  Samari- 
tans, 

§  13.  The  people  were  marvellously  preserved  from  being 
blotted  out  from  under  heaven  by  Haman,  in  the  time  of  Esther 
and  Mordecai.  They  were  wonderfully  preserved  in  Anti- 
ochus's  time,  who  was  earnestly  set  on  their  utter  destruction 
as  a  people ;  and  it  may  be  observed  in  general  concerning 
them,  during  the  time  of  the  Old  Testament,  that  there  was  no 
nation  whatsoever  against  whom  the  nations  in  general  were 
at  such  enmity,  as  the  nation  of  the  Jews  ;  and  they  were,  on 
this  account,  much  more  likely  to  be  destroyed  than  any  other 
nation. 

§  14.  They  lived  in  a  part  of  the  world,  where  they  were 
more  exposed  to  be  overrun  by  other  nations,  and  so  to  be  by 
them  either  trodden  down,  or  torn  away  and  scattered  abroad 
in  the  earth,  than  had  they  dwelt  in  any  other  part ;  living  as  it 
were,  in  the  midst  of  the  earth,  betwixt  three  great  continents, 
Asia,  Africa,  and  Europe.  Their  land  lay  in  the  very  road  or 
thoroughfare  between  Asia  and  Africa;  between  Egypt  and 
the  great  Eastern  and  Northern  kingdoms,  which  for  many  ages 
were  the  greatest,  most  potent,  and  active  kingdoms  in  the 
world.  It  seems  the  other  nations  thereabout  were  all  destroyed 
from  being  a  people,  before  Christ's  time  :  as  the  Midianites, 
the  Moabites,  Ammonites,  Amalekites,  the  seven  nations  of 
Canaan,  and  the  Philistines. 

§  15.  It  is  remarkable,  concerning  a  great  part  of  the  time  of 
the  Old  Testament,  viz.  from  the  Babylonish  captivity  till  Christ, 
that  a  great  part  of  the  Jews  lived  dispersed  amongst  other  na- 
tions :  and  both  those  who  were  thus  dispersed,  and  those  that 
lived  in  their  own  land,  were  all  that  time  in  the  power  of  the 
heathen  nations  of  the  four  monarchies. 

§  16.  With  respect  to  the  time  since  Christ,  their  preserva- 
tion as  a  distinct  nation,  has,  in  many  respects,  been  still  more 
remarkable.  It  was  wonderful,  that  what  happened  to  them  in 
the  time  of  Titus  Vespasian,  when  the  greater  part  of  the  na- 
tion was  destroyed,  and  the  rest  dispersed  all  over  the  world  in 
such  wretched  circumstances,  did  not  prove  their  utter  destruc- 
tion as  a  people.  And  the  calamities  that  had  happened  to  the 
remnant  soon  afterward,  made  their  continuance  as  a  distinct 
people  yet  more  surprising.  For  within  half  a  century  after 
their  destruction  by  Titus,  in  the  reign  of  Trajan  and  Adrian, 
the  nation  in  general  every  where  rose  in  rebellion  against  the 
Romans ;  and  were  finally  every  where  beaten  ;  so  that  in  these 
Wars  the  Jews  had  a  thousand  cities  and  fortresses  destroyed, 
y ith  the  slaughter  pf  about-  five  hundred  and  ejghty  thpugand 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  o09 

men.  What  are  left  of  this  people  have  ever  since  remained  in 
a  total  dispersion  over  all  the  world,  mixed  every  where  with 
other  people,  without  any  thing  like  a  government  or  civil  com- 
munity of  their  own,  and  often  extremely  harassed  by  other  na- 
tions ;  though  still  they  remain  a  clear  and  perfectly  distinct 
nation  from  all  other  people. 


310  MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVANT] 


PART  II. 


OBSERVATIONS  CONCERNING  THE  MYSTERIES  OF  SCRIPTURE. 


Section  I. 


When  we  seek  for  any  thing  in  the  dark  by  so  low  a  faculty 
of  discerning  as  the  sense  of  feeling,  or  by  the  sense  of  seeing 
with  a  dim  light,  sometimes  we  cannot  find  it :  though  it  be 
there,  it  seems  to  us  to  be  impossible  that  it  should  be.  But  yet, 
when  a  clear  light  comes  to  shine  into  the  place,  and  we  discern 
by  a  better  faculty,  or  the  same  faculty  in  a  clearer  manner, 
the  thing  appears  very  plain  to  us.  So,  doubtless,  many  truths 
will  hereafter  appear  plain,  when  we  come  to  look  on  them  by 
the  bright  light  of  heaven,  that  now  are  involved  in  mystery  and 
darkness. 

§  2.  How  are  we  ready  to  trust  to  the  determinations  of  one 
universally  reputed  a  man  of  great  genius,  of  vast  penetration 
and  insight  into  things,  if  he  be  positive  in  any  thing  that  ap- 
pears to  us  very  mysterious,  and  is  quite  contrary  to  what  we 
thought  ourselves  clear  and  certain  in  before  ?  How  are  we 
ready  in  such  a  case  to  suspect  ourselves,  especially  if  it  be  a 
matter  wherein  he  has  been  very  much  versed ;  has  had  much 
more  occasion  to  look  into  it  than  we ;  and  has  been  under 
greater  advantages  to  know  the  truth  ?  How  much  more  still, 
if  one  should  be  positive  in  it,  as  a  thing  he  had  clearly  and 
undoubtedly  seen  to  be  true,  if  he  were  still  of  ten  times  great- 
er genius,  and  of  a  more  penetrating  insight  into  things,  than 
any  that  ever  have  appeared?  And,  in  matters  of  fact,  if  some 
person  whom  we  had  long  known  one  of  great  judgment  and 
discretion,  justice,  integrity,  and  fidelity,  and  had  always  been 
universally  so  reputed  by  others,  should  declare  to  us,  that  he 
had  seen  and  known  that  to  be  true  which  appeared  to  us  very 
strange  and  mysterious,  and  concerning  which  we  could  not 
see  how  it  was  possible  ;  how,  in  such  a  case,  should  we  be 
ready  almost  to  suspect  our  own  faculties,  and  to  give  credit 
to  such  a  testimony,  in  that  which,  if  he  had  not  positively  as- 
eerted  it,  and  persisted  in  it,  we  should  have  looked  upon  as  per- 
fectly incredible,  and  absurd  to  be  supposed  ? 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS,  311 

§  3.  From  that  text,  John  iii.  12,  "  If  I  have  told  you  of  earths 
]y  things,  and  ye  believe  not,  how  shall  ye  believe  if  I  tell  you 
of  heavenly  things  ?" — several  things  are  manifest  concerning 
mysteries  in  religion.     (1.)  That  there  are  things  contained  in 
those  doctrines  which  Christ  came  into  the  world  to  teach, 
which  are  not  only  so  far  above  human  comprehension,  that 
men  cannot  easily  apprehend  all  that  is  to  be  understood  con- 
cerning them  ;  but  which  are  difficult  to  be  received  by  the  judg- 
ment or  belief;  "  How  shall  ye  believe,  if  I  tell  you  of  heavenly 
things  ?'.'  difficult,  upon  the  same  account  that  the  doctrine  of 
the  new  birth  was  difficult  to  JMicodemus,  because  it  was  so 
strange  and   seemingly  impossible.     (2.)  We  may  from  the 
words  infer,  that  the  more  persons  are,  in  themselves,  and  in 
their  own  nature,  above  us ;  the  more  the  doctrines  or  truths 
concerning  them  are  mysterious  to  us,  above  our  comprehen- 
sion, and  difficult  to  our  belief;  the  more  do  those  things  that 
are  really  true  concerning  them,  contain  seeming  inconsisten- 
cies and  impossibilities.     For  Christ,  in  the  preceding  verses, 
had  been  speaking  of  something   that  is  true  concerning  man, 
being  of  the  same  nature,  an  inhabitant  of  the  same  world  with 
ourselves ;  which,  therefore,  Christ  calls  an  earthly  thing.    And 
this  seemed  very  mysterious  and  impossible,  and  to  contain 
great  seeming   inconsistencies.     "  How  can  a  man  be  born 
when  he  is  old  ?•"     This  seemed  to  be  a  contradiction.     And 
after  Christ  had  somewhat  explained  himself,  still  the  doctrine 
seemed  strange  and  impossible  ;  ver.  9.  "  How  can  these  things 
be?"     Nicodemus  still  looked  upon  it  as  incredible,  and,  on 
that  account,  did  not  believe  it  at  that  time,  as  is  implied  in 
these  words  of  Christ ;  "  If  I  have  told  you  earthly  things,  and 
ye  believe  not."     But  Christ  here  plainly  signifies  that  he  had 
other  truths  to  teach  that  were  not  about  man,  an  earthly  inha- 
bitant, but  about  the  person  vastly  above  men,  even  about 
himself  who  is  from  heaven  and  in  heaven,  as  in  the  next  verse  : 
"  And  no  man  hath  ascended  up  to  heaven,  but  he  that  came 
down  from  heaven ;  even  the  Son  of  man  which  is  in  heaven." 
Which,  therefore,  would  be  much  more  difficult  to  men's  under, 
standing  and  judgment,  seeming  to  contain  greater  impossibili- 
ties and  inconsistencies  ;  as  he  then  proceeds  immedately  to  de- 
clare to  him  an  heavenly  thing,  as  he  calls  it,  viz.  that  Christ,  an 
heavenly  and  divine  person,  should  die ;  ver.  14, 15.  Such  a  mys- 
terious doctrine,  so  strange,  and  seemingly  inconsistent  and  im- 
possible, that  a  divine  person  should  die,  is  more  strange  than 
that  men  should  be  born  again.  Hence,  when  divines  argue,  from 
the  mysterious  nature  of  many  things  here  below  with  which  we 
are  daily  conversant,  that  it  would  be  very  unreasonable  to  sup- 
pose but  that  there  should  be  things  concerning  God  which  are 
much  more  mysterious  ;  and  that,  therefore,  it  is  unreasonable 
to  object  against  the  truth  of  the  doctrines  of  the  Trinity,  In- 


312  MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS. 

carnation,  &c. ;  they  argue  justly,  because  they  argue  as  Christ 
argued. 

§  4.  The  wiser  heathens  were  sensible,  that  the  things  of  the 
gods  are  so  high  above  us,  that  what  appertains  to  them  should 
appear  exceedingly  mysterious  and  wonderful  to  us  ;  and  that  it 
is  therefore  unreasonable  to  disbelieve  what  we  are  taught  con- 
cerning them  on  that  account.  This  is  fully  expressed  by  Py- 
thagoras ;  viz.  "  Concerning  the  gods,  disbelieve  nothing  wonder- 
ful, nor  yet  concerning  divine  things.  This,  says  Jamblicus, 
declareth  the  superlative  excellency  of  God  instructing  us,  and 
puts  us  in  mind,  that  we  ought  not  to  estimate  the  divine  power 
by  our  own  judgment.  The  Pythagoreans  stretched  this  rule 
beyond  the  line  of  divine  revelation,  to  the  belief  of  every  ori- 
ental tradition."  Gale's  Court  of  the  Gentiles,  p.  2.  b.  2.  c. 
8.  190. 

§  5.  It  is  not  necessary  that  persons  should  have  clear  ideas 
of  the  subject  of  a  proposition,  in  order  to  be  rationally  convin- 
ced of  the  truth  of  the  proposition.  There  are  many  truths,  of 
which  mathematicians  are  convinced  by  strict  demonstration, 
concerning  many  kinds  of  quantities,  as,  surd  quantities  and 
fluxions ;  but  concerning  which  they  have  no  clear  ideas. 

§  6.  Supposing  that  mankind  in  general  were  a  species  of  far 
less  capacity  than  they  are ;  so  much  less,  that,  when  men  are 
come  to  full  ripeness  of  judgment  and  capacity,  they  arrived  no 
higher  than  that  degree  to  which  children  generally  arrive  at 
seven  years  of  age  ;  and  supposing  a  revelation  to  be  made  to 
mankind,  in  such  a  state  and  degree  of  capacity,  of  many  such 
propositions  in  philosophy  as  are  now  looked  upon  as  undoubt- 
ed truths ;  and  let  us  suppose,  at  the  same  time,  the  same  degree 
of  pride  and  self-confidence  as  there  is  now  ;  what  cavilling  and 
objecting  would  there  be !  Or  supposing  a  revelation  of  these 
philosophical  truths  had  been  made  to  mankind,  with  their  pre- 
sent degree  of  natural  capacity,  in  some  ancient  generation — 
suppose  that  which  was  in  Joshua's  time — in  that  degree  of 
acquired  knowledge  and  learning  which  the  world  had  arrived 
at  then,  how  incredible  would  those  truths  have  seemed  ! 

§  7.  If  things  which  fact  and  experience  make  certain,  such 
as  the  miseries  infants  are  sometimes  the  subjects  of  in  this 
world,  had  been  exhibited  only  in  a  revelation  of  things  in  an 
unseen  state,  they  would  be  as  much  disputed  as  the  Trinity 
and  other  mysteries  revealed  in  the  Bible. 

§  8.  There  is  nothing  impossible  or  absurd  in  the  doctrine 
of  the  Incarnation  of  Christ.  If  God  can  join  a  body  and  a 
rational  soul  together,  which  are  of  natures  so  heterogeneous 
and  opposite,  that  they  cannot  of  themselves,  act  one  upon 
another  ;  may  he  not  be  able  to  join  two  spirits  together,  which 
are  of  natures  more  similar  ?  And  if  so,  he  may,  for  ought  we 
know  to  the  contrary,  join  the  soul  or  spirit  of  a  man  to  him 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  313 

self.  Had  reason  been  so  clear  in  it,  that  God  cannot  be  in- 
carnate, as  many  pretend,  it  could  never  have  suffered  such  a 
notion  to  gain  ground,  and  possess  the  minds  of  so  many  na- 
tions :  nay,  and  of  Julian  himself,  who  says,  that  "  Jupiter 
begat  Esculapius  out  of  his  own  proper  substance,  and  sent  him 
down  to  Epidaurus,  to  heal  the  distempers  of  mankind." 
Reason  did  not  hinder  Spinosa,  Blount,  and  many  other  modern 
philosophers,  from  asserting,  that  God  may  have  a  body  :  or 
rather,  that  the  universe,  or  the  matter  of  the  unvierse,  is  God. 
Many  nations  believed  the  incarnation  of  Jupiter  himself. 
Reason,  instead  of  being  utterly  averse  to  the  notion  of  a 
divine  incarnation,  hath  easily  enough  admitted  that  notion, 
and  suffered  it  to  pass,  almost  without  contradiction,  among 
the  most  philosophical  nations  of  the  world. 

§  9.  "  In  thinking  of  God's  raising  so  many  myriads  of 
spirits,  and  such  prodigious  masses  of  matter  out  of  nothing, 
we  are  lost  and  astonished,  as  much  as  in  the  contemplation  of 
the  Trinity.  We  can  follow  God  but  one  or  two  steps  in  his 
lowest  and  plainest  works,  till  all  becomes  mystery  and  matter 
of  amazement  to  us.  How,  then,  shall  we  comprehend  himself? 
How  shall  we  understand  his  nature,  or  account  for  his  ac- 
tions ?  In  that  he  contains  what  is  infinitely  more  incon- 
ceivable  than  all  the  wonders  of  his  creation  put  together." 
Deism  Revealed,  edit.  2  vol.  ii.  p.  93,  94. 

Those  who  deny  the  Trinity,  because  of  its  mysteriousness 
and  seeming  inconsistence,  yet,  generally  own  God's  certain 
prescience  of  men's  free  actions,  which  they  suppose  to  be  free 
in  such  a  sense,  as  not  to  be  necessary.  So  that  we  may  do, 
or  may  not  do,  that  which  God  certainly  foresees.  "  They 
also  hold,  that  such  a  freedom  without  necessity,  is  necessary  to 
morality ;  and  that  virtue  and  goodness  consists  in  any  one's 
doing  good  when  he  might  do  evil.  And  yet  they  suppose,  that 
God  acts  by  the  eternal  law  of  nature  and  reason,  and  that  it 
is  impossible  that  he  should  transgress  that  law,  and  do  evil ; 
because  that  would  be  a  contradiction  to  his  own  nature,  which 
is  infinitely  and  unchangeably  virtuous.  Now  this  seems  a  flat 
contradiction.  To  say,  that  the  infinite  goodness  of  God's 
nature  makes  it  utterly  impossible  for  God  to  do  evil,  is  exactly 
the  same  as  to  say,  he  is  under  a  natural  necessity  not  to  do 
evil.  And  to  say,  he  is  morally  free,  is  to  say  he  may  do  evil. 
Therefore  the  necessity  and  freedom  in  this  case  being  both 
moral,  the  contradiction  is  flat  and  plain  ;  and  amounts  to  this, 
that  God,  in  respect  to  good  and  evil  actions,  is  both  a  necessary 
and  free  agent.  Dr.  Clark,  in  his  Treaties  on  the  attributes, 
labours  to  get  clear  of  this  contradiction  upon  these  principles 
of  liberty,  but  without  success  ;  and  leaves  it  just  where  all 
men,  who  hold  the  same  principles,  must  be  forced  to  leave  it. 
Therefore,  thev  hold  such  mysteries,  in  respect  to  Deity,  that 

Vol,  VII.  40 


314  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATION-. 

are  even  harder  to  be  conceived  of,  or  properly  expressed,  and 
explained,  than  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity. 

"When  we  talk  of  God,  who  is  infinite  and  incomprehensible, 
it  is  natural  to  run  into  notions  and  terms  which  it  is  impossible 
for  us  to  reconcile.  And  in  lower  matters,  that  are  more  with- 
in our  knowledge  and  comprehension,  we  shall  not  be  able  to 
keep  ourselves  clear  of  them.  To  say  that  a  curve  line,  setting 
out  from  a  point  within  an  hair's  breadth  of  a  right  line,  shall 
run  towards  that  right  line  as  swift  as  thought,  and  yet  never 
be  able  to  touch  it,  seems  contrary  to  common  sense  ;  and, 
were  it  not  clearly  demonstrated  in  the  conchoides  of  Nico- 
medes,  could  never  be  believed.  Matter  is  infinitely  divisible : 
and  therefore  a  cubical  inch  of  gold  may  be  divided  into  an 
infinity  of  parts ;  and  there  can  be  no  number  greater  than 
that  which  contains  an  infinity.  Yet  another  cubical  inch  of 
gold  may  be  infinitely  divided  also  ;  and  therefore,  the  parts  of 
both  cubes  must  be  more  numerous  than  the  parts  of  one  only. 
Here  is  a  palpable  contrariety  of  ideas,  and  a  flat  contradiction 
of  terms.  We  are  confounded  and  lost  in  the  consideration 
of  infinites  ;  and  surely,  most  of  all,  in  the  consideration  of 
that  infinite  of  infinites.  We  justly  admire  that  saying  of  the 
philosopher,  that  God  is  a  Being  whose  centre  is  every  where, 
and  circumference  nowhere,  as  one  of  the  noblest  and  most  ex- 
alted flights  of  human  understanding ;  and  yet,  not  only  the 
terms  are  absurd,  and  contradictory,  but  yet  the  very  ideas  that 
constitute  it,  when  considered  attentively,  are  repugnant  to  one 
another.  Space  and  duration  are  mysterious  abysses,  in  which 
our  thoughts  are  confounded  with  demonstrable  proposition,  to 
all  sense  and  reason  flatly  contradictory  to  one  another.  Any 
two  points  of  time,  though  never  so  distant,  are  exactly  in  the 
middle  of  eternity.  The  remotest  points  of  space  that  can  be 
imagined  or  supposed,  are  each  of  them  precisely  in  the  centre 
of  infinite  space."     Deism  Revealed,  vol.  ii.  p.  109,  110,  111. 

Here  might  have  been  added  the  mysteries  of  God's  eternal 
duration,  it  being  without  succession,  present,  before  and  after, 
all  at  once  :   Vitce  interminabilis  tota  simul  et  perfecta  possessio. 

§  10.  To  reject  every  thing  but  what  we  can  first  see  to  be 
agreeable  to  our  reason,  tends,  by  degrees,  to  bring  every  thing 
relating  not  only  to  revealed  religion,  but  even  to  natural  reli- 
gion, into  doubt ;  to  make  all  its  doctrines  appear  with  dim 
evidence,  like  a  shadow,  or  the  ideas  of  a  dream,  till  they  are 
all  neglected  as  worthy  of  no  regard.  It  tends  to  make  men 
doubt  of  the  several  attributes  of  God,  and  so,  in  every  respect, 
to  doubt  what  kind  of  being  God  is ;  and  to  make  men  doubt 
about  the  forgiveness  of  sin,  and  about  the  duties  of  religion, 
prayer,  and  giving  thanks,  social  worship,  &c.  It  will  tend,  at 
last,  to  make  men  esteem  the  science  of  religion  as  of  no  value 


SISCELLANE01  S  OBSERVATIONS.  315 

und  so  total!}-  neglect  it ;  and,  from  step  to  step,  it  will  lead  to 
scepticism,  atheism,  and,  at  length,  to  barbarity. 

§11.  Concerning  common  sense,  it  is  to  be  observed,  that 
common  inclination,  or  the  common  dictates  of  inclination, 
are  often  called  common  sense.  When  any  thing  is  shocking 
to  the  common  dispositions,  or  inclinations  of  men,  that  is 
called  a  contradicting  of  common  sense.  So,  the  doctrine  of 
the  extreme  and  everlasting  torments  of  hell,  being  contrary  to 
men's  common  folly  and  stupidity,  is  often  called  contrary  to 
common  sense.  Men,  through  stupidity,  are  insensible  of  the 
great  evil  of  sin ;  and  so  the  punishment  of  sin  threatened  in 
the  word  of  God,  disagrees  with  this  insensibility,  and  it  is 
said  to  be  contradictory  to  common  sense.  In  this  case,  that 
turn  of  mind  which  arises  from  a  wicked  disposition,  goes  for 
common  sense. 

"  We  ought  never  to  deny,  because  we  cannot  conceive.  If 
this  were  not  so,  then  a  man,  born  blind,  would  reason  right, 
when  he  forms  this  syllogism — '  We  know  the  figure  of  bodies 
only  by  handling  them  ;  but  it  is  impossible  to  handle  them  at 
a  great  distance  ;  therefore,  it  is  impossible  to  know  the  figure 
of  far-distant  bodies.'  To  undeceive  the  blind  man,  we  may 
prove  to  him  that  this  is  so,  from  the  concurrent  testimony  of 
all  who  surround  him.  But  we  can  never  make  him  perceive 
how  this  is  so.  It  is,  therefore,  a  fundamental  maxim  in  all 
true  philosophy,  that  many  things  may  be  incomprehensible, 
and  yet  demonstrable  :  that  though  seeing  clearly  be  a  sufficient 
reason  for  affirming,  yet,  not  seeing  at  all,  can  never  be  a  reason 
for  denying."  Ramsay's  Philosophical  Principles  of  Religion, 
vol.  i.  p.  22,  23. 

§  12.  One  method  used  to  explode  every  thing  in  religion 
that  is  in  the  least  difficult  to  the  understanding,  is  to  ridicule 
all  distinctions  in  religion.  The  unreasonableness  of  this  may 
appear  from  what  Mr.  Locke  observes  concerning  discerning 
and  judgment.  Hum.  Underst.  book  ii.  chap.  2.  "  Accurately 
discriminating  ideas  one  from  another,  is  of  that  consequence 
to  the  other  knowledge  of  the  mind,  that,  so  far  as  this  faculty 
is,  in  itself,  dull,  or  not  rightly  made  use  of,  for  distinguishing 
one  thing  from  another,  so  far  our  notions  are  confused,  and 
our  reason  and  judgment  disturbed  or  misled.  If,  in  having 
ideas  in  the  memory  ready  at  hand,  consists  quickness  of  parts  ; 
in  this,  of  having  them  unconfused,  and  being  able  nicely  to 
distinguish  one  thing  from  another,  where  there  is  but  the  least 
difference,  consists,  in  a  great  measure,  the  exactness  of  judg- 
ment, and  clearness  of  reason,  which  is  to  be  observed  in  one 
man  above  another.  Judgment  lies  in  separating  carefully  one 
from  another,  ideas  wherein  can  be  found  the  least  difference, 
thereby  to  avoid  being  misled  by  similitude,  and  by  affinity,  to 
take  one  thing  for  another." 


,'i!6  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS. 

So  Dr.  Turnbull,  in  his  Principles  of  Moral  Philosophy, 
part  i.  chap.  3.  p.  94.  "  Judgment  is  rightly  said  to  lie  in 
nicely  distinguishing  the  disagreements  and  variances,  or  differ- 
ences of  ideas ;  those,  especially,  which  lie  more  remote  from 
common  observation,  and  are  not  generally  adverted  to.  The 
man  of  judgment,  or  discretion,  (for  so  discretion  properly  signi- 
fies,) may  be  defined  to  be  one  who  has  a  particular  aptitude 
to  descry  differences  of  all  kinds  between  objects,  even  the 
most  hidden  and  remote  from  vulgar  eyes.1' 

§  13.  If  any  respect  to  the  Divine  Being  is  of  importance, 
then  speculative  points  are  of  importance ;  for  the  only  way 
whereby  we  know  what  he  is,  is  by  speculation. — If  our  doc- 
trines concerning  him,  are  not  right,  it  will  not  be  that  Being, 
but  some  other,  that  we  have  respect  for.  So  it  may  be  said 
concerning  our  respect  for  Christ.  If  our  doctrines  concerning 
him,  concerning  his  divinity,  for  instance,  are  false,  we  have 
not  respect  for  the  Christ  of  whom  the  Scriptures  speak,  but, 
for  an  imaginary  person,  infinitely  diverse.  When  it  is  said  by 
some,  that  the  only  fundamental  article  of  faith  is,  that  Jesus 
is  the  Messiah ;  if  thereby  be  meant,  that  a  person,  called  by 
that  name,  or  that  lived  at  such  a  time,  or  place,  was  the  Mes- 
siah, that  name  not  implying  any  properties  or  qualities  of  his 
person,  the  doctrine  is  exceedingly  unreasonable  ;  for  surely  the 
name  and  the  place  are  not  of  so  great  importance  as  some 
other  things  essential  in  his  person,  and  have  not  so  great  con- 
cern in  the  identity  of  the  object  of  our  ideas  and  respect,  as 
the  person  the  gospel  reveals.  It  is  one  great  reason  why  spe- 
culative points  are  thought  to  be  of  so  little  importance,  that 
the  modern  religion  consists  so  little  in  respect  to  the  Divine 
Being,  and  almost  wholly  in  benevolence  to  men. 

§  14.  Concerning  what  is  often  said  by  some,  that  all  things 
necessary  to  salvation  are  plain  and  clear,  let  us  consider  how, 
and  in  what  sense,  this  is  true,  and  in  what  sense  it  is  not  true. 
1st.  It  is  true,  that  all  things  necessary  to  salvation  are  clearly 
and  plainly  revealed.  But  it  does  not  follow,  that  they  shall 
appear  to  be  plainly  revealed  to  all  men.  No  divine  thing  can 
have  evidence  sufficient  to  appear  evident  to  all  men,  however 
great  their  prejudices,  and  however  perverse  their  dispositions, 
2dly.  If  thereby  is  meant,  that  all  things  necessary  to  be  be- 
lieved, are  easily  comprehended,  there  is  no  reason  in  such  an 
assertion,  nor  is  it  true. 

Some  late  writers  insist,  that,  for  a  thing  to  be  revealed,  and 
yet  remain  mysterious,  is  a  contradiction  ;  that  it  is  as  much 
as  to  say,  a  thing  is  revealed  and  yet  hid.  I  answer,  the  thing 
revealed,  is  the  truth  of  the  doctrine  ;  so  that  the  trvth  of  it  no 
longer  remains  hid,  though  many  things  concerning  the  manner 
may  be  so.  Yet  many  things  concerning  the  nature  of  the 
things  revealed  may  be  clear,  though  many  other  things  con- 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  31S 

cerniug  their  nature  may  remain  hid.  God  requires  us  to  un- 
derstand no  more  than  is  intelligibly  revealed.  That  which  is 
not  distinctly  revealed,  we  are  not  required  distinctly  to  under- 
stand. It  may  be  necessary  for  us  to  know  a  thing  in  part,  and 
yet  not  necessary  to  know  it  perfectly. 

§  15.  The  importance  of  all  Christian  doctrines  whatsoever, 
will  naturally  be  denied,  in  consequence  of  denying  that  one 
great  doctrine  of  the  necessity  of  Christ's  satisfaction  to  Divine 
justice,  and  maintaining  those  doctrines  that  establish  men's 
own  righteousness,  as  that  on  which,  and  for  which,  they  are 
accepted  of  God.  For  that  great  Christian  doctrine  of  Christ's 
satisfaction,  his  vicarious  sufferings  and  righteousness,  by 
which  he  offered  an  infinite  price  to  God  for  our  pardon  and 
acceptance,  to  eternal  favour  and  happiness,  is  that  to  which 
all  evangelical  doctrines,  all  doctrines  beside  the  truths  of  na- 
tural religion,  have  relation ;  and  they  are  of  little  importance, 
comparatively,  any  other  way,  than  as  they  have  respect  to 
that.  This  is,  as  it  were,  the  centre  and  hinge  of  all  doctrines 
of  pure  revelation. 

§  16.  Indeed,  the  Papists,  who  are  very  far  from  having  such 
a  notion  of  that  evangelical  faith,  which  is  the  special  condi- 
tion of  salvation  in  opposition  to  works,  and  have  forsaken 
the  evangelical  notion  of  true  saving  religion,  yet  with  fiery 
zeal,  insist  on  the  profession  of  a  great  number  of  doctrines, 
and  several  of  the  doctrines  of  pure  revelation,  as  the  Trinity, 
&c.  But  this  in  them  flows  not  from  any  regard  to  their  in- 
fluence in  internal  saving  religion,  but  from  quite  another  view, 
i.  e.  to  uphold  their  tyranny.  These  are  the  doctrines  which 
have  been  handed  down  among  them  by  their  church  from 
ancient  tradition  ;  and,  to  maintain  the  credit  of  the  infallibi- 
lity and  divine  authority  and  dominion  of  their  hierarchy  over 
men's  faith,  they  must  be  zealous  against  any  that  presume  to 
deny  Christ's  doctrines,  because  they  look  upon  it  as  an  in- 
fringement on  the  high  authority  they  claim.  And  some  Pro- 
testants have  a  zeal  for  doctrines  from  like  views  ;  doctrines, 
indeed,  for  which  they  have  no  great  value,  in  themselves  con- 
sidered. 

§  17.  That  it  is  not  alone  sufficient  to  believe  this  one  arti- 
cle, that  a  person  of  the  name  of  Jesus  came  from  God  to  reveal 
his  will  to  man,  without  knowing  or  determining  what  he  was, 
or  concerning  his  nature  and  qualities,  is  evident  from  this, 
that  it  is  often  spoken  of  as  necessary  to  know  Christ.  It  is 
said,  "  This  is  eternal  life,  to  know  thee,  and  Jesus  Christ, 
whom  thou  hast  sent." 

§  18.  There  are  two  things  especially  that  make  modern 
fashionable  divines  look  on  doctrines  of  revealed  religion  of 
little  importance.  One  is,  their  mistake  about  the  conditions 
of  salvation ;    another  is,  their  mistake  about  the  nature  of 


ojJS  ELLANEODS  OBSERVATll 

true  virtue,  placing  it  chiefly,  and  most  essentially,  in  benevo- 
lence to  men,  and  so  little  in  respect  to  God  and  Christ.  If 
Christian  virtue  consists  very  much  in  a  proper  respect  to 
Christ,  then,  certainly,  it  is  of  great  importance  to  know  what 
sort  of  person  he  is,  at  least  as  to  that  particular  wherein  his 
excellency,  or  worthiness  of  regard,  consists,  which  is  surely 
his  divinity,  if  he  be  a  divine  person.  Another  thing  on  which 
a  proper  respect  to  him  depends,  is  his  relation  to  us,  and  our 
dependence  upon  him  ;  which,  surely,  chiefly  depends  on  his 
satisfaction  and  merits  for  us,  if  he  has  satisfied  and  merited 
for  us.  The  reasons,  or  grounds,  of  the  love  and  honour  to 
Christ,  required  of  us,  consist  chiefly  in  two  things :  (1.)  In 
what  hew;  and,  (2.)  In  what  he  has  done  for  us.  Therefore, 
with  regard  to  the  latter,  it  concerns  us  greatly  to  know,  at 
least  as  to  the  principal  things,  what  they  are.  And,  if  he  has 
satisfied  for  our  sins  ;  if  he  has  sutfered  in  our  stead  ;  if  he  has 
truly  purchased  eternal  life  and  happiness  for  us ;  if  he  has 
redeemed  us  from  an  extremely  sinful,  miserable,  helpless  state  ; 
a  state  wherein  we  deserved  no  mercy,  but  eternal  misery,  then 
these  are  principal  things. 

Another  reason  why  doctrines  are  thought  to  be  of  little 
importance,  is  a  notion  of  sincerity  wherein  true  virtue  consists, 
as  what  may  be  prior  to  any  means  of  it  that  God  grants ;  as 
if  it  was  what  every  man  had  in  his  power,  antecedently  to  all 
means  ;  and  so  the  means  are  looked  upon  as  of  little  import- 
ance. But  the  absurdity  of  this  may  be  easily  manifested. 
If  it  be  independent  of  <all  means,  then  it  may  be  independent 
of  natural  information,  or  of  the  truths  of  the  light  of  nature, 
as  well  as  of  revealed  religion  ;  and  men  may  sincerely  regard 
and  honour  they  know  not  what.  The  truths  of  natural  reli- 
gion, wherein  Christians  differ  from  the  most  ignorant,  brutish, 
and  deluded  idolaters,  the  most  savage  and  cruel  of  the  hea- 
then nations,  may  be  of  little  importance.  And  the  reason 
why  they  have  this  notion  of  sincerity  antecedent  to  means, 
and  so  independent  of  means,  is,  that  they  have  a  notion  that 
sincerity  is  independent  of  God,  any  otherwise  than  as  they 
depend  on  him  for  their  creation.  They  conceive  it  to  be 
independent  of  his  sovereign  will  and  pleasure.  If  they  were 
sensible  that  they  depend  on  God  to  give  it  according  to  his 
pleasure,  it  would  be  easy  and  natural  to  acknowledge,  that 
God  gives  it  in  his  own  way,  and  by  his  own  means, 

§  19.  If  any  article  of  faith  at  all  concerning  Jesus  Christ 
be  of  importance,  it  must  be  of  importance  to  know  or  believe 
something  concerning  his  person  ;  what  sort  of  a  person  or 
being  he  was.  And  if  any  thing  concerning  him  be  of  import- 
ance to  be  known  and  believed,  it  must  be  something  wherein 
his  excellency  or  worthiness  of  regard  consists:  For  nothing 
can  be  of  importance  to  be  known  or  believed  about  him.  but 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS. 


319 


in  order  to  some  regard  or  respect  of  heart.  But  most  cer- 
tainly, if  any  thing  of  his  excellency  and  dignity  be  of  import- 
ance to  be  known  or  believed,  it  must  be  of  importance  at 
least  to  know  so  much  about  him,  as  to  know  whether  he  be 
God  or  a  mere  creature  ;  for  herein  lies  the  greatest  difference, 
as  to -dignity,  that  possibly  can  be.  This  difference  is  infinite. 
If  it  be  of  importance  to  know  how  worthy  he  is,  then  it  doubt- 
less is  of  importance  that  we  should  not  be  ignorant  of,  and  deny 
as  it  were,  all  his  dignity,  or  so  much  of  it,  that  what  remains 
shall  be  absolutely  as  nothing  to  that  which  is  denied.  It  is 
of  importance  that  we  love  Christ,  or  have  respect  to  him  as 
one  that  is  excellent,  and  worthy  of  esteem  and  love.  The 
apostle  says,  "  If  any  man  love  not  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  let 
him  be  anathema  maranatha.11  And  doubtless,  true  love  to 
Christ  is  in  some  respect  suitable  to  the  worthiness  and  excel- 
lency of  his  person.  Therefore  it  is  of  importance  to  believe, 
and  not  to  deny  those  doctrines  which  exhibit  his  worthiness. 
It  is  of  importance  that  we  do  not  in  effect  deny  the  whole  of 
his  worthiness. 

§  20.  How  many  things  were  believed  by  the  ancient  phi- 
losophers about  divine  matters,  even  the  most  rational  of  them, 
more  mysterious  than  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  chiefly  be- 
cause such  things  were  handed  to  them  by  the  Phoenicians, 
Egyptians,  Chaldeans,  or  Persians,  or  on  the  authority  of  some 
great  master  ?  Yet  these  things  were  imbibed  without  much 
difficulty,  the  incomprehensibleness  of  the  doctrines  being  no 
objection  to  their  receiving  them. 

§  21.  There  are  things  evidently  true  concerning  the  nature 
of  our  own  souls,  that  seem  strange  paradoxes,  and  are  seem- 
ing contradictions ;  as,  that  our  souls  are  in  no  place,  and  yet 
have  a  being;  or,  if  they  are  supposed  to  be  in  a  place,  that 
yet  they  are  not  confined  to  place,  and  limited  to  certain 
space  ;  or,  if  they  be,  that  they  are  not  of  a  certain  figure  ;  or, 
if  they  are  figurate,  that  their  properties,  faculties,  and  acts, 
should  or  should  not  be  so  too. 

§  22.  If  many  things  we  all  see  and  know  of  the  mortality 
of  mankind,  the  extreme  sufferings  of  infants,  and  other  things 
innumerable  in  the  state  of  the  world  of  mankind,  were  only 
matter  of  doctrine  which  we  had  no  notice  of  any  other  way 
than  by  revelation,  and  not  by  fact  and  experience  ;  have  we 
not  reason  to  think,  from  what  we  see  of  the  temper  of  this 
age,  that  they  would  be  exceedingly  quarrelled  with,  objected 
mightily  against,  as  inconsistent  with  God's  moral  perfections, 
not  tending  to  amiable  ideas  of  the  Godhead,  &c.  ? 

§  23.  The  definition  of  a  mystery,  according  to  Stapferus, 
Theol.  Polem.  p.  263  and  858,  is  this  :  A  mystery  is  a  religious 
doctrine,  which  must  be  made  known  by  immediate  revelation, 
and  cannot  be  known  and  demonstrated  from  the  principles  of 


320  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS. 

reason,  but  is  above  reason,  and  which  in  this  whole  universe 
has  nothing  like  itself,  but  differs  from  all  those  truths  which 
we  discover  in  this  system  of  the  world.  (Ibid,  p.  859.)  It 
appears  from  this  definition,  that  whatever  is  known  by  divine 
revelation,  and  is  not  certain  from  the  principles  of  reason,  is  a 
mystery  /  otherwise  it  could  not  be  said  to  be  revealed.  Mys- 
teries are  the  first  things  which  we  conceive  concerning  reve- 
lation ;  for  no  revelation  can  be  conceived  without  mysteries, 
and  therefore  they  constitute  the  sum  and  essence  of  revelation. 

§  24.  Jt  is  to  be  observed,  that  we  ought  to  distinguish  be- 
tween those  things  which  were  written  in  the  sacred  books  by 
the  immediate  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  those  which 
were  only  committed  to  writing  by  the  direction  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  To  the  former  class  belong  all  the  mysteries  of  salva- 
tion, or  all  those  things  which  respect  the  means  of  our  deli- 
verance taught  in  the  gospel,  which  could  not  be  known  from 
the  principles  of  reason,  and,  therefore,  must  be  revealed. 
But  to  the  other  class  those  things  belong,  which  either  are 
already  known  from  natural  religion,  but  are  of  service  to 
inculcate  duty  on  man,  and  to  demonstrate  the  necessity  of 
revealed  means  of  salvation ;  or,  are  histories,  useful  to  illus- 
trate and  to  assure  us  of  the  doctrines  revealed,  and  which 
point  out  the  various  degrees  of  revelation,  the  different  dis- 
pensations of  salvation,  and  the  various  modes  of  governing 
the  church  of  God  ;  all  which  are  necessary  to  be  known  in  the 
further  explanation  of  mysteries. 

§  25.  Mysteries  constitute  the  criterion  of  divine  revelation  ; 
so  absurdly  do  they  act,  who  allow  a  revelation,  and  deny 
mysteries  ;  or  deny  revelation  for  this  reason,  that  it  contains 
mysteries.  What  the  sum  and  essence  of  revealed  religion 
are,  is  plain  from  the  end  of  it,  which  is  to  point  put  to  sinful 
man  the  means  of  obtaining  salvation,  and  of  recovering  the 
divine  favour.  But  this  is,  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  only  and 
most  perfect  cause  of  salvation,  to  be  received  by  a  true  faith. 
This  doctrine,  however,  is  a  mystery  of  godliness  manifestly 
great ;  1  Tim.  iii.  16.  And  thus  that  great  mystery  constitutes 
the  sum  and  essence  of  revelation.  The  essence  of  revealed 
religion  consists  in  this,  that  men  by  a  true  faith  receive  this 
doctrine,  which  the  apostle  calls  a  mystery  manifestly  great. 
Therefore,  the  knowledge  of  the  greatest  mystery  belongs  to 
the  very  essence  of  the  religion  of  a  sinner.  How  absurd  do 
many  of  the  doctrines  of  mathematicians  and  astronomers 
appear  to  ignorant  men,  when  they  cannot  see  the  reason  of 
those  doctrines,  although  they  are  most  true  and  evident,  so 
that  not  the  least  doubt  concerning  them  can  remain  in  the 
mind  of  a  thorough  mathematician  ?     (Ibid,  torn.  iii.  p.  560.) 

§  26.  Since,  in  religion,  there  are  some  primary  truths,  and 
others  more  remote,  which  are  deduced  from  the  former  bv 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  321 

reasoning,  and  so  are  secondary — and  these  last  may  not  be 
known,  though  the  primary  are  known  ;  but  when  once  they 
are  known,  they  cannot  be  denied — it  follows,  that  those  arti- 
cles, which  constitute  religion,  and  so  are  fundamental,  are  to 
be  distinguished  into  primary  and  secondary.  The  primary 
are  those  of  which  a  man  cannot  be  ignorant,  consistently 
with  true  religion,  and  his  own  salvation ;  and  they  are  neces- 
sary with  a  necessity  of  means.  The  secondary  are  those  of 
which  a  man  may  be  ignorant,  consistently  with  his  resting 
upon  the  foundation  of  true  religion,  and  with  his  own  salva- 
tion ;  and  those  are  necessary  with  a  necessity  of  command. 
Therefore,  to  the  same  man,  certain  doctrines  may  be  now 
fundamental,  which  were  not  fundamental  to  him  before  he 
knew  them.     (Ibid,  torn.  i.  p.  524,  525.) 

Joh.  Chr.  Kirchmejerus,  in  his  Dissert,  concerning  funda- 
mental articles,  says,  "  They  may  be  either  reduced  to  fewer, 
or  extended  to  more ;  as  often  one  article  may  include  the 
rest,  and  so  all  may  be  reduced  to  that  one  ;  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  that  one,  according  to  the  various  truths  contained  in  it, 
may  be  divided  into  several.  Therefore,  authors  do  not  con- 
tradict themselves,  who  reduce  all  fundamental  articles  to  one: 
for  they  cannot  well  be  determined  by  their  number  ;  because, 
as  many  fundamental  truths  are  contained  in  one  fundamental 
truth,  as  there  are  essential  properties  belonging  to  the  truths 
thus  contained.  Therefore,  the  holy  scripture  often  sums  up 
all  fundamental  articles  in  one,  as  in  John  xvii.  3.  '  This  is 
life  eternal,  that  they  might  know  thee,  the  only  true  God,  and 
Jesus  Christ,  whom  thou  hast  sent.'  Sometimes,  it  distin- 
guishes them  into  several ;  as  in  1  Tim.  i.  5.  '  Now  the  end 
of  the  commandment  is  charity,  out  of  a  pure  heart,  and  of 
a  good  conscience,  and  of  faith  unfeigned.1 "  (Ibid,  torn.  i. 
p.  528.) 

§  27.  On  account  of  the  various  degrees  of  men's  capacities, 
and  the  various  circumstances  of  the  times  in  which  they  live, 
one  man  may  know  truths  which  another  cannot  know. 
Whence  it  follows,  that  the  very  same  articles  are  not  funda- 
mental to  all  men  ;  but  accordingly  as  revelation  hath  been 
more  or  less  complete,  according  to  the  several  dispensations 
under  which  men  have  lived,  their  various  natural  abilities,  and 
their  various  modes  and  circumstances  of  living,  different  arti- 
cles are,  and  have  been,  fundamental  to  different  men.  This 
is  very  plain  from  the  different  degrees  of  knowledge  before 
and  since  the  coming  of  Christ ;  for,  before  his  coming,  many 
truths  lay  hid,  which  are  now  set  in  the  most  clear  light :  and 
the  instance  of  the  apostles,  abundantly  shows  the  truth  of 
what  1  have  now  advanced  ;  who,  although  they  were  already 
in  a  state  of  grace,  and  their  salvation  was  secured,  yet  for 
some  time  were  ignorant  of  the  necessity  of  the  sufferings  and 
Vox,  VII.  41 


3&£  MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS. 

death  of  Christ,  and  of  the  true  nature  of  his  kingdom. 
Whereas,  he  who  now  does  not  acknowledge  the  necessity  of 
Christ's  death,  is,  by  all  means,  to  be  considered  as  in  funda- 
mental error.  Therefore,  as  a  man  hath  received  of  God 
greater  or  less  natural  abilities,  so  let  the  number  of  articles  to 
which  he  shall  give  his  assent,  be  greater  or  smaller ;  and,  as 
revelation  hath  been  made,  or  information  hath  been  given,  to 
a  man,  more  clearly,  or  obscurely,  in  the  same  proportion  is 
more  or  less  required  of  him.  Therefore,  in  our  own  case,  we 
ought  to  be  cautious  of  even  the  smallest  errors,  and  to  aim  at 
the  highest  degree  of  knowledge  in  divine  truths.  In  the  case 
of  others,  we  ought  to  judge  concerning  them  with  the  greatest 
prudence,  mildness,  and  benevolence.  Hence  we  see,  that  a 
certain  precise  number  of  articles,  which  shall  be  necessary 
and  fundamental  to  every  man,  cannot  be  determined,     (Ibid, 


■n<<   ELLANEOVS   OBSERVATIONS  4523 


PART  III. 


OBSERVATIONS    CONCERNING   THE   DIVINITY   OF    CHRIST   AND  THE 
DOCTRINE  OF   THE  TRINITV. 


Section  I, 


If  the  temptation  to  the  children  of  Israel  was  so  great,  to 
idolize  the  brazen  serpent,  a  lifeless  piece  of  brass,  for  the  tem- 
poral salvation  which  some  of  their  forefathers  had  by  looking 
on  it ;  how  great  would  be  their  temptation  to  idolatry  by  wor- 
shipping Christ,  if  he  were  a  mere  creature,  from  whom  man- 
kind receive  so  great  benefits  ?  If  that  brazen  serpent  must  be 
broken  to  pieces,  to  remove  the  temptation  to  idolatry,  (2  Kings 
xviii.  4,)  shall  so  great  a  temptation  be  laid  before  the  world  to 
idolize  a  mere  creature,  by  setting  him  forth  in  a  manner  that 
he  is  set  forth  in  scripture  ? 

§  2.  Must  Moses's  body  be  concealed,  lest  the  children  of 
Israel  should  worship  the  remains  of  him  whom  God  made  the 
instrument  of  such  great  things  ?  And  shall  another  mere  crea- 
ture— whom  men,  on  account  of  the  works  he  has  done,  are 
under  infinitely  greater  temptation  to  worship — be  most  openly 
and  publicly  exhibited,  as  exalted  to  heaven,  seated  at  God's 
own  right  hand,  made  head  over  all  things,  ruler  of  the  universe, 
&c.  inthe  manner  that  Christ  is  ?  Was  not  this  the  temptation 
to  all  nations  to  idolatry,  viz.  That  men  had  been  distinguish- 
ed as  great  conquerors,  deliverers,  and  the  instruments  of  great 
benefit  ?  And  shall  God  make  a  mere  creature  the  instrument 
of  so  many  greater  benefits,  and  in  such  a  manner  as  Christ  is 
represented  to  be  in  the  scripture,  without  an  infinitely  greater 
temptation  to  idolatry  ? 

§  3.  When  the  rich  young  man  called  Christ  good  Master, 
not  supposing  him  to  be  God,  did  Christ  reject  it,  and  reprove 
him  for  calling  him  so  ?  He  said,  "  There  is  none  good  but 
One,  that  is  God ;"  meaning,  that  none  other  was  possessed  of 


o2i  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS. 

goodness  that  was  to  be  trusted.  And  yet,  shall  this  same 
Jesus,  if  indeed  not  that  God  who  only  is  to  be  called  good. 
or  trusted  in  as  such,  be  called  in  scripture,  He  that  is  Holy ; 
He  that  is  true  ?  the  Amen,  the  Faithful  and  True  Witness  ? 
the  Mighty  God,  the  Everlasting  Father,  the  Prince  of  Peace? 
the  blessed,  and  the  only  Potentate ;  the  King  of  Kings,  and 
Lord  of  Lords?  the  Lord  of  Life,  that  has  life  in  himself,  that 
all  men  might  honour  the  Son,  as  they  honour  the  Father? 
the  Wisdom  of  God,  and  the  Power  of  God?  the  Alpha  and 
Omega  ;  the  Beginning  and  the  End  ?  God,  Jehovah  ;  Elohim, 
the  King  of  Glory  ?  Compare  Isa.  xlii.  8.  Ps.  lxxvii.  18. 
Isa.  xlv.  20,  21,  &c.  "They  pray  unto  a  God  that  cannot 
save — Tell  ye  and  bring  them  near ;  let  them  take  counsel 
together;  there  is  no  God  else  beside  me,  a  just  God  and  a 
Saviour ;  there  is  none  besides  me."  Yet  it  is  said  of  Christ, 
that  "  He  is  able  to  save  unto  the  uttermost.,,  Yea,  the  Mes- 
siah, in  this  very  book,  is  spoken  of  as  mighty  to  save ;  saving 
by  his  own  arm,  and  by  the  greatness  of  his  strength ;  Isa. 
Ixiii.  1 — 6,  compared  with  Rev.  xiv.  15.  And  it  is  evident, 
that  it  is  his  character,  in  the  most  eminent  manner,  to  be  the 
Saviour  of  God's  people  ;  and  that  with  respect  to  what  is  infi- 
nitely the  highest  and  greatest  work  of  salvation  ;  the  greatest 
deliverance  from  the  most  dreadful  evil ;  from  the  greatest, 
worst,  and  strongest  enemies,  and  bringing  them  to  the  greatest 
happiness.  It  follows,  Isaiah  xlv.  22  :  "  Look  unto  me,  and 
be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends  of  the  earth  ;  for  I  am  God,  and 
there  is  none  else."  Here,  it  is  spoken  of  as  the  great  glory 
of  God,  and  peculiar  to  him,  that  he  is  an  universal  Saviour, 
not  only  of  the  Jews,  but  of  all  nations.  And  this  is  the  pecu- 
liar character  of  Jesus.  He  is  the  Saviour  of  all  nations. 
The  glory  of  calling  and  saving  the  Gentiles,  is  represented  as 
peculiarly  belonging  to  him  ;  so  that  he  has  this  divine  preroga- 
tive, which  is  spoken  of  here  as  belonging  to  the  One  only 
God,  and  to  none  else.  And,  which  is  more  than  all  this,  these 
very  things  are  applied  to  Christ  in  the  New  Testament, 
Philip,  ii.  10,  11.  "That  at  the  name  of  Jesus,  every  knee 
should  bow,  of  things  in  heaven,  of  things  in  earth,  and  things 
under  the  earth."  And  the  things  spoken  of  in  the  following 
verses,  as  the  peculiar  prerogative  of  God,  in  distinction  from 
all  other  beings,  as  the  only  Saviour,  viz.  having  righteousness, 
and  being  justified  in  him,  are  every  where  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment most  eminently  ascribed  to  Christ,  as  in  a  most  special 
manner  belonging  to  him. 

§  4.  Being  the  Saviour  of  God's  people,  is  every  where  in 
the  Old  Testament  mentioned  as  the  peculiar  work  of  the 
Deity.  The  Heathens  are  reproached  for  worshipping  gods 
that  could  not  save ;  and  God  says  to  the  idolatrous  Israelites, 
t}  Go  to  the  gods  whom  ye  have  served,  let  them  deliver  you.*' 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  32.3 

See  Isaiah  xliii.  3,  10 — 15,  in  which  verses,  we  have  another 
clear  demonstration  of  the  divinity  of  Christ.*  Trusting  is 
abundantly  represented  as  a  principal  thing  in  that  peculiar 
respect  due  to  God  alone,  as  of  the  essence  of  divine  adoration 
due  to  no  other  than  God.  And  yet,  how  is  Christ  represented 
as  the  peculiar  object  of  the  faith  and  trust  of  all  God's  people, 
of  all  nations,  as  having  all-sufficiency  for  them  ?  Trusting  in 
any  other,  is  greatly  condemned ;  is  a  thing,  than  which  no- 
thing is  represented  as  more  dangerous,  provoking  to  God,  and 
bringing  his  curse  on  man. 

§  5.  And  how  often  is  being  the  Redeemer  of  God's  people 
spoken  of  as  the  peculiar  character  of  the  mighty  God  of 
Jacob,  the  First  and  Last,  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  the  only  God, 
the  Holy  One  of  Israel?  (So  Isa.  xli.  14.  xliii.  14.  xliv.  6,  24. 
xlvii.  4.  xlviii.  17.  xlix.  7,  26.  liv.  5 ;  and  lx.  16.)  And  it  may 
be  observed,  that  when  God  has  this  title  of  the  Redeemer  of 
Israel  ascribed  to  him  in  those  places,  it  is  joined  with  some 
other  of  the  peculiar  and  most  exalted  names  and  titles  of  the 
most  high  God  :  such  as  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ;  (so  Isa.  xli. 
14.  xliii.  14.  xlvii.  4.  xlviii.  17.  xliv.  6.  and  xlix.  7.)  The 
Mighty  one  of  Jacob,  (chap.  xlix.  26.  and  lx.  16.)  The  Lord 
of  Hosts,  (Isa.  xlvii.  4.  and  xliv.  6.)  The  God  of  the  whole 
earth,  (chap.  liv.  5.)  The  First  and  the  Last,  besides  whom 
there  is  no  God,  (xliv.  6.)  The  Jehovah  that  maketh  all 
things,  that  stretcheth  forth  the  heavens  alone,  and  spreadeth 
abroad  the  earth  by  himself,  (ver.  24.)  .  Yet  the  Messiah,  in 
this  very  book,  is  spoken  of  as  the  Redeemer  of  God's  people, 
in  the  most  eminent  manner,  (chap.  Ixiii.  1 — 6.) 

§  6.  God  is  careful  that  his  people  should  understand,  that 
their  honour,  and  love,  and  praise,  for  the  redemption  out  of 
Egypt,  belongs  only  to  him,  and,  therefore,  is  careful  to  inform 
them,  that  he  alone  redeemed  them  out  of  Egypt,  and  that 
there  was  no  other  God  with  him  ;  and  to  make  use  of  that  as 
a  principal  argument  why  they  should  have  no  other  gods  be- 
fore him.  (See  Deut.  xxxii.  12;  Exod.  xx.  3 ;  Psal.  lxxxi.  8, 
9,  10  ;  Hos.  xiii.  4.)  The  words  in  that  place  are  remarkable  : 
"Yet  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God  from  the  land  of  Egypt;  and 
thou  shalt  know  no  God  but  me ;  for  there  is  no  Saviour  be- 
sides me."  If  God  insisted  on  that  as  a  good  reason  why  his 
people  should  know  no  God  besides  him,  that  he  alone  was  their 
Saviour  to  save  them  out  of  Egypt ;  would  he  afterward  appoint 
another  to  be  their  Saviour,  in  an  infinitely  greater  salvation  ? 

§  7.  The  works  of  creation  being  ascribed  to  Christ,  most 
evidently  prove  his  proper  divinity.  For  God  declares,  that  he 
is  Jehovah  that  stretcheth  forth  the  heavens  alone,  and  spread- 

*  See,   also,  Hosea  viii.  4.      See,  also,  Isaiah  xlix.  26.  and  lx.  16.     Deut. 
xxxiii.  29.    Jer.  iii.  23.    Jonah  ii.  tt,  9.     Psalm  iii.  8.     Isa.  xxv.  9. 


;t*JO  JUISCELLANEOUS   OBSERVATIONS. 

eth  abroad  the  earth  by  himself,  Isa.  xliv.  24.  (See  also  the  next 
chapter,  xlv.  5 — 6,  12.)  And  not  only  is  the  creation  of  the 
world  ascribed  to  Christ  often  in  scripture,  but  that  which  in 
Isaiah  is  called  the  new  creation,  which  is  here  represented  as 
an  immensely  greater  and  more  glorious  work  than  the  old  cre- 
ation, viz.  the  work  of  redemption,  as  this  prophet  himself  ex- 
plains it,  (Tsa.  lxv.  17,  18,  19.)  is  every  where  in  a  most  pecu- 
liar and  distinguishing  manner,  ascribed  to  Christ.  2  Peter  i.  1. 
"  Through  the  righteousness  of  God  and  our  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ :"'  Ev  Sixouo<fvvr\  <rou  Qsx  rifxuv  xai  tfw<r*)£0£  Ivjtfou  XgiflVou.  Tit. 
ii.  13.  "  Looking  for  the  blessed  hope  and  glorious  appearing 
of  the  great  God,  and  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ ;"  Ta  peyakx  @ex 
xou  (furrigog  r^iuv  Ir,<fz  X£»r*.  It  is  agreeable  to  the  manner  of  the 
apostle's  expressing  himself  in  both  places,  to  intend  one  and 
the  same  person,  viz.  Christ,  under  two  titles  :  As  when  speak- 
ing of  God  the  Father,  in  Eph.  i.  3.  "  Blessed  be  the  God  and 
Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  o  0£oj  xai  ira.*^.  See  Dr. 
Goodwin's  works,  vol.  i.  p.  93,  94. 

§  8.  That  passage  in  Isaiah  xl.  13  14.  "  Who  hath  directed 
the  spirit  of  the  Lord?"  proves  Christ's  divinity  ;  for  Christ  di- 
rects the  spirit  of  the  Lord.  See  John  xvi.  13 — 15,  and  many 
other  places.  Compare  the  following  texts,  set  in  opposite 
columns ;  those  in  the  first  column  are  represented  as  belong- 
ing to  God  only,  which  yet  in  the  second  column,  are  given  to 
Christ. 

The  name  GOD. 

Isaiah  xlv.  5.  John  i.  1. 

Isaiah  xliv.  8.  Heb.  i.  8. 

Isaiah  xlvi.  9.  Rom.  ix.  5. 

The  name  JEHOVAH. 

Psalm  cii.  25,  &c.  Heb.  i.  10. 

Zech.  xi.  12.  Matth.  xxvii.  9,  10. 

Zech.  xii.  10.  John  xix.  37. 

Isaiah  xl.  3.  Mark  i.  3. 

Hos.  i.  7.  Luke  ii.  11. 


Divine  Perfections. 

1  Kings  viii.  39.  John  ii.  24.  xvi.  30.  Acts  i.  24. 

Jer.  xvii.  10.  Rev.  ii.  3. 

Isaiah  xliv.  6.  Rev.  i.  17. 

Rev.  i.  8.  Rev.  xxii.  13. 

I  Tim.  vi.  15.  Rev.  xvii.  14.  and  xix.  16. 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  32? 

Isaiah  x.  21.  Isaiah  ix.  6. 

Rom.  x.  12.  Acts  x.  36.  Rom.  ix.  5. 

Psalm  xc.  2.  Prov.  viii.  22,  &c. 

Divine  Works. 

Neh.  ix.  6.  John  i.  3.  Col.  i.  16,  17. 

Gen.  i.  1.  Heb.  i.  10. 

Divine  Worship. 

Exod.  xx.  3.  Heb.  i.  6. 

Matt.  iv.  10.  and  Gal.  iv.  8.   John  v.  23.* 

§  9.  If  Christ  in  the  beginning  created  the  heavens  and  the 
earth,  he  must  be  from  eternity  ;  for  then  he  is  before  the  be- 
ginning, by  which  must  be  meant,  the  beginning  of  time  ;  the 
beginning  of  that  kind  of  duration  which  has  beginning  and 
following,  before  and  after,  belonging  to  it.  The  beginning  of 
created  existence,  or,  the  beginning  of  the  creation  which  God 
created,  as  the  phrase  is,  Mark  iii.  19.  In  Proverbs  viii.  22,  it 
is  said,  "  The  Lord  possessed  me  before  his  works  of  old  ;" 
and  therefore  before  those  works  which  in  Genesis  i.  1.  are  said 
to  be  made  in  the  beginning.  God's  eternity  is  expressed  thus, 
Psalm  xc.  2.  "  Before  the  mountains  were  brought  forth,  or  ever 
thou  hadst  created  the  earth  and  the  world,  even  from  everlast- 
ing.11 So  it  is  said,  Prov.  viii.  22,  &c.  "  The  Lord  possessed 
me  in  the  beginning  of  his  way,  before  his  works  of  old.  I 
was  set  up  from  everlasting,  from  the  beginning,  or  ever  the 
earth  was,11  &c. 

§  10.  That  the  kingdom  of  the  Messiah  is  so  commonly 
called  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  is  an  evidence  that  the  Messiah 
is  God.  By  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  plainly  meant  a  kingdom 
wherein  God  doth  reign,  or  is  King.  The  phrase,  the  kingdom 
of  heaven,  seems  to  be  principally  taken  from  Dan.  ii.  14.  "  And 
in  the  days  of  these  kings  shall  the  God  of  heaven  set  up  a 
kingdom  ;"  where  the  meaning  plainly  is,  after  the  heads  of 
those  four  great  monarchies  have  each  one  had  their  turn,  and 
erected  kingdoms  for  themselves  in  their  turn,  and  the  last 
monarchy  shall  be  divided  among  ten  kings  ;  finally,  the  God 
of  heaven  shall  take  the  dominion  from  them  all,  and  shall  set 
up  a  kingdom  for  himself.  He  shall  take  the  kingdom  and 
shall  rule  for  ever.  In  this  book,  chap.  iv.  26.  it  is  said,  "  After 
that  thou  shalt  have  known  that  the  heavens  do  rule."  The 
words  in  the  foregoing  verse  express  what  is  meant :  "  Until 
thou  know  that  the  Most  High  ruleth  in  the  kingdom  of  men.'" 
Therefore,  by  the  kingdom  of  heaven  which  shall  be  set  up,  is 

*  See  Waterlanp'b  answer  to  some  querie?. 


328  MISCELLANEOUS   OBSERVATIONS. 

meant  the  kingdom  wherein  God  himself  shall  be  the  king: 
not  as  reigning  and  administering  by  other  kings  or  judges,  as 
he  was  king  in  the  time  of  the  Judges,  and  in  the  time  of  David 
and  Solomon,  Hezekiah  and  Josiah,  &c.,  and  as  he  always 
doth  in  the  time  of  good  kings :  but  he  shall  set  up  his  king- 
dom, in  distinction  from  all  kingdoms  or  states,  wherein  the 
heavens  shall  rule,  or  God  himself  shall  be  king.  And,  there- 
fore, the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  often  called  the  kingdom  of 
God,  in  the  New  Testament.  And  it  is  abundantly  prophesied 
in  the  Old  Testament,  that  in  the  days  of  the  Messiah,  God 
shall  take  to  himself  the  kingdom,  and  shall  reign  as  king,  in 
contradistinction  to  other  reigning  subordinate  beings.  And 
that  God  himself  shall  reign  on  earth,  as  king  among  his  peop?e, 
is  abundantly  manifest  from,  many  prophecies.*  And  in  this 
very  prophecy  of  Daniel,  (chap,  vii  )  where  this  kingdom, 
which  the  Lord  of  heaven  should  at  last  set  up  (plainly  this 
same  kingdom,)  is  more  fully  spoken  of,  it  is  manifest,  that 
the  Messiah  is  to  be  the  king  in  that  kingdom,  who  shall  reign 
as  vested  with  full  power,  and  complete  kingly  authority.! 

§  11.  God  is  several  times  called  in  scripture,  the  Glory  of 
Israel,  or  of  God's  people  :  and  it  is  a  title  peculiar  to  him, 
wherein  he  appears  as  especially  distinguished  from  false  gods. 
Jer.  ii.  11.  "  Hath  a  nation  changed  their  gods,  which  yet  are 
no  gods?  but  my  people  have  changed  their  glory  for  that 
which  doth  not  profit."  Psalm  cvi.  20.  "  Thus  they  changed 
their  glory  into  the  similitude  of  an  ox  that  eateth  grass." 
But  we  find  that  Christ,  in  the  New  Testament,  is  spoken  of 
as  "  the  glory  of  God's  people  Israel."     Luke  ii.  23. 

§  12.  What  is  said  in  Job  xix.  25—27.  "  For  I  know  that 
my  Redeemer  liveth,"  &c,  is  a  proof  of  the  divinity  of  Christ. 
For  here,  he  whom  Job  calls  his  Redeemer,  his  God,  is  God  ; 
"Yet  in  my  flesh  shall  I  see  God."  But  it  is  very  manifest, 
that  Christ  is  he  who  is  most  properly  and  eminently  our  Re- 
deemer, or  God  :  And  here  Job  says,  that  God  shall  stand  at 
the  latter  day,  at  the  general  resurrection  on  the  earth  ;  when 
he  shall  see  him  in  his  flesh.  But  the  person  that  shall  then 
stand  on  the  earth,  we  know,  is  no  other  than  Jesus  Christ. 
And  how  often,  in  other  places,  both  in  the  Old  Testament 
and  the  New,  is  ChrisVs  coming  to  judgment,  spoken  of  as 
GWs  coming  to  judgment?  Christ's  appearing,  as  God's 
appearing?  and  our  standing  before  the  judgment-seat  of 
Christ,  as  our  standing  before  God's  judgment  seat  ? 

*  See  Psalm  xciii.  1.  xcvi.  10.  xcvii.  at  the  beginning,  and  xcix.  1.  Iso. 
xxxiii.  22.     Isa.  xl.  9,  10,  11.     Zeph.  iii.  14,  15.  Mai.  iii.  1,  2,  3. 

+  See,  also,  Dan.  ix.  25.  Gen.  xlix.  Psalms  ii.  ex.  lxxxix.  and  xlv.  Isaiah 
ix.  aud  xi.  Zech.  vi.  Jer.  xxiii.  5.  xxx.  9.  and  xxxiii.  15.  Ezek.  xxxir.  23 
and  xxxvii.  24.     Ho?,  iii.  5.     Zech.  vi.  12,  &c,  and  in  many  other  place?. 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  329 

§  13.  Luke  i.  16,  17.  "  And  many  of  the  children  of  Israel 
shall  he  turn  to  the  Lord  their  God  ;  and  he  shall  go  before 
him  in  the  spirit  and  power  of  Elias,  to  turn  the  hearts  of 
fathers  to  the  children,  and  of  the  disobedient  to  the  wisdom 
of  the  just ;  to  make  ready  a  people  prepared  for  the  Lord." 
Here  John  the  Baptist  is  spoken  of  as  going  before  the  Lord, 
the  God  of  the  children  of  Israel,  to  prepare  his  way  ;  agreea- 
bly to  the  prophecies ;  particularly,  Mai.  iii.  1.  and  iv.  5,  6. 
But  who  is  this  person  who  is  called  the  Lord,  the  God  of 
Israel,  whose  forerunner,  John  the  Baptist,  is  to  prepare  his 
way  ?  Nothing  is  more  manifest,  than  that  it  is  Jesus  Christ. 
See  Mark  i.  1 — 3.  "  The  beginning  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God :  as  it  is  written  in  the  prophets,  Be- 
hold, 1  send  my  messenger  before  thy  face,  who  shall  prepare 
thy  way  before  thee.  The  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilder- 
ness, Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make  his  paths  straight," 
(alluding  to  two  prophecies,  viz.  Mai.  iii.  1.  and  Isaiah  xl.  3.) 
Here  is  a  distinction  of  two  persons ;  the  one  speaking  in  the 
first  person  singular,  "  Behold,  I  send  my  messenger  ;"  the 
other  spoken  to  in  the  second  person,  "  before  thy  face,  which 
shall  prepare  thy  way  before  thee  ;"  which  makes  it  evident, 
that  the  person  spoken  of,  and  whose  forerunner  he  was,  to 
prepare  his  way,  was  Jesus  Christ.  So  Matt.  xi.  10.  Luke 
vii.  27.  See,  also,  how  manifest  this  is  by  John  i.  19.  "  And 
this  is  the  record  of  John."  Verse  23.  "  I  arn  the  voice  of 
one  crying  in  the  wilderness,  Make  straight  the  way  of  the 
Lord,  as  said  the  prophet  Esaias ;"  with  the  following  verses, 
especially  verse  31 :  "  And  I  knew  him  not,  but  that  he  should 
be  made  manifest  to  Israel :  therefore,  am  I  come  baptizing 
with  water."  So  that  it  is  evident,  that  Christ  is  he,  that,  in 
the  first  of  Luke  is  called  the  Lord,  or  Jehovah,  the  God  of 
Israel,  as  the  phrase  is  in  the  original  of  the  Old  Testament,  in 
places  from  whence  this  phrase  is  taken.  Therefore,  it  is  evi» 
dent,  that  Christ  is  one  God  with  the  Father  ;  for  the  scripture 
is  very  express,  that  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel,  is  but  one  Je- 
hovah ;  as  Deut.  vi.  4.  "  Hear,  O  Israel,  Jehovah  our  God  is 
one  Jehovah." 

§  14.  And,  if  we  look  into  those  prophecies  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament, referred  to  in  these  places  of  the  evangelists,  it  is  ma- 
nifest, that  what  they  foretel,  concerns  a  forerunner  to  prepare 
the  way  for  the  only  true  and  supreme  God ;  as,  Isa.  xl.  3. 
"  The  voice  of  him  that  crieth  in  the  wilderness,  Prepare  ye 
the  way  of  Jehovah ;  make  straight  in  the  desert  a  high  way 
for  our  God.''''  This  is  evidently  the  same  that  is  spoken  of  in 
the  following  parts  of  the  chapter  ;  as  in  verse  9,  and  follow- 
ing verses :  "  Say  unto  the  cities  of  Judah,  Behold  your  God; 
behold,  Jehovah  God  will  come.  He  shall  feed  his  flock  like 
a  shepherd.     Who  hath  measured  the  waters  in  the  hollow  of 

Vol.  VII,  1? 


330  MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS. 

his  hand,  and  meted  out  heaven  with  a  span,  and  comprehended 
the  dust  of  the  earth  in  a  measure,  and  weighed  the  mountains 
in  scales,  and  the  hills  in  a  balance  ?  Who  hath  directed  the 
spirit  of  the  Lord,  or,  being  his  counsellor,  hath  taught  him? 
With  whom  took  he  counsel,  and  who  instructed  him,  and 
taught  him  in  the  path  of  judgment  ?  Behold,  the  nations  are 
as  a  drop  of  the  bucket,  and  are  counted  as  the  small  dust  of 
the  balance.  Behold,  he  taketh  up  the  isles  as  a  very  little 
thing.  And  Lebanon  is  not  sufficient  to  burn,  nor  the  beasts 
thereof  sufficient  for  a  burnt-offering.  All  nations  before  him 
are  as  nothing,  and  they  are  counted  to  him  less  than  nothing, 
and  vanity.  To  whom,  then,  will  ye  liken  God  ?  or  what 
likeness  will  ye  compare  unto  him?"  Verse  22.  "It  is  he 
that  sitteth  on  the  circle  of  the  earth,  and  all  the  inhabitants 
thereof  are  as  grasshoppers ;  that  stretcheth  out  the  heavens 
as  a  curtain,  and  spreadeth  them  out  as  a  tent  to  dwell  in  ;  that 
bringeth  the  princes  to  nothing,  and  maketh  the  judges  of  the 
earth  as  vanity.'1 — If  the  supreme  God  is  not  spoken  of  here, 
where  shall  we  find  the  place  where  he  is  spoken  of?  If  it 
be  an  infinitely  inferior  being,  where  is  God's  distinguishing 
greatness,  and  infinitely  superior  magnificence  ?  It  here  fol- 
lows, verse  25  :  "  To  whom,  then,  will  ye  liken  me,  or  shall  I 
be  equal  ?  saith  the  Holy  One."  A  created  being  would  not 
use  such  language,  or  make  such  a  challenge.  He  that  is 
created  himself,  would  not  say,  as  it  follows  in  the  next  verse, 
"  Lift  up  your  eyes  on  high  ;  behold  who  hath  created  those 
things."  So  it  is  evident,  that  it  is  the  One  only  God  that  is 
spoken  of,  whose  forerunner  John  was  to  be.  Malachi  iii.  1. 
"  Behold,  I  will  send  my  messenger,  and  he  shall  prepare  the 
way  before  ME.  And  Jehovah,  whom  ye  seek,  shall  suddenly 
come  into  his  temple."  Luke  i.  76.  "  And  thou,  child,  shalt 
be  called  the  prophet  of  the  Highest,  v^g-a  •  for  thou  shalt  go 
before  the  face  of  the  Lord,  to  prepare  his  way." 

§  15.  It  is  a  great  evidence,  that  Christ  is  one  being  with  the 
Supreme  God,  that  the  Spirit  of  the  Supreme  God  is  spoken 
of  as  his  Spirit,  proceeding  from,  and  sent  and  directed  by 
him.  The  Spirit  by  whom  the  prophets  of  old  were  inspired, 
is  spoken  of  as  the  Spirit  of  Christ :  1  Pet.  i.  11 :  "  Searching 
what,  or  what  manner  of  time,  the  Spirit  of,  Christ,  which 
was  in  them,  did  signify ;  when  it  testified  beforehand  the  suf- 
ferings of  Christ,  and  the  glory  that  should  follow."  But  it  is 
very  manifest,  that  this  was  the  Spirit  of  the  one  only  living 
and  true  God  ;  so  that  we  must  needs  understand,  that  the 
word  written  bv  the  prophets,  is  the  word  of  the  Supreme 
God.  See  2  Pet.  i.  21  ;  2  Tim.  iii.  16.  And  that  they  spoke 
by  inspiration  of  the  Spirit  of  the  Supreme  God,  is  manifest 
from  Luke  i.  69,  70.  "  And  hath  raised  up  an  horn  of  salva- 
tion for  us  in  the  house  of  his  servant  David  :   as  he  spake  bv 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  331 

the  mouth  of  his  holy  prophets,  which  have  been  since  the 
world  began."  The  word  Spirit,  in  the  original  languages, 
signifies  wind,  and  sometimes  is  used  to  signify  breath.  There- 
fore, Christ  breathed  on  his  disciples,  when  he  would  signify  to 
them  that  he  would  give  them  the  Holy  Ghost :  John  xx.  22. 
"  And  when  he  had  said  this,  he  breathed  on  them,  saying, 
Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost.1'  This  plainly  teaches  us,  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  was  his  Spirit,  as  much  as  man's  breath  is  his 
breath. 

Again,  it  is  evident,  that  the  Spirit  of  God  is  the  Spirit  of 
Christ,  as  much  as  a  person's  eyes  are  his  own  eyes.  Rev.  v. 
6.  "  And  I  beheld,  and  lo,  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  stood 
a  Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain,  having  seven  horns  and  seven 
eyes,  which  are  the  seven  spirits  of  God  sent  forth  into  all  the 
earth."  Alluding  to  Zech.  iii.  9.  "  Upon  one  stone  shall  be 
seven  eyes."  But  these  seven  eyes  in  the  next  chapter,  are 
spoken  of  as  representing  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  the  eyes  of 
Jehovah :  chap.  iv.  6.  "  Not  by  might  nor  power,  but  by  my 
Spirit,  saith  the  Lord."  Verse  10.  "  And  shall  see  the  plum- 
met in  the  hand  of  Zerubbabel,  with  those  seven.  They  are 
the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  which  run  to  and  fro  through  the  whole 
earth." 

Christ  is  spoken  of  as  sending  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  directing 
him  :  John  xvi.  7.  "  I  will  send  him  unto  you."  Verse  13, 
14, 15.  "  Howbeit,  when  he,  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  is  come,  he 
will  guide  you  into  all  truth,  for  he  shall  not  speak  of  himself: 
but  whatsoever  he  shall  hear,  that  shall  he  speak  ;  and  he  shall 
show  you  things  to  come.  He  shall  glorify  me,  for  he  shall 
receive  of  mine,  and  shall  show  it  unto  you.  All  things  that 
the  Father  hath,  are  mine  ;  therefore,  said  I,  that  he  shall  take 
of  mine,  and  shall  show  it  unto  you."  But  it  is  spoken  of  as 
the  peculiar  prerogative  of  God  to  direct  his  Spirit.  Isai.  xl. 
13.     "  Who  hath  directed  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  ?"* 

§  16.  It  is  true,  that  creatures  are  sometimes  called  gods. 
The  kings  and  judges  of  God's  Israel,  the  ancient  Church, 
are  called  gods ;  but  no  otherwise  than  as  types  of  Christ. 
And  the  angels  are  called  gods.  Yet  it  is  very  remarkable, 
that  in  that  only  place  where  they  are  so  called  by  God,  they 
are  commanded  to  ivorship  Christ ;  and,  in  the  same  verse,  a 
curse  is  denounced  on  all  such  as  are  guilty  of  idolatry.  -  Psalm 
xcvii.  7.  compared  with  Heb.  i.  6. 

§  17.  God  so  often  speaking  of  himself  as  a  jealous  God — 
signifying  that  he  will  by  no  means  endure  any  other  husband 
of  his  Church — affords  a  clear  evidence,  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
the  same  God  with  the  Father.  For  Christ,  is  often  spoken  of 
as  that  person  who  is,  in  the  most  eminent  and  peculiar  manner. 

*  ^ee  Section  8. 


•  ;;;■-'  MISCELLANEOUS  observed 

the  Husband  and  Bridegroom  of  his  Church.  That  God,  who 
is  the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  is  the  husband  of  the  Church,  as 
appears  by  Isaiah,  liv.  5  :  "  Thy  maker  is  thy  husband  ;  the 
Lord  of  Hosts  is  his  name ;  and  thy  Redeemer,  the  Holy  One 
of  Israel."  Or,  as  the  words  are,  "  Thy  Goel,  the  Holy  One 
of  Israel.11  The  goel  was  the  near  kinsman,  that  married  the 
widow  who  had  lost  her  husband,  as  appears  by  Ruth  iii.  9 — 
12.  But  this  Holy  One  of  Israel,  is  the  name  of  that  God 
who  is  the  Father,  as  appears  by  Isaiah  xlix.  7.  and  Iv.  5 ;  and 
so  is  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  as  appears  by  Isaiah  xliv.  6. 

§  18.  Christ  is  the  Lord,  mentioned  in  Rom.  x.  13.  "  For 
whosoever  shall  call  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord,  shall  be 
saved.11  That  it  is  Christ  who  is  spoken  of,  is  evident  from 
the  two  foregoing  verses ;  and,  also,  from  the  14th.  But  the 
words  are  taken  from  Joel  ii.  32 ;  where  the  word  translated 
Lord,  is  Jehovah.     See,  also,  1  Cor.  i.  2. 

§  19.  And  1  Cor.  x.  9.  "  Neither  let  us  tempt  Christ,  as 
some  of  them  also  tempted.11  By  this,  it  appears,  that  Christ 
was  that  God,  that  Holy  One  of  Israel,  whom  they  tempted  in 
the  wilderness.  1  Cor.  x.  22.  "  Do  we  provoke  the  Lord  to 
jealousy  ?  are  we  stronger  than  He  ?"  It  is  evident,  that  by 
the  Lord  here,  is  meant  Jesus  Christ,  as  appears  by  the  prece- 
ding context ;  and  that,  therefore,  He  is  that  Being  who  says, 
I,  the  Lord  thy  God,  am  a  jealous  God.11 

§  20.  Rev.  ii.  23.  Christ  says,  "  I  am  he  that  trieth  the  reins 
and  the  heart,  and  will  give  to  every  one  of  you  according  to 
his  works.1'  This  is  said  by  the  Son  of  God,  as  appears  by 
the  18th  verse  foregoing.  Compare  this  with  other  passages 
of  Scripture,  where  those  things  are  spoken  of  as  the  preroga- 
tive of  the  Supreme  God.  Parallel  with  it,  is  John  xxi.  17. 
"  Lord,  thou  knowest  all  things  ;  thou  knowest  that  I  love 
Thee." 

§  21.  It  would  be  unreasonable  to  suppose,  that  there  is  one 
Being  infinitely  greater  than  all  other  beings — so  that  all  others 
are  as  nothing  to  him,  and  infinitely  beneath  him  in  power — 
and  yet,  that  there  is  no  kind  of  works,  or  effects  of  his  power, 
that  is  peculiar  to  him,  by  which  he  is  greatly  distinguished 
from  others.  He  that  appeared  sitting  on  the  throne  above 
the  cherubims  and  wheels  in  EzekiePs  visions,  (Ezek.  i.  27. 
and  other  places,)  was  undoubtedly  Christ ;  because  he  ap- 
peared in  the  shape  of  a  man,  which  God  the  Father  never 
did.  "  No  man  hath  seen  God,  viz  the  Father,  at  any  time ;" 
but  the  person  that  there  appeared,  was  undoubtedly  God.  He 
is  represented  as  one  that  has  heaven  for  his  throne,  and  sits 
as  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  universe.  This  is  undoubtedly  the 
same  that  rides  on  the  heavens  in  the  help  of  his  people,  and 
in  his  excellency  on  the  sky  ;  that  rides  on  the  heaven  of  hea- 
vens by  his   name  Jah,    or  Jehovah.      And  this  is  called  the 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  333 

appearance  of  the  likeness,  or  image  of  the  glory  of  the  Lord ; 
Ezek.  i.  28.  iii.  23.  and  viii.  4.      This,   while  it  shows  him  to 
be  a  person  truly  divine,  also  shows  him  to  be  Christ.     For 
what  can  this  image  of  the  Lord,  with  an    appearance  of 
brightness  round  about,  (ver.  27,  28.)  be,  but  the  same  which 
the  apostle  speaks  of,   who  is  "the  brightness  of  God's  glory, 
and  the  express  image  of  his  person  ?"     And  this  is  evidently 
the  same  that  sat  on  the  throne  in  the  temple,  which  was  called 
the  Chariot  of  the  Cherubims.      And  this  person  is  called  the 
God  of  Israel,  Ezek.   x.  20;  and  the  whole  that  this  person 
says  to  Ezekiel,  from  time  to  time,  shows  that  he  is  truly  God. 
§  22.  It  is  a  great  evidence  of  the  divinity  of  Christ,  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  is  so  put  into  subjection  to  him,  as  to  become 
his  messenger ;  even  the  Spirit  of  God,  as  the  Holy  Ghost  is 
often  called,  or  the  Spirit  of  the  Father,  as  he  is  called,  Matt, 
x.  20.     The  same  that  is  there  called  the  Spirit  of  the  Father, 
is,  in  Mark  xiii.  11,  called  the  Holy  Ghost.      Now,  certainly, 
it  is  unreasonable  to  suppose,  that  the  Spirit  of  the  Supreme 
God  should  be  put  under  the  direction  and  disposal  of  a  mere 
creature,  one  infinitely  below  God.      The  only  evasion  here, 
must  be  this,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  also  a  created  spirit  infe- 
rior to  the  Son.     For  if  Christ  be  a  mere  creature,  it  would  be 
unreasonable  to  suppose,  that  he   should  have  the  Spirit  of 
God  subjected  to  him,   on  any  other  supposition,  whether  the 
Spirit  of  God  be  supposed  to  be  only  the  power  and  energy  of 
the  Most  High,  or  a  superior  created  Spirit.     But  how  does 
the  Holy  Ghost,   being  a  creature  inferior  to  the  Son,  consist 
with  Christ's  being  conceived  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost? 
and  his  being  honoured  by  having  the  Holy  Ghost  descending 
upon  him  ?  and  being  anointed  with  it,  and  working  his  great- 
est miracles  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost?    and  its  being 
a  great  honour  done  to  Christ,   that  the  Spirit  was  given  to 
him  not  by  measure  ?     Besides,  the  Holy  Ghost  being  a  crea- 
ture, not  only  infinitely  inferior  to  God,  but  inferior  to  the  Son, 
is  exceedingly  inconsistent  with  almost  every  thing  said  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  Scripture  ;  as,  his  being  called  the  Power  of  the 
Highest ;  his  searching  all  things,  even  the  deep  things  of  God, 
and  knowing  the  things  of  God  in  the  most  distinguishing 
manner,  as  the  spirit  of  man  within  him  knows  the  things  of  a 
man  ;  the  Scripture's  being  the  word  of  God,  as  it  is  the  word 
of  the  Holy  Ghost ;    Christians  being  the  temple  of  the  living 
God,  as  they  are  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  lying  unto  the 
Holy  Ghost,  being  called  lying  unto  God  ;  the  chief  works  of 
God  being  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  the  works  of  crea- 
tion, and  the  forming  of  man  in  the  womb.     (Eccles.   xi.  5; 
Job  xxxiii.  4.)     Giving  the  highest  sort  of  wisdom,  viz.  spiritual 
understanding ;   forming  the  human  nature  of  Christ ;  being 
the  author  of  regeneration  and  sanctification  ;  creating  a  new 


334  MSCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS. 

heart,  and  so  being  the  author  of  the  new  creation,  which  is 
spoken  of  as  vastly  greater  than  the  old. 

Blasphemy  against  the  Father  is  pardonable  ;  but  not  against 
the  Holy  Ghost.  It  is  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  only  the 
body  of  Christ  was  made  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  It  is  evident,  that 
the  whole  human  nature,  the  holy  thing  that  was  born  of  the 
virgin,  was  by  the  Holy  Ghost ;  Luke  i.  35.  But  the  Son  of  the 
virgin  was  a  holy  thing,  espeeially  with  regard  to  his  soul.  The 
soul  of  Adam  was  from  the  spirit  of  God,  from  God's  breathing 
into  him  the  breath  of  life.  But  this  breath  of  life  signifies  the 
Spirit  of  God,  as  appears  by  Christ's  breathing  on  his  disci- 
ples after  his  resurrection,  saying, "  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost." 
The  Spirit  of  God  is  called  the  breath  of  God;  Job  xxxiii.  4. 
"  The  Spirit  of  God  hath  made  me  ;  the  breath  of  the  Almighty 
hath  given  me  life."  If  God's  Spirit  gives  life  to  other  men,  or 
mankind  in  general,  doubtless  he  gave  life  to  Adam.  And  if 
that  Spirit  of  God  which  gives  life  to  mankind  in  general,  be, 
in  doing  that  work  called  the  breath  of  God  ;  we  may  well  sup- 
pose, that  when  we  find  that  which  gave  life  and  soul  to  Adam, 
called  God's  breath,  thereby  was  meant  God's  Spirit. 

§  23.  How  unreasonable  must  our  notions  be  of  our  crea- 
tion of  the  world,  on  Arian  principles  ?  For  it  is  manifest  in 
the  Scripture,  that  the  world  was  made  by  the  Spirit  of  God, 
as  well  as  by  the  Son  of  God.  But  the  Son  of  God  is,  accord- 
ing to  them,  a  created  Spirit ;  and  the  Spirit  of  God  must  there- 
fore also  be  a  created  Spirit  inferior  to  him. — Therefore  we 
must  suppose,  that  the  Father  created  the  world  by  the  Son, 
and  that  the  Son  did  not  create  the  world  by  himself,  but  by 
the  Spirit  of  God  as  his  minister  or  instrument.  So  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  herein  must  act  as  the  instrument  of  an  instru- 
ment ! 

§  24.  It  is  evident  that  the  same  Word,  the  same  Son  of 
God,  that  made  the  world,  also  upholds  it  in  being,  and  governs 
it.  This  is  evident,  in  part,  unto  reason.  For  upholding  the 
world  in  being,  and  creating  it,  are  not  properly  distinct  works  ; 
since  it  is  manifest,  that  upholding  the  world  in  being  is  the 
same  with  a  continued  creation  ;  and  consequently,  that  cre- 
ating the  world,  is  but  the  beginning  of  upholding  it,  if  I  may 
so  say — beginning  to  give  it  a  supported  and  dependent  exist- 
ence— and  preservation  is  only  continuing  to  give  it  such  a 
supported  .existence.  So  that,  truly,  giving  the  world  a  being 
at  first,  no  more  differs  from  preserving  it  through  all  succes- 
sive moments,  than  giving  a  being  the  last  moment,  differs  from 
giving  a  supported  being  this  moment.  And  the  Scripture  is 
as  express,  that  the  world  is  upheld  by  Christ,  as  that  it  was 
created  by  him  ;  Colos.  i.  16,  17.  "  For  by  him  were  all  things 
created,  and  by  him  all  things  consist."  Heb.  i.  2,  3.  "  By 
whom  also  he  made  the  worlds,  and  upholding  all  things  by  the 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  335 

word  of  his  power.  And  it  is  He  that  shall  bring  the  world  to 
an  end."  Heb.  i.  10,  11,  12.  "  Thou,  Lord,  in  the  beginning, 
hast  laid  the  foundations  of  the  earth,  &c.  They  shall  perish, 
but  Thou  shalt  endure.  As  a  vesture  shalt  Thou  change  them, 
and  they  shall  be  changed.  But  Thou  art  the  same,  and  Thy 
years  shall  not  fail." 

But  if  these  things  are  so,  what  shall  we  think  of  the  uphold- 
ing and  government  of    the  world,  while  Christ  was    in  his 
humbled  state,  and  while  an  infant,  and  when  we  are  told  that 
he  was  wearied  with  his  journey,  and  his  strength  in   some 
measure  spent,  only  with  governing  the  motions  of  his  own 
body  ?     Who  upheld  and  governed  the  world  at  that  time  ? 
Doubtless,  it  will  be  said,  that  God  the  Father  took  the  world 
out  of  the  hands  of  the  Son  for  that  time,  to  uphold  and  govern 
it,  and  returned  it  into  his  hands  again  at  his  exaltation.     But, 
is  there  any  ground  to  suppose  such  a  mighty  change  as  this, 
as  to  the  author  of  the  universe,  that  it  should  have  such  differ- 
ent authors  of  its  being,  and  of  ail  its  properties,  natural  princi- 
ples, motions,   alterations,  and  events,  both  in  bodies  and  all 
created  minds,  for  three  or  four  and  thirty  years,  from  what  it 
had  ever  before  or  since  ?     Have  we  any  hint  of  such  a  tiling  1 
or,  have  we  any  revelation  of  any  thing  analogous  ?    Has  God 
ever  taken  the  work  of  a  creature  out  of  its  hands,  according  to 
the  ordinary  course  of  things  ? 

§  25.  The  Supreme  God  is  doubtless  distinguished  by  some 
works  or  other.  As  he  must  be  infinitely  distinguished  from 
all  other  beings  in  his  nature  ;  so,  doubtless,  there  are  some 
manifestations  or  other  of  this  vast  superiority  above  all  other 
beings.  But  we  can  have  no  other  proper  manifestations  of 
the  divine  nature,  but  by  some  effects  of  it.  The  invisible 
things  of  God  are  seen  by  the  things  that  are  made.  The 
word  of  God  itself  is  no  demonstration  of  the  superior  distin- 
guishing glory  of  the  Supreme  God,  any  otherwise  than  by  his 
works  ;  and  that  two  ways  :  1.  As  we  must  have  the  perfec- 
tions first  proved  by  his  works,  in  order  to  know  that  his  word 
is  to  be  depended  on.  2.  As  the  works  of  God,  appealed  to 
and  declared  in  his  word,  make  evident  that  divine  greatness 
and  glory  which  the  word  of  God  declares.  There  is  a  diffe- 
rence between  declaration  and  evidence.  The  ivord  declares  ; 
but  the  works  are  the  proper  evidence  of  what  is  declared. 

Undoubtedly,  therefore,  the  vastly  distinguished  glory  of  the 
Supreme  God,  is  manifested  by  some  distinguishing  peculiar 
works  of  his.  That  the  Supreme  God  is  distinguished  very 
remarkably  and  most  evidently  from  all  other  beings,  by  some 
works  or  other,  is  certain  by  the  Scripture.  It  is  often  repre- 
sented, that  he  most  plainly  and  greatly  shows  his  distinguish- 
ing majesty,  power,  and  wisdom,  and  vast  superiority  to  other 
beings,  by  his  works  that  are  seen,  and  set  in  the  viow  of  the 


336  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS. 

children  of  men.  So  Psalm  lxxxi.  8  :  "  Among  the  gods, 
there  is  none  like  unto  thee,  neither  are  there  any  works  like 
unto  thy  works  ;"  see,  also,  verse  10.  Psalm  lxxxix.  5,  8,  9, 
10.  "  The  heavens  shall  praise  thy  wonders  : — for  who  in 
heaven  can  be  compared  to  the  Lord  ?  who  amongst  the  sons 
of  the  mighty,  can  be  likened  unto  the  Lord  ?  O  Lord  of 
hosts,  who  is  a  strong  Lord  like  unto  thee,  or  to  thy  faithful- 
ness round  about  thee  ?  Thou  rulest  the  raging  of  the  sea ; 
when  the  waves  thereof  arise,  thou  stillest  them.'1  Deut.  iii. 
24.  What  God  is  there  in  heaven  or  in  earth,  that  can  do  ac- 
cording to  thy  works,  and  according  to  thy  might  ?"  Psalm 
lxxii.  18.  "  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God,  the  God  of  Israel,  who 
only  doth  wondrous  things."  This  is  often  added  to  the  decla- 
rations of  God's  works,  "  That  ye  may  know  that  I  am  the 
Lord,  or  that  I  am  Jehovah."  And  this  "  That  ye  may  know 
that  there  is  none  like  unto  me"  &c.  Exod.  viii.  10.  22.  chap. 
ix.  14.  16.  and  x.  2.  and  innumerable  other  places. 

§  26.  But  now,  what  are  these  distinguishing  works  of  God  ? 
or  the  works  by  which  his  distinguishing  dignity  and  glory  are 
clearly  manifested  ?  What  works  are  they  that  can  be  named 
or  thought  of?  Is  it  creating  the  world  ?  Or,  is  it  the  crea- 
ting of  the  spiritual,  intellectual  world,  which,  undoubtedly,  is 
an  unspeakably  greater  work,  than  creating  the  material  world  ? 
Is  it  preserving  and  upholding  the  world  ?  or  is  it  governing 
the  world  ?  Or,  is  it  redemption  and  salvation  ;  or,  at  least, 
some  particular  great  salvation  ?  Was  it  the  redemption  out 
of  Egypt,  and  carrying  the  people  of  Israel  through  the  wil- 
derness, and  giving  them  the  possession  of  Canaan  ?  Or,  is  it 
the  greatest  work  of  redemption,  even  salvation  from  spiritual, 
total,  and  eternal  destruction,  and  bringing  to  eternal  holiness 
and  glory  ?  Is  it  conversion,  regeneration,  restoring  a  fallen, 
sinful  creature,  and  making  men  new  creatures,  giving  them 
holiness,  and  the  image  of  God  ?  or  giving  wisdom  to  the 
heart,  the  truest  and  greatest  wisdom  1  Is  it  the  conversion  of 
the  Gentile  world,  and  renewing  the  whole  world  of  mankind, 
as  consisting  of  Jews  and  Gentiles  ?  Or,  is  it  conquering  Satan 
and  all  the  powers  of  darkness,  and  overcoming  all  evil,  even 
the  strongest  holds  of  sin  and  Satan,  all  God's  enemies  in 
their  united  strength  ?  Is  it  searching  the  hearts  of  the  children 
of  men  ?  Is  it  working  any  particular  kind  of  great  miracles  ? 
Is  it  raising  the  dead  to  life,  or  raising  all  in  general  at  the  last 
day  ?  Is  it  judging  the  world,  angels,  and  men,  in  the  last  and 
greatest  judgment  ?  Is  it  bestowing  on  the  favourites  of  God, 
both  men  and  angels,  their  highest,  most  consummate,  and 
eternal  glory  ?  Is  it  destroying  the  visible  creation,  and  bring- 
ing all  to  their  final  period  and  consummation,  and  to  their 
most  perfect  and  eternal  state  ?  Or,  are  there  any  other  works 
greater  than  these,  that  can  be  thought  of.  which  we  can  find 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATION.-',  337 

appealed  to  as  clearly  manifesting  the  most  peculiar  and  dis- 
tinguishing glory  of  the  Supreme  God,  in  comparison  of  whom 
all  other  beings  whatsoever  are  absolutely  as  nothing?  Yet 
all  these  are  ascribed  to  Christ. 

§  27.  The  creation  of  the  world  in  general,  is  often  spoken  of 
as  the  peculiar  work  of  the  Supreme  God  ;  a  work  wherein  he 
manifests  his  glory  as  supreme,  and  distinguished  from  all  other 
beings  :  Rom.  i.  16,  20.  "  Because  that  which  may  be  known 
of  God,  is  manifest  in  them.  For  God  hath  shown  it  unto 
them.  For  the  invisible  things  of  him  from  the  creation  of 
the  world,  are  clearly  seen,  being  understood  by  the  things 
which  are  made,  even  his  eternal  power  and  godhead." 
Doubtless,  it  is  the  Supreme  God  who  is  here  spoken  of. 
And  what  godhead  is  clearly  to  be  seen  by  the  creation  of  the 
world,  but  the  supreme  Godhead  ?  And  what  can  that  invi- 
sible glory  and  power  of  this  God  be,  but  that  by  which  he  is 
distinguished  from  other  beings,  and  may  be  known  to  be 
what  he  is  ?  It  is  said,  "  that  which  may  be  known  of  God,  is 
clearly  manifest  by  his  works."  But,  doubtless,  one  thing,  and 
infinitely  the  most  important,  that  may  be  known  of  God,  is 
his  supreme  dignity  and  glory,  that  glory  which  he  has  as 
Supreme  God.  But  if  the  creation  of  the  world  be  not  a 
work  peculiar  to  him,  how  are  these  things  so  clearly  manifest- 
ed by  his  work  ?  The  work  of  creation  is  spoken  of  as  one 
of  the  great  wonders  done  by  Him,  who  is  God  of  gods,  and 
Lord  of  lords,  who  alone  doeth  great  wonders  ;  as  in  Psal, 
cxxxvi.  2 — 9 :  "  O  give  thanks  unto  the  God  of  gods.  O  give 
thanks  to  the  Lord  of  lords.  To  him  who  alone  doeth  great 
wonders.  To  him  that  by  wisdom  made  the  heavens.  To 
him  that  stretched  out  the  earth  over  the  waters.  To  him  that 
made  great  lights, — the  Sun  to  rule  by  day,"  &c.  This  is  the 
work  of  the  Supreme  God,  which  he  wrought  alone,  Job  ix.  8, 
11  Which  alone  spreadeth  out  the  heavens."  And  2  Kings 
xix.  15.  "  O  Lord  God  of  Israel,  which  dwellest  between  the 
cherubims,  thou  art  the  God,  even  thou  alone,  of  all  the  king- 
doms of  the  earth :  Thou  hast  made  heaven  and  earth." 
1  Chron.  xvi.  24,  25, 26.  "  Declare  his  glory  among  the  Hea- 
then, his  marvellous  works  among  all  nations.  For  great  is 
the  Lord,  and  greatly  to  be  praised.  He  is  also  to  be  feared 
above  all  gods.  For  all  the  gods  of  the  people  are  idols  :  But 
the  Lord  made  the  heavens." — Isaiah  xl.  25,  26.  "  To  whom 
then  will  ye  liken  me,  or  shall  1  be  equal  ?  saith  the  Holy  One. 
Lift  up  your  eyes  on  high,  and  behold  who  hath  created  these 
things."  How  plain  is  it  here,  that  creating  the  world  is  spo- 
ken of  as  a  work  of  the  Supreme  God,  most  evidently  showing, 
that  none  is  like  him,  or  to  be  compared  to  him?  So  verse 
12,  compared  with  verse  18.  God  asserts  the  creation  of  the 
world,  to  be  his  work,  so  as  to  deny  anv  associate,  or  instrument ; 
Vol.  VI L  43 


33S  miscellaneous  OESERVATtc 

as  in  Isaiah  xliv.  24.  "Thus  saith  Jehovah,  thy  Reclec 
and  he  that  formed  thee  from  the  womb,  I  am  Jehovah,  that 
maketh  all  things,  that  strctcheth  forth  the  heavens  alone,  that 
spreadeth  abroad  the  earth  by  myself."  Isaiah  xiv.  5 — 7.  "  I 
am  Jehovah,  and  there  is  none  else ;  there  is  no  God  besides 
me  :  That  they  may  know  from  the  rising  of  the  sun,  and  from 
the  west,  that  there  is  none  besides  me ;  I  am  the  Lord,  and 
there  is  none  else  \  I  form  the  light  and  create  darkness.11 
Verse  12.  "  I  have  made  the  earth,  and  created  man  upon  it : 
I,  even  my  hands,  have  stretched  out  the  heavens."  Verse  18. 
"  Thus  saith  Jehovah,  that  created  the  heavens,  God  himself, 
that  formed  the  earth,  and  made  it."  Verse  21.  "  I  am  Jeho- 
vah, and  there  is  no  God  else  beside  me ;  a  just  God  and  a 
Saviour ;  there  is  none  beside  me."  Yet  these  works  are  ap- 
plied to  Christ. 

§  28.  God's  creating  the  world,  is  used  as  an  argument,  to 
show  the  nations  of  the  world  the  reasonableness  of  forsaking 
all  other  gods,  and  worshipping  the  One  true  God  only.  Rev. 
xiv.  7.  "  Saying,  with  a  loud  voice,  Fear  God,  and  give  glory 
to  him,  and  worship  him  that  made  heaven  and  earth,  and  tho 
sea,  and  the  fountains  of  waters."  (See,  also,  Acts  xiv.  15. 
and  Rev.  x.  6.) — The  work  of  creation  is  spoken  of  as  the 
distinguishing  work  of  the  Supreme,  only  Living,  and  True 
God,  showing  him  to  be  alone  worthy  to  be  worshipped  ;  as  in 
Jer.  x.  G — 12.  "  Forasmuch  as  there  is  none  like  unto  thee, 
O  Lord ;  Thou  art  great,  and  thy  name  is  great  in  might. 
Who  would  not  fear  thee,  O  king  of  nations  ?  for  to  thee  doth 
it  appertain.  Jehovah  is  the  true  God ;  he  is  the  living  God, 
and  an  everlasting  King. — Thus  shall  ye  say  unto  them,  The 
gods  that  have  not  made  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  even  they 
shall  perish  from  the  earth,  and  from  under  these  heavens. 
He  hath  made  the  earth  by  his  power ;  He  hath  established 
the  world  by  his  wisdom,  and  hath  stretched  out  the  heavens 
by  his  discretion." 

§  29.  But  the  creation  of  the  world  is  ascribed  to  Jesus 
Christ,  in  John  i.  3.  Col.  i.  16.  Heb.  i.  10.  It  is  ascribed  to 
him  as  being  done  by  his  power,  as  the  work  of  his  hands, 
Ileb.  i.  10.  And  his  work  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  be  a  proper 
manifestation  of  his  greatness  and  glory ;  and  so  as  to  show 
him  to  be  God,  John  i.  1 — 3.  Is  the  creation  of  the  spiritual, 
intelligent  world,  consisting  of  angels,  and  the  souls  of  men, 
and  the  world  of  glory,  a  peculiar  work  of  the  Supreme  God  ? 
Doubtless  it  is  so.  Neh.  ix.  6.  "  Thou,  even  Thou,  art  Lord 
alone.  Thou  hast  made  heaven,  the  heaven  of  heavens,  with 
all  their  host  :  And  the  host  of  heaven  worshippeth  Thee."' 
Psalm  civ.  4.  "  Who  maketh  his  angels  spirits,  and  his  minis- 
ters «  flame  of  fire."  And  the  creation  of  the  spiritual  and 
intelligent  world,  in  every  part  of  it,  is  also  ascribed  to  Christ 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  339 

For  it  is  said,  John  i.  3.  "  The  world  was  made  by  him,  and, 
without  him,  was  not  any  thing  made  that  was  made."  And 
to  him  is  expressly  ascribed  the  creation  of  the  invisible  world, 
and  of  the  angels  in  particular,  even  the  very  highest  and  most 
exalted  of  them  ;  and  all  the  most  glorious  things  in  the  invi- 
sible heaven,  the  highest  and  most  glorious  part  oi  the  creation 
of  God.  Col.  i.  10.  "  By  him  were  all  things  created  that  are 
in  heaven  and  that  are  in  earth,  visible  and  invisible,"  (these 
include  the  invisible  things  on  earth,  as  well  as  in  heaven, 
even  the  souls  of  men  ;)  "  whether  they  be  thrones,  or  do- 
minions, or  principalities,  or  powers;  all  things  were  created 
by  him." 

§  30.  Preserving  the  creation,  is  spoken  of  as  the  work  of 
the  One  only  Jehovah,  Neh.  ix.  6.  "  Thou,  even  Thou,  art 
Jehovah  alone.  Thou  hast  made  heaven,  the  heaven  of  hea- 
vens, with  all  their  host ;  the  earth,  and  all  things  that  are 
therein  ;  and  Thou  preservest  them  all."  Isaiah  xl.  26.  "  Lift 
rip  your  eyes  on  high,  and  behold  who  hath  created  these 
things,  that  bringeth  out  their  host  by  number.  He  calleth 
them  all  by  names,  by  the  greatness  of  his  might ;  for  that  he 
is  strong  in  power,  not  one  faileth.'1  Job  xii.  7 — 10.  "  But 
ask  now  the  beasts,  and  they  shall  teach  thee ;  who  knoweth 
not  in  all  these,  that  the  hand  of  Jehovah  hath  made  this  ?  in 
whose  hand  is  the  soul  of  every  living  thing,  and  the  breath  of 
all  mankind."     See,  also,  Psalm  xxxvi.  6,  7. 

But  the  preservation  of  the  creation  is  also  ascribed  to  Christ ; 
lieb.  i.  3.  "  Who  being  the  brightness  of  his  glory,  and  the 
express  image  of  his  person,  and  upholding  all  things  by  the 
word  of  his  power."  Colos.  i .  17.  "  By  him  all  things 
consist.1' 

§  31.  Governing  the  creation,  is  another  thing  often  spoken 
of  as  the  peculiar  work  of  God ;  as  in  Isaiah  xl.  21,  to  the 
end.  There,  governing  the  world,  is  the  manifest  peculiar- 
work  of  him  to  whom  none  is  like,  and  none  equal.  And,  in 
Isaiah  xlv.  1 — 13,  governing  the  world,  bringing  to  pass  revo- 
lutions in  nations,  &c,  are  spoken  of  as  the  peculiar  works  of 
Him  who  is  Jehovah  alone.  See  2  Chron.  xxix.  11,  12;  and. 
Psalm  xxii.  28 ;  xlvii.  2,  &c.  But  Christ  is  often,  in  the  New 
Testament,  spoken  of  as  the  Governor  of  the  world,  is  prayed 
to  as  such,  and  spoken  of  as  He  whose  will  disposes  all 
events. 

Sitting  as  king  in  heaven,  having  his  throne  there,  and  go- 
erning  the  universe  for  the  salvation  of  his  people,  are  spoken 
of  as  peculiar  to  the  supreme  God.  But,  how  often  and  emi- 
nently are  these  things  ascribed  to  Christ !  His  having  his 
throne  in  heaven;  being  exalted  far  above  all  heavens;  thrones, 
dominions,  &c,  being  made  subject  to  him  ;  being  made  head 
over  all  things  to  the  church,  &c. 


340  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATION: 

§  32.  Judging  the  world,  is  another  thing  spoken  of,  as  pe- 
culiarly and  distinguishingly  belonging  to  the  Supreme  God.* 
Psalm  1  1 — 7.  "  The  mighty  God,  even  Jehovah,  hath  spoken, 
and  called  the  earth  from  the  rising  of  the  sun  unto  the  going 
down  thereof.  Our  God  shall  come  ;  a  fire  shall  devour  be- 
fore him.  He  shall  call  to  the  heavens  from  above,  and  to  the 
earth,  that  he  may  judge  his  people  :  And  the  heavens  shall 
declare  his  righteousness  ;  for  God  is  Judge  himself.  Hear, 
O  my  people,  and  I  will  speak;  O  Israel,  Twill  testify  against 
thee.  I  am  God,  even  thy  God.1'  This  50th  Psalm  begins 
thus:  El  elohim  Jehovah,  "  The  God  of  gods,  Jehovah;  or 
the  Most  Mighty  God,  even  Jehovah."  Who  can  believe  that 
these  three  most  magnificent  names  of  the  Deity  are  thus  uni- 
ted, to  signify  any  other  than  the  Supreme  God  ?! 

But  it  is  apparent,  that  Christ  is  abundantly  spoken  of  as 
eminently  the  Judge  of  all  nations,  of  all  degrees,  quick  and. 
dead,  angels  and  men.  We  are  particularly  and  fully  instruct- 
ed, that  it  is  his  distinguishing  office  to  judge  the  world,  John 
v.  22  ;  2  Tim.  iv.  8 ;  Rev.  xix.  11 ;  and  many  other  places. 

§  33.  Destroying  the  world  at  the  consummation  of  all 
things,  is  spoken  of  as  a  peculiar  work  of  God ;  Psalm  cii, 
even  of  Jehovah,  ver.  1,  12,  16,  18,  21,  22;  the  Creator  of  the 
world,  ver.  24,  25,  28.  See,  also,  Psalm  xcvii,  1 — 6.  and  Neh. 
i.  4,  5,  6.  Jer.  x.  6,  7,  10.  Psalm  xlvi.  6 ;  civ.  32  ;  cxliv.  5. 
Isa.  lxiv.  1,  2,  3.  Job  ix.  4 — 7.  But  this  is  spoken  of  as  the 
work  of  the  Son  of  God,  Heb.  i.  latter  end. 

§  34.  The  wonderful  alterations  made  in  the  natural  world, 
at  the  coming  out  of  Egypt ;  the  giving  of  the  law,  and  en- 
trance into  Canaan,  are  often  spoken  of  as  the  peculiar  works 
of  God,  greatly  manifesting  the  divine  majesty,  as  vastly  dis- 
tinguished from  all  other  gods ;  such  as,  dividing  the  sea ; 
drowning  Pharaoh  and  his  hosts  there  ;  causing  the  earth  to 
tremble,  the  mountains  to  quake  at  his  presence,  the  heavens 
to  drop,  the  hills  to  skip  like  rams  and  lambs ;  Jordan  being 
driven  back ;  the  sun  and  moon  standing  still,  &c. 

But  these  were  infinitely  small  things,  in  comparison  with 
what  shall  be  accomplished  at  the  end  of  the  world,  when  the 
mountains  and  hills  shall  be  thrown  into  the  midst  of  the  sea : 
and  not  only  some  particular  mountains  shall  quake,  but  the 
whole  earth,  yea,  the  whole  visible  world,  shall  be  terribly 
shaken  to  pieces.  Not  only  shall  Mount  Sinai  be  on  fire,  as 
if  it  would  melt,  but  all  the  mountains,  and  the  whole  earth 
and  heavens  shall  melt  with  fervent  heat ;  the  earth  shall  be 

*  See  1  Sam.  2, 3, 10.  Job.  xxi.  22.  Psalm  si.  4,  5.  lxxv.  6, 7.  lxxxii.  1,  S. 
Judg.  xi.  27.     Psalm  xciv.  2. 

t  See,  also,  Psalm  ix.  7,  8.  1  Chron.  xvi.  25,  26—33.  Psalm  xcvi.  4,  5—13. 
Also,  Psalm  xcviii. 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  341 

vussoived  even  to  its  centre.  And  not  only  shall  the  Red  Sea 
and  Jordan  be  dried  up  for  a  few  hours,  in  a  small  part  of  their 
channels,  but  all  the  seas,  and  oceans,  and  rivers,  through  the 
world,  shall  be  dried  up  for  ever.  Not  only  shall  the  sun  and 
moon  be  stopped  for  the  space  of  one  day ;  but  they,  with  all 
the  innumerable  mighty  globes  of  the  heavens,  shall  have  an 
everlasting  arrest,  an  eternal  stop  put  to  their  courses.  Instead 
of  drowning  Pharaoh  and  his  host  in  the  Red  Sea,  the  devil 
and  all  the  wicked  shall  be  plunged  into  the  eternal  lake  of 
fire  and  brimstone,  &c. 

The  former  kind  of  effects  were  but  little,  faint  shadows  of 
the  latter.  And  the  former  are  spoken  of  as  the  peculiar,  ma- 
nifest, glorious  works  of  the  Supreme  One  only  God,  evidently 
manifesting  his  peculiar  majesty  and  glory.  But  the  latter  are 
the  works  of  the  Son  of  God,  Jesus  Christ,  as  is  evident  by 
Heb.  i.  10 — 12.  It  is  here  worthy  to  be  remarked,  that, 
though  the  scripture  teaches,  that  Christ's  majesty  shall,  at  the 
last  day,  appear  to  be  so  great  in  his  coming  in  power  and 
great  glory,  yet,  it  is  said,  when  these  things  shall  be,  God 
alone  should  be  exalted,  in  opposition  to  men  and  to  other 
gods,  Isaiah  ii.  10.  to  the  end. 

§  35.  The  work  of  salvation,  is  often  spoken  of  as  peculiar 
to  God.  It  is  said,  the  salvation  of  the  righteous  is  of  the 
Lord,  Psal.  xxxvii.  39;  and  that  salvation  belonged;  unto  the 
Lord,  Psal.  iii.  8 ;  Jonah  ii.  9.  God's  people  acknowledge 
him  to  be  the  God  of  their  salvation,  Psal.  xxv.  5.  xxvii.  1,  and 
Isaiah  xii.  2.  Saving  effectually  is  spoken  of  as  his  preroga- 
tive, Jer.  xvii.  14.  "  Heal  me,  and  I  shall  be  healed  :  save  me, 
and  1  shall  be  saved:  for  thou  art  my  praise."  Psal.  lxviii.  20. 
"  He  that  is  our  God,  is  the  God  of  salvation,  and  to  the  Lord 
our  God  belong  the  issues  from  death." 

Salvation  is  spoken  of  as  being  of  God,  in  opposition  to 
men,  and  to  all  creature  helps,  Jer.  iii.  23.  "  Truly,  in  vain  is 
salvation  hoped  for  from  the  hills,  and  from  the  multitude  of 
mountains :  Truly,  in  the  Lord  our  God,  is  the  salvation  of 
Israel."  Psal.  Ix.  11.  "  Give  us  help  from  trouble,  for  vain  is 
the  help  (Heb.  salvation^  of  man."  Ver.  16.  "I,  Jehovah, 
am  thy  Saviour."  Psal.  cxlvi.  3,  5.  "  Put  not  your  trust  in 
princes,  nor  in  the  son  of  man,  in  whom  is  no  help  (or  salva- 
tion.) Happy  is  he  that  hath  the  God  of  Jacob  for  his  help, 
whose  hope  is  in  the  Lord  his  God."  Salvation  in  or  by 
any  other  is  denied,  lsa.  lix.  16.  "  And  he  saw  that  there  was 
no  man,  and  wondered  that  there  was  no  intercessor.  There- 
fore, his  arm  brought  salvation  unto  him,  and  his  righteousness 
it  sustained  him." 

It  is  spoken  of  as  his  prerogative,  to  be  the  rock  of  salva- 
tion, to  be  trusted  in  by  men.  "  Let  us  make  a  joyful  noise 
to  the  rock  of  our  salvation."     See  Psal.  xcv.  1.  Ixii.  2.     "  He 


312  MISCELLANEOUS    OUSEKVATIOXs. 

only  is  my  rock  and  my  salvation ;  he  is  my  defence."  Ver: 
5 — 9.  "  My  soul,  wait  thou  on  God  alone,  for  my  expectation 
is  from  him.  He  only  is  my  rock  and  my  salvation :  he  is  my 
defence,  I  shall  not  be  moved.  In  God  is  my  salvation  and 
my  glory ;  the  rock  of  my  strength,  and  my  refuge,  is  in  God. 
Trust  in  him  at  all  times ;  pour  out  your  heart  before  him  : 
God  is  a  refuge  for  us.  Surely  men  of  low  degree  are  vanity, 
and  men  of  high  degree  are  a  lie.  To  be  laid  in  the  balance, 
they  are  altogether  lighter  lhan  vanity.11* 

It  is  said,  that  there  is  no  other  Saviour  besides  the  One 
only  Jehovah;  Isa.  xliii.  3.  1  am  Jehovah  thy  God,  the  Saviour 
of  Israel ;"  xliii.  11.  "  I,  even  I,  am  Jehovah,  and  besides  me 
there  is  no  Saviour.11  See  Isa.  xlvii.  4.  liv.  5.  and  xlv.  15. 
"O  God  of  Israel,  the  Saviour.11  Ver.  21.  to  the  end;  "I, 
Jehovah,  and  there  is  no  God  else  besides  me.  Look  unto  me, 
and  be  ye  saved,  all  ye  ends  of  the  earth,  for  I  am  God,  and 
there  is  none  else.11  Here  observe,  that  this  is  given  as  a  rea- 
son why  all  nations  in  the  world  should  look  to  him  only  for 
salvation  :  That  he  only  was  God  ;  taking  it  for  granted,  and 
as  an  universally  established  point,  that  none  but  God  could 
be  a  Saviour.  And  here  salvation  is  claimed  as  the  preroga- 
tive of  the  One  only  God,  and,  therefore,  exclusively  of  a  se- 
condary and  subordinate  God.  It  follows,  "  I  have  sworn  by 
myself,  the  word  is  gone  out  of  my  mouth  in  righteousness, 
and  shall  not  return ;  that  unto  me  every  knee  shall  bow,  and 
every  tongue  shall  swear.  Surely  shall  one  say,  In  Jehovah 
have  I  righteousness  and  strength.  Even  to  him  shall  men 
come,  and  all  that  are  incensed  against  him  shall  be  ashamed. 
In  the  Lord  shall  all  the  seed  of  Israel  be  justified,  and  shall 
glory."  Hosea  xiii.  4.  "  Yet  I  am  Jehovah,  thy  God  from  the 
land  of  Egypt :  and  thou  shalt  know  no  God  but  me ;  for 
there  is  no  Saviour  besides  me." 

God  is  so  completely  the  only  Saviour  of  his  people,  that 
others  are  not  admitted  to  partake  of  this  honour,  as  mediate 
and  subordinate  saviours  :  Hos.  i.  7.  And,  therefore,  the  hea- 
venly hosts,  in  giving  praise  to  God,  ascribe  salvation  to  him. 
as  his  peculiar  and  distinguishing  glory  ;  Rev.  xix.  1.  I  heard 
a  great  voice  of  much  people  in  heaven,  saying,  Alleluia : 
salvation,  and  glory,  and  honour,  and  power,  unto  the  Lord 
our  God.1'  . 

§  36.  But  nothing  is  more  evident,  by  the  express  and  abun- 
dant doctrine  of  Scripture,  than  that  Jesus  Christ  is  most  emi- 
nently and  peculiarly  the  Saviour  of  God's  people,  and  the 
Saviour  of  the  world.  In  John  iv.  42.  his  very  name  is  Jesus, 
Saviour.     He  is  spoken  of  as  the  Author  of  eternal  salvation. 

*  See  Deut.  xxxii.  4.  2  Sam.  xxiii.  3.  Paal.  xviii.  2.  2  Sam.  xxii.  1,  2. 
31,32.     Psal.  xviii.  2,  30,31,46.    Isa.  xxvi.  4.     Heb.  i.  12. 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  343 

Heb.  v.  9.  And  the  Captain  of  the  salvation  of  his  people, 
Heb.  ii.  10.  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour.  He  is  called  Zion's  sal- 
vation, Isa.  lxii.  11 :  "  Behold,  thy  salvation  cometh."  He  is 
spoken  of,  as  saving  by  his  own  strength,  and  able  to  save  to 
the  uttermost ;  One  mighty  to  save,  and  therein  distinguished 
from  all  others  ;  as  in  Tsa.  lxiii.  1.  "1  thai  speak  in  righteous- 
ness, mighty  to  save.1'  Ver.  5.  "  I  looked  and  there  was 
none  to  uphold.  Therefore,  mine  own  arm  brought  salvation 
unto  me,  and  my  fury  it  upheld  me."  What  is  said  in  this 
place,  is  meant  of  Christ,  as  is  manifest  by  comparing  ver.  3. 
with  Rev.  xix.  15.  And  the  very  same  things  that  are  said  of 
Jehovah,  the  only  God,  as  the  only  Saviour  in  whom  men  shall 
trust  for  salvation,  as  in  Isaiah  xlv.  21.  to  the  end,  are,  from 
time  to  time,  applied  to  Christ  in  the  New  Testament.  And, 
it  is  expressly  said,  Acts  iv.  12 :  "  There  is  salvation  in  no 
other,  neither  is  there  any  other  name  given  under  heaven 
amongst  men,  whereby  we  must  be  saved."  And  the  heavenly 
hosts,  in  their  praises,  ascribe  salvation  to  Christ  in  like  man- 
ner as  to  God  the  Father,  Rev.  vii.  10.  "  Salvation  to  our 
God,  which  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  to  the  Lamb."  See, 
also,  chap.  v.  Christ  is  a  rock  sufficiently  sure,  and  perfectly 
to  be  trusted,  Isa.  xxviii.  16, 17.     1  Cor.  x.  4. 

§  37.  The  redemption  from  Egypt,  and  bringing  the  children 
of  Israel  through  the  wilderness  to  the  possession  of  Canaan, 
is  often  spoken  of  as  a  great  salvation,  which  was  most  evi- 
dently the  peculiar  work  of  the  One  only  Jehovah,  greatly 
manifesting  his  distinguished  power  and  majesty. — 2  Sam.  vii, 
22,  23.  "  Wherefore  thou  art  great,  O  Lord  God,  for  there  is 
none  like  thee;  according  to  all  that  we  have  heard  with  our 
ears  ;"  meaning  what  they  had  heard  of  his  great  fame,  or  the 
name  he  had  obtained  by  his  wonderful  works,  in  bringing 
them  out  of  Egypt,  &c,  as  appears  by  what  follows :  "  And 
what  one  nation  in  the  earth  is  like  thy  people,  even  like  Israel, 
whom  God  went  to  redeem  for  a  people  to  himself,  and  to 
make  him  a  name,  and  to  do  for  you  great  things,  and  terrible 
for  thy  land,  before  thy  people  which  thou  redeemest  to  thee 
from  Egypt,  from  the  nations  and  their  gods  ?"  The  same 
work  is  mentioned  as  an  evidence,  that  the  doer  of  it  is  Jeho- 
vah, and  that  there  is  none  like  unto  him,  and  as  that  which 
makes  known  God's  name  through  the  earth  ;  Exod.  viii.  10, 
22.  ix.  14,  16.  and  x.  2. — See,  also,  chap.  xv.  6 — 11.  xviii.  11. 
and  xxxiv.  10.     Deut.  iii.  24. 

§  38.  But  it  was  Jesus  Christ  that  wrought  that  salvation ; 
Isa.  lxiii.  9,  10.  "  The  angel  of  his  presence  saved  them  :  in 
his  love  and  pity  he  redeemed  them,  and  he  bore  them,  and 
carried  them  all  the  days  of  old.  But  they  rebelled  and  vexed 
his  Holy  Spirit."  This  rebelling  and  vexing  of  his  Holy  Spirit, 
is  evidently  the  same  thing  with  that  spoken  of,  Psalm  xcv.  8, 


344  MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS. 

9,  10.  "  As  in  the  provocation,  and  as  in  the  day  of  tempta- 
tion in  the  wilderness,  when  your  fathers  tempted  me,  proved 
me,  and  saw  my  works.  Forty  years  long  was  I  grieved  with 
that  generation."  But  it  is  evident,  that  he  whom  they  tempt- 
ed, provoked,  and  grieved,  was  that  God  whose  great  works 
they  saw,  and,  therefore,  was  that  God  who  wrought  those 
wonderful  works  in  Egypt,  and  the  wilderness :  As  is  evident 
by  the  same  Psalm,  ver.  3,  where  he  is  called  "  Jehovah,  a 
great  God,  and  a  great  King  above  all  gods."  And  it  is 
equally  clear  by  that  passage  in  Isa.  lxiii.  just  quoted,  that  it 
was  the  Angel  of  God's  presence,  and  by  1  Cor.  x.  9.  "  Nei- 
ther let  us  tempt  Christ,  as  some  of  them  also  tempted." 

And,  as  it  is  said,  Isa.  lxiii.  that  the  Angel  of  God's  pre- 
sence saved  them,  &c,  so  it  is  plain,  by  Exod.  xxiii.  20 — 33. 
that  God's  Angel,  a  dfferent  person  from  him  who  acts  as  first 
in  the  affairs  of  the  Deity,  brought  them  into  Canaan,  &c 
And  it  is  plain,  that  the  person  that  appeared  in  the  bush,  who 
said  his  name  was  Jehovah,  and  I  am  that  I  am,  was  the  Angel 
of  Jehovah :  Exod.  iii.  2,  14.  vi.  3.  and  Acts  vii.  30.  And 
nothing  is  more  evident,  by  the  whole  history,  than  that  the 
same  person  brought  them  out  of  Egypt ;  and,  also,  that  it 
was  the  same  Angel  which  appeared  and  delivered  the  ten 
commandments  at  Mount  Sinai,  conversed  there  with  Moses; 
and  manifested  himself  from  time  to  time  to  the  congregation 
in  the  wilderness.  Acts  vii.  38.  "  This  is  he  that  was  in  the 
Church  in  the  wilderness,  with  the  Angel  which  spake  to  him 
in  the  Mount  Sinai,  and  with  our  fathers ;  who  received  the 
lively  oracles  to  give  unto  us."  That  angel,  doubtless,  was 
the  same  that  is  called  the  Angel  of  the  Covenant;  Mai.  iii.  1. 
"  Behold,  I  will  send  my  Messenger,  and  he  shall  prepare  the 
way  before  me  ;  and  the  Lord,  whom  ye  seek,  shall  suddenly 
come  into  his  temple,  even  the  Messenger  of  the  Covenant, 
whom  ye  delight  in.  Behold,  he  shall  come,  saith  the  Lord  of 
Hosts  :"  And  this  messenger,  without  doubt,  was  Christ. — It  is 
plain,  by  Heb.  xii.  25,  26,  27,  that  he  who  spake  at  Mount  Sinai, 
was  Christ :  "  See  that  ye  refuse  not  him  that  speaketh,"  &,c. 

§  39.  Thus  we  see,  that  however  the  work  of  salvation  be  so 
often  spoken  of  as  peculiar  to  God ;  yet  this  salvation  out  of 
Egypt,  so  much  celebrated  in  scripture,  is  not  peculiar  to  God 
the  Father;  but  the  Son  wrought  this  work  as  well  as  the  Father. 
And  it  is  true,  that  the  scriptures  abundantly  speak  of  an  infi- 
nitely greater  and  more  glorious  salvation  than  that  out  of 
Egypt ;  viz.  the  salvation  of  men  from  sin,  Satan,  eternal 
death,  and  ruin,  and  bringing  them  to  the  heavenly  Canaan, 
to  eternal  life  and  happiness  there.  This  is  spoken  of  as  a  far 
greater  work  than  the  other.  So  that,  in  comparison  of  it,  it 
is  not  worthy  to  be  remembered  or  mentioned.  Jer.  xvi.  14, 
15.     «  It  shall  no  more  be  said,  the  Lord  liveth,"  &c.      See. 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATION*.  345 

also,  chap,  xxiii.  6 — 8.  Isaiah  xliii.  18 — 21.  "  Remember  ye 
not  the  former  things,"  &c.  But  I  need  not  stop  to  show  the 
reader  how  this  great  salvation  is,  in  scripture,  ascribed  in  a 
peculiar  manner  to  Christ  as  the  author. 

§  40.  We  read  in  scripture  of  two  creations  :  The  first,  that 
which  Moses  uives  an  account  of  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis  ; 
the  other,  a  spiritual  creation,  consisted  in  restoring  the  moral 
world,  bringing  it  to  its  highest  perfection,  and  establishing  it 
in  its  eternal  felicity  and  glory ;  and  the  latter  is  spoken  of  as 
most  incomparably  the  greatest  work ;  Isaiah  lxv.  17,  18.  and 
Ixvi.  22.  Now,  as  creation  is  so  much  spoken  of  as  a  most 
peculiar  work  of  the  Supreme  God,  one  may  well  determine, 
that  if  the  first  creation  be  not  so,  yet  the  second  is,  which  is 
so  much  greater,  and  evidently  the  greatest  of  all  God's  works. 

But  this  new  creation,  which  is  the  same  with  the  work  of 
redemption,  is,  in  the  most  especial  manner,  spoken  of  as  the 
work  of  Jesus  :  for  he  is  ever  mentioned  as  the  great  Redeemer 
and  Restorer.  This  work  is  committed  to  him  :  for  this,  he 
has  a  ful!  commission.  It  is  left  in  his  hands  ;  all  things  are 
committed  to  him  ;  all  power,  in  heaven  and  in  earth,  is  given 
him,  that  he  may  accomplish  this  work,  and  bring  it  to  its  most 
absolute  perfection.  To  this  end  are  subjected  to  him,  thrones, 
dominions,  principalities,  and  powers,  and  he  is  made  Head 
over  all  things  ;  and,  to  this  end,  the  world  to  come,  that  is, 
all  the  affairs  of  that  new  creation,  are  put  in  subjection  unto 
him :  And  he,  with  regard  to  all  the  transactions  belonging  to 
this  new  creation,  that  are  written  in  the  book  of  God,  is  the 
Alpha  and  Omega,  the  First  and  the  Last.  Christ  built  the 
house  ;  he  built  all  things,  especially  in  this  new  creation  ; 
and,  therefore,  is  God.  These  things  are  plainly  asserted  in 
Heb.  iii.  3, 4.  "  For  this  man,  (rather,  this  person,)  was  counted 
worthy  of  more  glory  than  Moses,  inasmuch  as  he  who  hath 
builded  the  house,  hath  more  honour  than  the  house.  For 
every  house  is  builded  by  some  man :  but  he  that  built  all 
things,  is  God."  Thus,  the  work  of  redemption,  which  is 
both  the  greatest  work  of  salvation,  and  the  greatest  work  of 
creation,  (the  two  kinds  of  works  chiefly  spoken  of  in  scripture 
as  divine,)  is  accomplished  by  the  Son  of  God. 

§41.  The  giving  of  spiritual  and  saving  light,  is  one  chief 
part  of  the  new  creation,  as  creating  the  light  was  a  chief  part 
of  the  old  creation.  The  causing  of  this  spiritual  light,  is 
spoken  of  as  the  peculiar  work  of  God.  2  Cor.  iv.  6.  "  For 
God,  who  commanded  the  light  to  shine  out  of  darkness,  hath 
shined  in  our  hearts,  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the 
glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ,"  &c.  But  the  giving 
of  this  light  is  especially  ascribed  to  Christ,  as  the  Author  and 
Fountain  of  it.  He  is  called  the  Light  of  the  world  ;  the 
Light  of  life;  the  true  Light,  that  lighteth  every  man  that 

Vol.  VII.  44 


;54ti  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS. 

cometh  into  the  world.  He  is  the  Sun  of  Righteousness.  No 
man  knoweth  the  Father,  but  the  Son,  and  he  to  whom  the 
Son  will  reveal  Him,  &c. 

§  42.  So  calling  men  into  Christ's  fellowship  and  kingdom, 
is  also  ascribed  to  God.  Rom.  viii.  30.  •'  Whom  he  did  pre- 
destinate, them  He  also  called."  Acts  ii.  39.  "  As  many  as 
the  Lord  our  God  shall  call."  1  Cor.  i.  9.  "God  is  faithful, 
by  whom  ye  were  called  unto  the  fellowship  of  his  Son,  Jesus 
Christ  our'  Lord."  1  Thess.  ii.  12.  "  That  ye  would  walk 
worthy  of  God,  who  hath  called  you  unto  His  kingdom  and 
glory."  2  Thess.  ii.  13,  14.  "  God  hath,  from  the  beginning, 
chosen  you  to  salvation ;  whereunto  He  called  you  by  our 
gospel."  2  Tim.  i  9.  "  According  to  the  power  of  God,  who 
hath  saved  us,  and  called  us  with  an  holy  calling,  not  according 
to  our  works,  but  according  to  his  own  purpose  and  grace." 
1  Pet.  v.  10.  "  The  God  of  all  grace,  who  hath  called  us  unto 
his  eternal  glory." 

But  this  is  ascribed  to  Jesus  Christ.  Rom.  i.  6.  "  Among 
whom,  also,  ye  are  called  of  Jesus  Christ."  1  Cor.  vii.  17. 
"  As  the  Lord  hath  called  every  one."  John  x.  3.  "  And  he 
calleth  his  own  sheep  by  name,  and  leadeth  them  out."  Verse 
16.  "  Other  sheep  have  I,  which  are  not  of  this  fold  ;  them, 
also,  I  must  bring  in  ;  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice."  Eph. 
i.  18.     ;;  That  ye  may  know  what  is  the  hope  of  His  calling." 

§  43.  Regeneration,  or  the  changing  and  renewing  of  the 
heart,  is  spoken  of  as  the  peculiar  work  of  God.  John  i.  13. 
"  Which  were  born  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh, 
nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of  God."  James  i.  18.  "  Of  his 
own  will,  begat  He  us  with  the  word  of  truth,  that  we  should 
be  a  kind  of  first-fruits  of  His  creatures." 

It  is,  likewise,  ascribed  to  Christ.  Saints  are  born  of  Him 
in  their  spiritual  generation,  and,  therefore,  are  called  his  seed  ; 
Gal.  iii.  29.  It  is  Christ  that  baptizes  men  with  the  Holy 
Ghost,  which  is  called  the  washing  of  regeneration,  and  re- 
newing of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  a  being  born  of  water  and  of 
the  Spirit.  Christ  sanctifies  and  cleanses  the  souls  of  men,  by 
the  washing  of  water,  by  the  word  ;  Eph.  v.  26. 

§  44.  Justification,  washing  from  sin,  delivering  from  guilt, 
forgiving  sin,  admitting  to  favour,  and  to  the  glorious  benefits 
of  righteousness  in  the  sight  of  God,  are  often  spoken  of  as 
belonging  peculiarly  to  God.  Rom.  iii.  '16.  "  That  he  might 
be  just,  and  the  justifier  of  him  that  believeth  in  Jesus." 
Verse  30.  "  Seeing  it  is  one  God  that  justifieth,"  &c.  Chap, 
viii.  30.  "  Whom  he  called,  he  also  justified."  Verse  33. 
;'  It  is  God  that  justifieth."  Isaiah  xiiii.  25.  "  1  am  He  that 
blotteth  out  thy  transgressions  for  mine  own  sake."  Psalm  li. 
2 — 4.  "  Wash  me  throughly  from  mine  iniquity,  and  cleanse 
me  from  my  sin  :    "  against  Thee,  Thee  only,  have  1  sinned." 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBaEll  V  A'i'lONo.  311 

Therefore  the  Jews  said,  Luke  v.  21.  "  Who  can  forgive  sins 
but  God  only  ?" 

But  Christ  hath  power  to  forgive  sins,  as  it  follows  in  the 
last  mentioned  place  ;  verse  24.  "  But  that  ye  may  know, 
that  the  Son  of  Man  hath  power  on  earth  to  forgive  sins,"  &c. 
He  washes  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood  ;  Rev.  i.  5.  And 
he  justifies  those  that  know  and  believe  in  him,  Isaiah  liii.  11. 

§  45.  Overcoming  Satan,  and  delivering  men  from  him,  and 
giving  his  people  victory  over  him,  are  spoken  of  as  the  pecu- 
liar works  of  God's  glorious  power.  Isaiah  xxvii.  1.  "  In  that 
day,  Jehovah,  withThis  great  and  strong  sword,  shall  punish 
Leviathan  the  piercing  serpent,  even  Leviathan,  that  crooked 
serpent;  he  shall  slay  the  dragon  that  is  in  the  sea."  Psalm 
viii.  1,  2.  "O  Jehovah,  our  God,  how  excellent  is  thy  name 
in  all  the  earth,  who  hast  set  thy  glory  above  the  heavens ! 
Out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings,  hast  thou  ordained 
strength,  because  of  thine  enemies,  that  thou  mightest  still  the 
enemy  and  the  avenger." 

But  it  is  the  special  work  of  Christ  to  bruise  the  serpent's 
head  ;  to  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil ;  and  that  by  his  own 
strength.  For  he  is  represented  as  conquering  him,  because 
he  is  stronger  than  the  strong  man  armed,  and  so  overcoming 
him  and  taking  from  him  all  his  armour  wherein  he  trusted, 
and  spoiling  his  goods.  It  is  He  that  has  spoiled  principalities 
and  powers,  and  made  a  show  of  them  openly,  triumphing  over 
them.  He  is  the  spiritual  Samson,  that  has  rent  the  roaring 
lion  as  he  would  have  rent  a  kid  ;  and  the  spiritual  David,  that 
has  delivered  the  lamb  out  of  his  mouth,  and  has  slain  that 
great  Goliath.  He  is  that  Michael  who  fights  with  the  dragon 
and  casts  him  out ;  and,  at  last,  will  judge  Satan,  and  will 
utterly  destroy  him  ;  and  will  inflict  those  everlasting  torments 
on  him  spoken  of  in  Rev.  xx.  10.  In  the  apprehension  of 
which,  he  now  trembles,  and  trembled  for  fear  that  Christ 
would  inflict  those  torments  on  him,  when  he  cried  out  and 
fell  down  before  him,  saying,  "-Art  thou  come  to  torment  me 
before  the  time?"        And  "I  beseech  thee,   torment  me  not." 

§  46.  Should  any  imagine,  that  those  parts  of  the  work  of 
redemption,  which  are  initial,  and  wrought  in  this  world,  being 
more  imperfect,  may  be  wrought  by  the  Son  of  God  ;  but  that 
the  more  glorious  perfection  of  it,  which  is  brought  to  pass  in 
heaven,  is  peculiar  to  God  the  Father  :  In  opposition  to  this,  it 
may  be  observed,  it  belongs  to  Christ  to  take  care  of  the  souls 
of  his  saints  after  death  ;  to  receive  them  to  the  heavenly  state; 
and  to  give  them  possession  of  heaven.  Therefore,  the  scrip- 
tures represent,  that  he  redeems  his  saints  to  God,  and  makes 
them  kings  and  priests.  He  has  the  key  of  David,  the  key  ol 
the  palace,  and  the  keys  of  Hades,  or  the  separate  state,  and 
of  death  ;  and  opens,  and  no  man  shuts  ;   and  shuts,  and  no 


348  MISCELLANEOUS   OBSERVATIONS. 

man  opens.  He  is  gone  to  heaven,  as  the  forerunner  of  the 
saints.  He  has,  in  their  name,  taken  possession  of  that  inhe- 
ritance which  he  has  purchased  for  them,  that  he  may  put  them 
in  possession  of  it  in  due  time.  He  is  gone  to  prepare  a  place 
for  them,  that  he  may  come  and  take  them  to  himself,  that 
where  he  is,  there  they  may  be  also ;  and  make  them  sit  with 
him  in  his  throne.  And,  therefore,  Stephen,  when  dying,  com- 
mended his  spirit  into  Christ's  hands. 

Or,  if  any  shall  say,  that  the  far  more  glorious  salvation 
which  shall  be  effected  at  the  end  of  the  world,  when  all  things 
shall  be  brought  to  their  highest  consummation,  shall  be  the 
peculiar  work  of  God  the  Father :  I  answer,  it  is  abundantly 
manifest  from  scripture,  that  the  consummation  of  all  things 
shall  be  by  Christ.  He  shall  raise  the  dead  by  his  voice,  as 
one  that  has  power  and  life  in  himself.  He  shall  raise  up  the 
bodies  of  his  saints  in  their  glorious  resurrection,  making  their 
bodies  like  to  his  glorious  body  ;  John  v.  25, 29,  and  vi.  39,  40. 
He,  as  the  universal  and  final  Judge,  shall  fully  put  all  things 
to  rights  ;  and  bring  every  thing  to  its  last  and  most  perfect 
state.  He  shall  bestow  that  great  gift  of  eternal  life,  in  both 
soul  and  body,  on  the  whole  church,  and  every  individual 
member,  in  a  state  of  most  consummate  glory,  which  is  the 
thing  aimed  at  in  all  the  preceding  steps  of  the  great  affair  of 
redemption.  He  shall  present  his  church  to  Himself,  and  to 
his  Father,  a  glorious  church,  not  having  spot  or  wrinkle,  or 
any  such  thing ;  all  in  perfect  purity,  beauty,  and  glory :  and 
the  glory  which  God  hath  given  him,  he  will  give  them  in  the 
most  perfect  manner,  that  they  may  reign  with  him  for  ever  and 
ever.  And  thus,  he  will  cause  the  new  Jerusalem  to  appear  in 
its  brightest  glory,  as  a  bride  adorned  for  her  husband ;  and 
will  perfect  the  new  creation,  and  cause  the  new  heavens  and 
new  earth  to  shine  forth  in  their  consummate  and  eternal 
beauty  and  brightness  ;  when  God  shall  proclaim,  It  is  done  ; 
I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  First  and  the  Last.*  Christ  is 
represented  as  being  himself  the  light  and  glory  that  enlightens 
the  New  Jerusalem,  that  fills  with  brightness  and  glory  the 
church  of  God,  in  its  last,  consummate,  and  eternal  glory  : 
Rev.  xxi.  23. 

§  47.  Concerning  the  name  Jehovah,  see  Neh.  ix.  6.  "  Thou 
art  Jehovah  alone  :  Thou  hast  made  heaven  and  earth  ;  the  hea- 
ven of  heavens  with  all  their  host ;  the  earth,"  &c.  Deut.  vi.  4. 
-;  Hear,  O  Israel,  Jehovah  our  God  is  one  Jehovah"  2  Sam. 
xxii.  32.  "  Who  is  God  save  Jehovah  ?  who  is  a  rock,  save  our 
God?"  So  Psalm  xviii,  31.  1  Kings  xviii.  39.  u  Jehovah,  he  is 

*  John  xi.  25,  and  v.  22,  23,  27 ;  Eph.  v.  20.  1  Cor.  xv.  20—28.  Matt. 
xxv.  34.  2  Tim.  iv.  8.  Luke  xxii.  29,  33.  Matt,  xxiv,  47.  Rev.  ii.  7,  10. 
ancliii.21.     Rev.  xxii.  11, 17. 


^ILSUELLANEOUS  OBSERVAIONsi.  349 

the  God  :  Jehovah,  he  is  the  God."  When  God  proclaimed  his 
name  in  Mount  Sinai,  Exod.  xxxiv.  5,  b\  "  He  passed  by  and 
proclaimed,  Jehovah,  Jehovah"  Jer.  x.  10.  "•  Jehovah  is  the 
true  God  ;  he  is  the  livingGod,  and  an  everlasting  King."  Exod. 
xv.  11.  "  Who  is  like  unto  Thee,  O  Jehovah .?"  1  Chron.  xvii.  20. 
"  O  Jehovah,  there  is  none  like  unto  Thee."  Psalm  lxxxvi.  8. 
It  might  well  be  expected,  that,  in  that  abundant  revelation 
which  God  has  made  of  himself,  he  would  make  himself  known 
by  some  one  name  at  least,  which  should  be  expressly  delivered, 
as  the  peculiar  and  distinguishing  name  of  the  Most  High. 
And  we  find  it  to  be  so  ;  God  has  with  great  solemnity,  declared 
a  certain  name  as  his  most  peculiar  name  ;  which  he  has  ex- 
pressly and  very  often  spoken  of  as  a  name  that  belongs  to  him 
in  a  most  distinguishing  manner,  and  belongs  to  the  Supreme 
Being  only ;  and  hath  expressly  asserted  that  it  belongs  to  no 
other.  But,  notwithstanding  all  this,  the  Arians,  to  serve  then- 
particular  purpose,  reject  this  name,  as  not  being  the  distin- 
guishing name  of  the  Supreme  God. 

§  48.  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords,  are  titles  peculiar 
to  the  Supreme  Being.  Deut.  x.  17.  "  For  the  Lord  your  God 
is  God  of  gods,  and  the  Lord  of  lords.1'  Psalm  exxxvi.  3.  "O 
give  thanks  to  the  Lord  of  lords,  for  his  mercy  endureth  for 
ever."  Dan.  ii.  47.  "  Of  a  truth  it  is  that  your  God  is  a  God  ot 
gods,  and  Lord  of  kings."  1  Tim.  vi.  14,  15,  16.  "  Until  the 
appearing  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which  in  his  times  he  shall 
show,  who  is  the  blessed  and  only  potentate,  the  King  of  kings, 
and  Lord  of  lords;  who  only  harh  immortality,  dwelling  in 
light,  which  no  man  can  approach  unto,  whom  no  man  hath 
seen,  nor  can  see ;  to  whom  be  honour  and  power  everlasting, 
Amen."  Rev.  xix.  11 — 16.  "  He  whose  name  is  called  the 
Word  of  God,  hath  on  his  vesture  and  on  his  thigh  a  name 
written,  king  of  kings,  and  lord  of  lords." 

§  49.  Christ's  eternity  is  abundantly  asserted.  Psalm  cii. 
24 — 27.  "  Of  old  hast  thou  laid  the  foundations  of  the  earth  ;  and 
the  heavens  are  the  work  of  thy  hands  :  but  thou  art  the  same, 
and  thy  years  shall  have  no  end."  Rom.  i.  23.  "  The  incorrupti- 
ble God."  1  Tim.  vi.  26.  '»  The  king  eternal,  immortal."  Rev. 
iv.  9,  10.  v.  14.x.  5,  6.  and  xv.  7.  Heb.  vii.  2.  "  Having  neither 
beginning  of  days,  nor  end  of  life." 

§  50.  There  must  be  a  vast  difference,  not  only  in  the  degree, 
but  in  the  kind  of  respect  and  worship  due  to  the  Supreme 
God, as  well  as  in  other  things;  since  there  is  so  infinite  a  differ- 
ence between  this  Being  and  all  others.  There  is  a  great  dif- 
ference as  to  the  kind  of  respect  proper  for  a  wife  to  render  to 
her  husband,  and  that  which  it  is  proper  for  her  to  render  to- 
wards other  men.  So  it  is  with  regard  to  the  respect  due  to 
God  ;   otherwise  there  would  not  be  a  foundation  for  that  jeo 


350  MISCELLANEOUS   OBSERVATIONS. 

lousy  which  God  exercises  on  occasion  of  his  professing  people 
worshipping  other  beings. 

In  addition  to  what  has  been  observed  of  the  works  and  wor- 
ship of  God,  the  following  sayings  of  Christ  are  worthy  to  be 
observed.  John  v.  17.  "  My  father  worketh  hitherto,  and  I 
work."  Verse  19.  "  What  things  soever  the  Father  doeth, 
these  also  doeth  the  Son  likewise."  Ver.  23.  "  That  all  men 
should  honour  the  Son,  even  as  they  honour  the  Father."  It  is 
plain,  God  is  jealous  in  that  respect,  that  no  other  being  may 
share  with  him  in  honour,  that  he  alone  may  be  exalted.  It  is 
expected  that  other  beings  should  humble  themselves,  should  be 
brought  low,  should  den}-  themselves  for  God,  and  esteem  them- 
selves as  nothing  before  him.  And  as  he  requires  that '  they 
should  abase  themse!  ves,  he  would  not  set  up  others  to  exalt  them 
to  a  rivalship  with  'limself.  If  men  may  pray  to  Christ,  may  adore 
him,  give  themselves  up  to  him,  trust  in  him,  praise  him,  and 
serve  him  ;  what  kind  of  worship  is  due  to  the  Father,  entirely 
distinct  from  all  this  in  nature  and  kind  ? 

When  Satan  tempted  Christ  to  fall  down  and  worship  him, 
as  one  that  had  power  to  dispose  of  the  kingdoms  of  this  world, 
and  the  glory  of  them  ;  Christ  replies,  "  It  is  written,  thou  shalt 
worship  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  him  only  shalt  thou  serve."  But 
the  Arians  must  suppose,  that  we  are  required  to  worship  and 
serve  some  other  being  than  this  Lord  God  which  Christ  speaks 
of,  as  the  disposer  not  only  of  the  kingdoms  of  this  world,  but 
of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  and  the  glory  thereof.  On  the  sup- 
position of  Christ's  being  merely  a  creature,  he  would  much 
more  properly  be  ranked  with  creatures  exclusively,  and  never 
with  God,  (as  being  called  by  his  name  and  titles,  having  as- 
cribed to  him  his  attributes,  dominions,  &,c.)  However  great  a 
creature  he  might  be.  he  would  be  infiniiel}  beiow  God. 

§51.  Concerning  the  grand  objection  from  that  text,  "Of 
that  day  and  hour  knoweth  no  man,  nor  the  angels  in  heaven, 
nor  the  Son,  but  the  Father  :"  I  would  observe,  that  even  the 
Arians  themselves,  widi  regard  to  some  things  said  of  Christ, 
must  make  the  distinction  between  his  power  or  knowledge,  as 
to  his  inferior  and  his  superior  nature  ;  or,  if  they  do  not  allow 
two  natures,  then,  at  least,  as  to  his  humbled  state,  and  his 
state  both  before  and  after  his  humiliation  :  as  Mark  vii.  24. 
"  And  would  have  no  man  know  it,  but  he  could  not  be  hid." 
This  cannot  mean,  that  the  person  who  created  the  whole 
world,  visible  and  invisible,  &c,  and  by  whom  all  things  con- 
sist, and  are  governed,  had  not  2) owe r  to  order  things  so,  that 
he  might  be  hid. 

§  52.  It  is  observable,  that  Christ  is  frequently  called  God 
absolutely,  ©sos  and  o  ©sog;  by  which  name  even  the  heathens 
themselves  always  understood  the  Supreme  God.     Dr.  Cud 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  o5i 

worth,  in  his  "  Intellectual  System,"  abundantly  shows,  that 
the  heathens  generally  worshipped  but  one  supreme,  eternal, 
universal,  uncreated  Deity  ;  but  that  their  best  philosophers 
maintained,  that  this  Deity  subsisted  in  three  hypostases: 
though  they  had  many  created  gods.  And  in  page  627,  he 
says,  "  It  now  appears,  from  what  we  have  declared,  that  as  to 
the  ancient  and  genuine  Platonists  and  Pythagoreans,  none  of 
their  trinity  of  gods,  or  divine  hypostases,  were  independent; 
so,  neither,  were  they  creature-gods,  but  uncreated,  they  being, 
all  of  them,  not  only  eternal,  and  necessarily  existent  and  im- 
mutable, but,  also,  universal,  i.  e.  infinite  and  omnipotent 
causes,  principles,  and  creators  of  the  whole  world.  From 
whence  it  follows,  that  these  Platonists  could  not  justly  be 
taxed  with  idolatry,  in  giving  religious  worship  to  each  hypos- 
tasis of  their  trinity.  And  one  grand  design  of  Christianity 
being  to  abolish  the  Pagan  idolatry,  or  creature-worship,  it 
cannot  justly  be  charged  therewith,  from  that  religious  worship 
given  to  our  Saviour  Christ  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  they  being 
none  of  them,  according  to  the  true  and  orthodox  Christianity, 
creatures,  however  the  Arian  hypothesis  made  them  such. 
And  this  was,  indeed,  the  grand  reason  why  the  ancient  fathers 
so  zealously  opposed  Arianism.  We  shall  cite  a  remarkable 
passage  out  of  Athanasius,  fourth  oration  against  the  Arians, 
to  this  purpose,  as  follows  : 

"  i  YVhy,  therefore,  do  not  these  Arians,  holding  this,  reckon 
themselves  amongst  the  Pagans,  or  Gentiles,  since  they  do,  in 
like  manner,  worship  the  creature,  besides  the  Creator? — 
<n]  xtiCsi  Xar^sutfj  vuga  <rov  xrnravra.1  Athanasius's  meaning  here, 
could  not  well  be,  that  they  worshipped  the  creature  more  than 
the  Creator  ;  forasmuch  as  the  Arians  constantly  declared, 
that  they  gave  less  worship  to  the  Son  than  to  the  Father. 

"  For  though  the  Pagans  worship  one  uncreated,  and  many 
created  gods;  but  these  Arians  only  one  uncreated,  and  one 
created,  to  wit,  the  Son,  or  Word  of  God  ;  yet  will  not  this 
make  any  real  difference  betwixt  them  ;  because  the  Arians" 
one  uncreated  god,  is  one  of  those  many  Pagan  gods ;  and 
these  many  gods  of  the  Pagans,  or  Gentiles,  have  the  same 
nature  with  this  one,  they  being  alike  creatures." 

§  53.  It  is  remarkable,  that  in  so  many  places,  both  in  the 
Old  Testament  and  New,  when  Christ  is  spoken  of,  his  glory 
and  prerogatives  represented,  and  the  respect  due  to  him  urged, 
that  the  vanity  of  idols,  in  the  same  places,  should  be  repre- 
sented, and  idolatry  warned  against.  See  Psalm  xvi.  4.  It  is 
manifest,  that  it  is  the  Messiah  that  there  speaks.  See,  also, 
many  prophecies  of  Isaiah,  and  other  prophets.  1  John  v. 
'20,  21.     1  Cor.  x.  19—22. 

"  There  is  not  the  least  intimation,  where  Christ  is  styled 
God)  either  in  the  texts  themselves,  or  contexts,  that  this  is  to 


352  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATION*. 

be  understood  of  his  office,  and  not  of  his  person  ;  as  is  the 
case  where  magistrates  are  styled  gods,  where  the  very  next 
words  explain  it,  and  tell  us  what  is  to  be  understood  by  it. 
And  when  Moses  and  angels  are  called  gods,  no  one  who  at- 
tends to  the  whole  discourse,  could  easily  mistake  the  meaning, 
and  not  see,  that  this  term  God,  was  there  used  in  an  inferior 
and  metaphorical  sense."  Letter  to  the  Dedicator  of  Mr. 
Emlyn's  Inquiry,  &c,  p.  7,  8.— Matt.  xix.  17.  "  Why  callest 
thou  me  good  1  there  is  none  good  but  one,  that  is  God." — 
"Mr.  Emlyn  affirms  it  to  be  evident,  that  Christ  here  distin- 
guishes himself  from  God,  and  denies  of  himself  what  he  affirms 
of  God.  But  the  truth  of  his  interpretation,  entirely  depends 
upon  the  opinion  which  the  young  man  had  of  Christ,  who  re- 
ceived this  answer  from  him.1'     Ibid.  p.  17,  18. 

§  54.  That  Christ  had  divine  omniscience,  appears  from  his 
own  words ;  Rev.  ii.  "23.  "  And  all  the  churches  shall  know 
that  I  am  He  which  searcheth  the  hearts  and  the  reins."  Now 
Solomon  declares,  1  Kings  viii.  39 :  "  Thou,  even  Thou  only, 
knowest  the  hearts  of  all  the  children  of  men."  And  Jer. 
xvii.  10.  God  says,  "  I,  the  Lord,  search  the  heart ;  I  try  the 
reins."  And  Christ  does  not  say,  The  Churches  shall  know 
that  I  search  the  reins  and  the  heart ;  but  that  "  I  am  he," 
&c,  which,  if  words  have  any  force  in  them,  yea,  if  the  ex- 
pression is  not  altogether  unintelligible,  implies,  "  I  am  He 
who  is  distinguished  by  this  character  ;  or,  the  Churches  shall 
know  that  1  am  the  God  who  searcheth,"  &c.     Ibid.  p.  43,44. 

§  55.  That  the  eternal  Logos  should  be  subordinate  to  the 
Father,  though  not  inferior  in  nature ;  yea,  that  Christ,  in  his 
office,  should  be  subject  to  the  Father,  and  less  than  He,  though 
in  his  higher  nature  not  inferior,  is  not  strange.  It  is  proper, 
among  mankind,  that  a  son  should  be  subordinate  to  his  fa- 
ther, yea  subject  in  many  respects,  though  of  the  same  hu- 
man nature ;  yea,  though  in  no  respect  inferior  in  any  natural 
qualification.  It  is  proper  that  Solomon  should  be  under 
David  his  father,  and  appointed  king  by  him,  and  receive 
charges  and  directions  from  him,  though,  even  then,  in  his 
youth,  probably  not  inferior  to  his  father. 

The  disciples  of  Christ,  or  those  that  trusted  in  him,  when 
here  on  earth,  applied  to  him  as  trusting  in  his  ability,  not 
only  to  heal  all  diseases  of  the  body,  and  to  raise  the  dead  : 
but  as  leaving  their  souls  in  his  hands,  and  being  able  to  heal 
the  diseases  of  their  minds ;  as  being  the  Author  and  Foun- 
tain of  virtue.  So  Luke  xvii.  5.  "The  apostles  said  unto  the 
Lord,  Increase  our  faith."  So  the  father  of  the  demoniac, 
Mark  ix.  24.  "  Lord,  I  believe  ;  help  Thou  mine  unbelief." 

§  56.  It  is  a  good  argument  for  Christ's  divinity,  that  he  is 
to  be  Author  of  the  resurrection.  The  atoms  and  particles  in 
one  little  finger,  are  capable  of  so  many  removes,  and  such 


.MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  $&3 

dispersions,  that  I  believe  it  would  surpass  any  finite  understand- 
ing at  two  or  three  thousand  years'  end,  to  tell  what  distinct 
particles  of  the  universe  belonged  to  it.  Tt  would  require  a 
vast  strength  and  subtilty  of  mind,  to  trace  but  one  atom  so 
nicely,  as  to  know  that  individual  atom  in  the  universe,  after 
so  long  a  time  ;  after  it  had  been  a  particle  of  air,  water,  oil, 
or  animal  spirit,  &c.  and  had  been  transported  with  prodigious 
swiftness  from  place  to  place,  back  wards  and  forwards,  mil- 
lions of  times,  amongst  innumerable  others  of  the  same  kind. 
Especially,  would  it  be  exceeding  difficult,  so  narrowly  to 
watch  two  of  such  at  once.  If  so,  what  would  it  be,  to  follow 
every  atom  in  a  man's  body;  yea,  of  all  the  bodies  that  ever 
have  died,  or  shall  die  ?  And,  at  the  same  time,  to  have  the 
mind  exercised  with  full  vigour  upon  innumerable  other  matters, 
that  require  an  equal  strength  of  understanding  ?  and  all  this 
with  such  ease,  that  it  shall  be  no  labour  to  the  mind  ? 

§  57.  God  would  not  have  given  us  any  person  to  be  our  Re- 
deemer, unless  he  was  of  divine  and  absolutely  supreme  dignity 
and  excellency,  or  was  the  Supreme  God  ;  lest  we  should  be  un- 
der temptation  to  pay  him  too  great  respect ;  lest,  if  he  were 
not  the  Supreme  God,  we  should  be  under  temptation  to  pay 
him  that  respect  which  is  due  only  to  the  Supreme,  and  which 
God,  who  is  a  jealous  God,  will  by  no  means  allow  to  be 
paid  to  an  inferior  being.  Men  are  very  liable  to  be  tempted 
to  rate  those  too  highly,  from  whom  they  have  received  great 
benefits.  They  are  prone  to  give  them  that  respect  and 
honour,  that  belongs  to  God  only.  Thus  the  Gentile  world 
deified  and  adored  such  of  their  kings  as  did  great  things  for 
them,  and  others  from  whom  they  received  great  benefits.  So 
Cornelius  was  tempted  to  give  too  great  respect  to  Peter,  he 
being  the  person  that  God  had  marked  out  to  be  his  teacher 
and  guide  in  things  pertaining  to  eternal  salvation.  So  the 
apostle  John  could  scarce  avoid  adoring  the  angel  that  showed 
him  those  visions :  he  fell  down  to  worship  him  once  and 
again.  Though  the  first  time  he  had  been  strictly  warned 
against  it ;  yet  the  temptation  was  so  great,  that  he  did  it  again  : 
Rev.  xix.  W  ;  xxii.  8.  This  being  a  temptation  they  were  so 
liable  to,  was  greatly  disallowed  of  by  God.  When  Cornelius 
fell  down  before  Peter,  he  took  him  up,  saying,  "  Stand  up;  I 
myself  also  am  a  man."  So,  when  the  people  at  Lystra  were 
about  to  offer  divine  worship  to  Paul  and  Barnabas,  when  they 
heard  of  it,  they  rent  their  clothes,  and  ran  in  among  them 
crying  out,  "  Sirs,  why  do  ye  these  things  ?  We  also  are  men 
of  like  passions  with  you,  and  preach  unto  you,  that  ye  should 
turn  from  these  vanities  unto  the  living  God,  which  made  hea- 
ven, and  the  earth,  and  the  sea,  and  all  things  that  are  therein  ;" 
Acts  xiv.  And  when  John  was  about  to  adore  the  angel,  how 
strictly  was  he  warned  against  it ; "  See  thou  do  it  not,"  says  he-. 

Vol.  VII.  45 


354  MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS. 

«« for  I  am  thy  fellow-servant,  and  of  thy  brethren  the  prophets, 
that  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ :  worship  God."  And 
God  has  always  been  so  careful  to  guard  against  it,  that  he 
hid  the  body  of  Moses,  that  it  might  be  no  temptation  to  idola- 
try. But  if  any  thing  can  be  a  temptation  to  give  supreme 
respect  and  honour  to  one  that  is  not  the  supreme  being,  this 
would  be  a  temptation,  viz.  to  have  a  person  that  is  not  the  su- 
preme being,  to  be  our  redeemer  ;  to  have  such  an  one  endure 
such  great  sufferings  out  of  love  to  us,  and  thereby  to  deliver 
us  from  such  extreme  and  eternal  misery,  and  to  purchase  for 
us  so  great  and  eternal  happiness.  God,  therefore,  in  wisdom, 
has  appointed  such  a  person  to  be  our  Redeemer,  that  is  of  ab- 
solutely supreme  glory  and  excellency,  that  we  may  be  in  no 
danger  of  loving  and  adoring  him  too  n»uch  :  that  we  may  prize 
him,  exalt  him,  for  the  great  things  that  he  has  done  for  us,  as 
much  as  we  will,  nay  so  far  as  his  love  to  us,  his  sufferings  for 
us,  and  the  benefits  we  receive  by  him,  can  tempt  us  to,  with- 
out danger  of  exceeding.  Christ  has  done  as  great  things  for 
us  as  ever  the  Father  did.  His  mercy  and  love,  have  been  as 
great  and  wonderful ;  and  we  receive  as  much  benefit  by  them, 
as  we  do  by  the  love  and  mercy  of  the  Father.  The  Father 
never  did  greater  things  for  us  than  to  redeem  us  from  hell, 
and  bring  us  to  eternal  life.  But  if  Christ  had  not  been  a 
person  equal  with  the  Father,  and  worthy  of  our  equal  respect, 
God  would  not  have  so  ordered  it,  that  the  temptation  to  love 
and  respect  the  Son,  which  results  from  favours  that  we  have 
by  kindness  received,  should  be  equal  with  the  inducements 
we  have  to  love  and  respect  the  Father. 

§  58.  I  shall  offer  some  reasons  against  Dr.  Watts's  notion 
of  the  pre-existence  of  Christ's  Human  Soul.  If  the  pre-ex- 
isting soul  of  Christ  created  the  world,  then,  doubtless,  he  up- 
holds and  governs  it.  The  same  Son  of  God  that  did  one, 
does  the  other.  He  created  all  things,  and  by  him  all  things 
consist.  And,  if  so,  how  was  his  dominion  confined  to  the 
Jewish  nation,  before  his  incarnation,  but  extends  to  all  nations 
since  ?  Besides,  there  are  many  things  ascribed  in  the  Old 
Testament  to  the  Son  of  God,  in  those  very  places  which  Dr. 
Watts,  himself,  supposes  to  speak  of  Him,  that  imply  his  go- 
vernment of  the  whole  world,  and  all  nations.  The  same  person 
that  is  spoken  of  as  King  of  Israel,  is  represented  as  the  Go- 
vernor of  the  world. 

According  to  this  scheme,  the  greatest  of  the  works  of  the 
Son,  in  his  created  nature,  implying  the  greatest  exaltation, 
was  His  first  work  of  all  ;  viz.  His  creating  all  things,  all 
worlds,  all  things  visible  and  invisible,  whether  they  be  thrones, 
or  dominions,  or  principalities,  or  powers :  and  this  before  ever 
he  had  any  trial  at  all  of  his  obedience,  &c.  At  least,  this 
work  seems  much  greater  than  judging  the  world  at  the  last 


MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATIONS.  355 

day  ;  which  the  Scripture  often  speaks  of  as  one  of  the  highest 
parts  of  his  exaltation,  which  he  has  in  reward  for  his  obedience 
and  sufferings  :  and,  Dr.  Watts,  himself,  supposes  his  honours, 
since  his  humiliation,  to  be  much  greater  than  before. 

§  59.  On  this  scheme,  it  will  follow,  that  the  covenant  of  re- 
demption was  made  with  a  person  thai  was  not  sui  juris,  and 
not  at  liberty  to  act  his  own  mere  good  pleasure,  with  respect 
to  undertaking  to  die  for  sinners ;  but  was  obliged  to  comply, 
on  the  first  intimation  that  it  would  be  well-pleasing  to  God, 
and  a  thing  that  he  chose. 

§  60.  According  to  that  scheme,  the  man  Christ  Jesus  was 
not  properly  the  son  of  a  virgin,  and  so  the  son  of  man.  To 
be  the  son  of  a  woman,  is  to  receive  being  in  both  soul  and 
body,  in  consequence  of  a  conception  in  her  womb.  The  soul 
is  the  principal  part  of  the  man  ;  and  sonship  implies  derivation 
of  the  soul  as  well  as  the  body,  by  conception.  Though  the 
soul  is  no  part  of  the  mother,  and  be  immediately  given  by 
God,  yet  that  hinders  not  its  being  derived  by  conception ;  it 
being  consequent  on  it,  according  to  a  law  of  nature.  It  is 
agreeable  to  a  law  of  nature,  that  where,  a  perfect  human  body 
is  conceived  in  the  womb  of  a  woman,  and  properly  nourished 
and  increased,  a  human  soul  should  come  into  being:  and 
conception  may  as  properly  be  the  cause  whence  it  is  derived, 
as  many  other  natural  effects  are  derived  from  natural  Causes, 
or  antecedents.  For  it  is  the  power  of  God  which  produces 
these  effects,  though  it  be  according  to  an  established  law. 
Tiie  soul  being  so  much  the  principal  part  of  man,  a  derivation 
of  the  soul  by  conception,  is  the  chief  thing  implied  in  a  man's 
being  the  son  of  a  woman. 

According  to  what  seems  to  be  Dr.  Watts's  scheme,  the  Son 
of  God  is  no  distinct  divine  person  from  the  Father.  So  far  as 
He  is  a  divine  person,  He  is  the  same  person  with  the  Father. 
So  that,  in  the  covenant  of  redemption,  the  Father  covenants 
with  himself,  and  He  takes  satisfaction  of  himself,  &c.  Unless 
you  will  say,  lhat  one  nature  covenanted  with  the  other,  the 
two  natures  in  the  same  person  covenanted  together,  and  one 
nature  in  the  same  person,  took  satisfaction  of  the  other  nature 
in  the  same  person.  But  how  does  this  confound  our  minds 
instead  of  helping  our  ideas,  or  making  them  more  easy  and 
intelligible ! 

§  61.  The  Son  of  God,  as  a  distinct  person,  was  from  eter- 
nity. It  is  said,  Mic.  v.  2.  "  His  goings  forth  were  of  old, 
from  everlasting."  So  Prov.  viii.  23.  "I  was  set  up  from 
everlasting,  from  the  beginning,  or  ever  the  earth  was."  So 
he  is  called,  Isaiah  ix.  6.  "  The  everlasting  Father."  I  know 
of  no  expressions  used  in  Scripture,  more  strong,  to  signify  the 
eternity  of  the  Father  himself. 


356  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATION'S. 

Dr.  Watts  supposes  the  world  to  be  made  by  the  pre-existenl 
s"oul  of  Christ ;  and  thinks  it  may  properly  be  so  said,  though 
the  knowledge  and  power  of  this  pre-existent  soul  could  not 
extend  to  the  most  minute  parts,  every  atom,  &c. — But  it  is 
evidently  the  design  of  the  Scripture  to  assure  us,  that  Christ 
made  all  things  whatever,  in  the  absolute  universality.  John 
i.  33.  "  All  things  were  made  by  him,  and  without  him  was 
not  any  thing  made  that  was  made.'"  Col.  i.  16,  17.  "  For 
by  Him  were  all  things  created,  that  are  in  heaven,  and  that 
are  in  earth,  visible  and  invisible,  whether  they  be  thrones,  or 
dominions,  or  principalities,  or  powers;  all  things  were  created 
by  Him  and  for  Him  :  and  He  is  before  all  things,  and  by  Him 
ajl  things  consist."  Now,  if  we  suppose  matter  to  be  infinitely 
divisible,  it  will  follow,  that,  let  His  wisdom  and  power  be  as 
great  as  they  will,  if  finite,  but  a  few  of  those  individual  things 
that  are  made,  were  the  effects  of  his  power  and  wisdom  :  yea, 
that  the  number  of  the  things  that  were  made  by  Him,  are  so 
few,  that  they  bear  no  proportion  to  others,  that  did  not  imme- 
diately fall  under  His  notice ;  or  that  of  the  things  that  are 
made,  there  are  ten  thousand  times,  yea,  infinitely  more,  not 
made  by  Him,  than  are  made  by  Him  : — And  so,  but  infinitely 
few  of  their  circumstances  are  ordered  by  His  wisdom. 

It  is  said,  Heb.  ii.  8.  "  Thou  hast  put  ail  things  in  subjection 
under  his  feet.  For  in  that  He  put  all  in  subjection  under 
Him  ;  He  left  nothing  that  is  not  put  under  Him."  Here,  it  is 
represented,  that  God,  the  Father,  has  put  every  individual 
thing  under  the  power  and  government  of  another  person, 
distinct  from  Himself.  But  this  cannot  be  true  of  the  human 
soul  of  Christ,  as  it  must  be  according  to  Dr.  Watts's  scheme, 
let  the  powers  of  that  be  never  so  great,  if  they  are  not  infinite. 
For  things  and  circumstances,  and  dependencies  and  conse- 
quences of  things  in  the  world,  are  infinite  in  number ;  and, 
therefore,  a  finite  understanding  and  power,  cannot  extend  to 
them :  yea,  it  can  extend  to  but  an  infinitely  small  part  of  the 
whole  number  of  individuals,  and  their  circumstances  and  con- 
sequences. Indeed,  in  order  to  the  disposal  of  a  few  things,  in 
their  motions  and  successive  changes,  to  a  certain  precise  issue, 
there  is  need  of  infinite  exactness,  and  so  need  of  infinite  power 
and  wisdom. 

§  62.  The  work  of  creation,  and  so  the  work  of  upholding 
all  things  in  being,  can,  in  no  sense,  be  properly  said  to  be  the 
work  of  any  created  nature.  If  the  created  nature  gives  forth 
the  word,  as  Joshua  did,  when  he  said,  "  Sun,  stand  thou  still ;" 
vet  it  is  not  that  created  nature  that  does  it :  That  Being  that 
depends  himself  on  creating  power,  does  not  properly  do  any 
thing  towards  creation,  as  Joshua  did  nothing  towards  stopping 
the  sun  in  his  course.  So  that  it  cannot  be  true  in  Dr.  Watts's 
scheme,  that  that  Son  of  God,  who  is  a  distinct  person  from 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  357 

God  the  Father,  did  at  all,  in  any  manner  of  propriety,  create 
the  world,  nor  does  he  uphold  it,  or  govern  it.  Nor  can  those 
things  that  Christ  often  says  of  himself  be  true  :  as  "  The  Fa- 
ther worketh  hitherto,  and  I  work.'" — "  Whatsoever  the  Father 
doeth,  these  doeth  the  Son  likewise."  John  v.  17,  19  ;  it  being 
very  evident,  that  the  works  of  creating  and  upholding  and 
governing  the  world,  are  ascribed  to  the  Son,  as  a  distinct 
pei son  from  the  Father. 

§  63.  Not  only  is  the  word  Elokim  in  the  plural  number,  but 
it  is  joined  to  a  verb  of  the  plural  number,  in  Gen.  xx.  13. 
When  God  caused  me  to  wander  from  my  Fathers  house. 
The  word  hightnu,  caused  to  loander,  is  in  the  plural  number. 
This  is  agreeable  to  the  use  of  plural  verbs,  adjectives,  and 
pronouns,  in  Gen.  i.  26  ;  iii.  22 ;  xi.  7.  See  other  instances  in 
Gen.  xxxv.  7  ;  Exodus  xxxii.  2,  4  ;  compared  with  Neh.  ix.  18  : 
Isaiah  xvi.  6. 

The  very  frequent  joining  of  the  word  Elohim,  a  word  in  the 
plural  number,  with  the  word  Jehovah,  a  word  in  the  singular 
number,  (as  may  be  seen  in  places  referred  to  in  the  English 
concordance,  under  the  words,  Lord  God,  Lord  his  God,  Lord 
my  God,  Lord  our  God,  Lord  their  God,  Lord  thy  God,  Lord 
your  God,)  seems  to  be  a  significant  indication  of  the  union 
of  several  divine  persons  in  one  essence.  The  word  Jehovah, 
signifies  as  much  as  the  word  Essence,  and  is  the  proper  name 
of  God  with  regard  to  his  self-existent,  eternal,  all-sufficient, 
perfect,  and  immutable  Essence.  Moses  seems  to  have  regard 
to  something  remarkable  in  thus  calling  Elohim,  the  plural,  so 
often  by  the  singular  name,  Jehovah  ;  especially  in  that  remark 
which  he  makes  for  the  special  observation  of  God's  people 
Israel,  in  Deut.  vi.  4.  "  Hear,  O  Israel,  The  Lord  our  God  is 
one  Lord."  In  the  original,  it  is  Jehovah,  Elohenu  Jehovah 
Ehadh  ;  the  more  proper  translation  of  which  is,  Jehovah  our 
God  is  one  Jehovah.  The  verb  is,  is  understood,  and  properly 
inserted  between  Jehovah  Elohenu  and  Jehovah  Ehadh,  thus, 
Jehovah  Elohenu  is  Jehovah  Ehadh ;  which,  if  most  literally 
translated,  is  thus,  Jehovah  Our  Divine  Persons,  is  one  Jeho- 
vah :  as  though  Moses,  in  this  remark,  had  a  particular  refer- 
ence to  the  word  Elohim  being  in  the  plural  number,  and 
would  guard  the  people  against  imagining  from  thence,  that 
there  was  a  plurality  of  Essences  or  Beings,  among  whom  they 
were  to  divide  their  affections  and  respect. 
•  A  farther  confirmation  that  the  name  Elohim,  when  used  as 
the  name  of  the  True  God,  signifies  some  plurality,  is,  that 
this  same  name  is  commonly,  all  over  the  Hebrew  Bible,  used 
to  signify  the  gods  of  the  Heathens,  when  many  gods  are 
spoken  of.  See  those  places  in  the  Hebrew  Bible,  which  are 
referred  to  in  the  English  concordance,  under  the  word  Gods. 
In  Exodus  xx.  2.  3,   when  it  is  said  in  the  third  verse.  "  Thou 


'.lob  MISCELLANEOUS    OBSERVATION. 

shalt  have  no  other  Gods  before  Me ;"  the  word  is  the  same 
as  in  the  foregoing  verse,  where  it  is  said,  "  I  am  the  Lord  thy 
God,  which  brought  thee  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt."  It  is 
Elohim  in  both  verses  :  I  am  the  Jehovah,  thy  Elohim  :  Thou 
shah  have  no  other  Elohim.  Yet  the  latter  Elohim  is  joined 
with  an  adjective  of  the  plural  number ;  which  seems  naturally 
to  lead  the  children  of  Israel,  to  whom  God  spake  these 
words,  to  suppose  a  plurality  in  the  Elohim  which  brought 
them  out  of  Egypt,  implied  in  the  name  Jehovah.  Psalm 
lviii.  11.  "  Verily  there  is  a  God  that  judgeth  in  the  earth; 
Elohim  Shophetim :"  Which  literally  is,  Elohim,  judges,  (in 
the  plural  number.)  See  the  evident  distinction  made  between 
Jehovah  sending,  and  Jehovah  sent  to  the  people,  and  dwelling 
in  the  midst  of  them,  in  Zech.  ii.  8,  9,  10,  11.  and  iv.  8,  9, 11. 
"  For  thus  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  After  the  glory  hath  He  sent 
me  unto  the  nations  which  spoiled  you  :  for  he  that  toucheth 
you,  toucheth  the  apple  of  His  eye."  "  For  behold,  I  will 
shake  mine  hand  upon  them,  and  they  shall  be  a  spoil  to  their 
servants  :  and  ye  shall  know  that  the  Lord  of  Hosts  hath  sent 
me."  '•  Sing  and  rejoice,  O  daughter  of  Zion  :  for,  lo,  I  come, 
and  I  will  dwell  in  the  midst  of  thee,  saith  the  Lord."  "And 
many  nations  shall  be  joined  to  the  Lord  in  that  day,  and  shall 
be  my  people  :  and  I  will  dwell  in  the  midst  of  thee,  and  thou 
shall  know,  that  the  Lord  of  Hosts  hath  sent  me  unto  thee." — 
"  Moreover  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  me,  saying,  The 
hands  of  Zerubbabel  have  laid  the  foundation  of  this  house: 
his  hands  shall  also  finish  it ;  and  thou  shalt  know  that  the 
Lord  of  Hosts  hath  sent  me  unto  you."  "  Then,  answered  I, 
and  said  unto  him,  What  are  these  two  olive  trees  upon  the 
right  side  of  the  candlestick,  and  upon  the  left  side  thereof?" 
Joshua  xxiv.  19.  "  And  Joshua  said  unto  the  people,  Ye  can- 
not serve  Jdiovah ;  for  he  is  an  Holy  God,  Elohim  Kedhoshim."" 
He  is  the  Holy  Gods.  Not  only  is  the  word  Elohim  properly 
plural,  the  very  same  that  is  used,  verse  15,  the  Gods  which 
your  fathers  served,  &c. ;  but  the  adjective  Holy,  is  plural.  A 
plural  substantive  and  adjective  are  used  here  concerning  the 
True  God,  just  in  the  same  manner  as  in  1  Sam.  iv.  8.  "Who 
shall  deliver  us  out  of  the  hand  of  these  mighty  Gods?"  And 
in  Dan.  iv.  8.  "  In  whom  is  the  Spirit  of  the  Holy  Gods." 
So  verse  9,  18,  and  ch^p.  v.  11.  That  the  plural  number 
should  thus  be  used  with  the  epithet  Holy,  agrees  well  with 
the  doxology  of  the  angels,  "  Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  of 
Hosts,"  &,c. — Isaiah  vi.  and  Rev.  vi. 

§  64.  It  is  an  argument,  that  the  Jews  of  old  understood 
that  there  were  several  persons  in  the  Godhead,  and,  particu- 
larly, that  when  the  cherubim,  in  the  6th  of  Isaiah,  cried,  "  Holy, 
Holy,  Holy,  Lord  of  Hosts,"  they  had  respect  to  three  persons: 
That  the  seventy  interpreters  in  several  places,  where  the  Holy 


MISCELLANEOUS  OBSERVATIONS.  359 

One  of  Israel  is  spoken  of,  use  the  plural  number ;  as  in  Isaiah 
xli.  16.  "  Thou  shalt  glory  in  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ;"  in  the 
LXX.  it  is,  sv<f>ga»6vi<fr\  sv  rois  aymg  \<f^ar{K.  Isaiah  lx.  14.  "  The 
Zion  of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ;"  it  is,  tfiwv  ayiuv  l<fgar\k.  So 
Jer.  li.  5.     "  Filled  with  sin  against  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ;" 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS1 


ON 


IMPORTANT  DOCTRINES. 


CHAPTER  I. 


CONCERNING  GOD'S  MORAL  GOVERNMENT,  A  FUTURE  STATE,  AND 
THE  IMMORTALITY  OF  THE  SOUL. 


Section  I. 

The  Creator  of  the  world,  is  doubtless  also  the  Governor  of 
it.  He  that  had  power  to  give  being  to  the  world,  and  set  all 
the  parts  of  it  in  order,  has  doubtless  power  to  dispose  of  the 
world,  to  continue  the  order  he  has  constituted,  or  to  alter  it. 
He  that  first  gave  the  laws  of  nature,  must  have  all  nature  in 
his  hands  :  So  that  it  is  evident  God  has  the  world  in  his  hands, 
to  dispose  of  as  he  pleases.  And,  as  God  is  able,  so  he  is  in- 
clined, to  govern  the  world.  For,  as  he  is  an  intelligent  being, 
he  had  some  end  in  what  he  did,  otherwise  he  did  not  act  as  a 
voluntary  agent  in  making  the  world.  That  being  never  acts 
voluntarily,  that  has  no  end  in  what  he  does,  and  aims  at 
nothing  at  all  in  it.  Neither  God  nor  man  is  properly  said  to 
make  any  thing  that  necessarily  or  accidentally  proceeds  from 
them,  but  that  only  which  is  voluntarily  produced.  Besides,  we 
see  in  the  particular  parts  of  the  world,  that  God  had  a  parti- 
cular end  in  their  formation.  They  are  fitted  for  such  an  end. 
By  which  it  appears,  that  the  Creator  did  act  as  a  voluntary 
agent,  proposing  final  causes  in  the  work  of  creation :  And  he 
that  made  the  particular  parts  for  certain  ends,  doubtless  made 

*  The  greatest  part  of  these  Remarks  are  original,  and  may  be  considered 
as  a  second  volume  of  Preside  v  r  Edwards's  Miscellaneous  Observations ;  but, 
as  they  relate  to  Subjects  entirely  different,  make  by  themselves  a  Book. 


WISCKLLANKUUs    REMARKS,  301 

the  whole  for  a  certain  end.  And  if  God  made  the  world  for 
some  end,  doubtless  he  will  choose  to  have  this  world  disposed 
of  to  answer  that  end.  For  his  proposing  the  end,  supposes, 
that  he  chooses  it  should  be  obtained.  Therefore,  it  fol- 
lows, that  God  will  choose  to  take  care  that  the  world  be  dis- 
posed of  to  the  obtaining  of  his  own  ends,  which  is  the  same 
thing  as  his  choosing  to  have  the  government  of  the  world, 
And  it  is  manifest,  in  fact,  that  God  is  not  careless  how  the 
affairs  and  concerns  of  the  world  he  has  made  proceed,  because 
he  was  not  careless  of  this  matter  in  the  creation  itself;  as  it  is 
apparent,  by  the  manner  and  order  in  which  things  were  crea 
ted,  that  God  in  creating,  took  care  of  the  future  progress  and 
state  of  things  in  the  world.  This  being  established,  I  now 
proceed  to  show,  that  it  must  be,  that  God  maintains  a  moral 
government  over  the  world  of  mankind. 

§  2.  If  it  be  certain  that  God  is  concerned  and  does  take 
care  how  things  proceed  in  the  state  of  the  world  he  has  made, 
then  he  will  be  especially  concerned  how  things  proceed  in  the 
state  of  the  world  of  mankind.  Mankind  are  the  principal  part 
of  the  visible  creation.  They  have  understanding,  are  voluntary 
agents,  and  can  produce  works  of  their  own  will,  design,  and. 
contrivance,  as  God  does.  And  the  Creator  looks  upon  them 
as  the  principal  part  of  his  visible  creation,  as  is  manifest,  be- 
cause he  hath  set  them  at  the  head  of  his  creation.  The  world 
is  evidently  made  to  be  an  habitation  for  man,  and  all  things 
about  him  are  subordinated  to  his  use.  Now,  if  God  be  care- 
ful how  the  world  that  he  has  made  be  regulated,  that  his  end 
may  be  answered,  and  that  it  may  not  be  in  vain,  he  will  be 
especially  careful  of  this  concerning  the  principal  part  of  it, 
and  in  the  same  proportion  that  it  is  principal  or  superior  in  his 
own  account  to  the  rest.  The  more  God  has  respect  to  any 
part  of  the  world  he  has  made,  the  more  concerned  he  will  be 
about  the  state  of  that  part.  But,  it  is  manifest  by  the  creation 
itself,  that  God  has  more  respect  or  regard  to  man,  than  to  any 
other  part  of  the  visible  creation  ;  because  he  has  evidently  made 
and  fitted  other  parts  to  man's  use.  And  therefore  God  will  not 
leave  the  world  of  mankind  to  themselves,  without  taking  any 
care  to  govern  and  order  their  state.  It  is  evident,  by  the  man- 
ner in  which  God  has  formed  and  constituted  other  things, 
that  he  has  respect  to  beauty,  good  order  and  regulation,  pro- 
portion and  harmony  ;  so,  in  the  system  of  the  world,  in  the 
seasons  of  the  year,  in  the  formation  of  plants,  and  of  the  vari= 
ous  parts  of  the  human  body.  Surely,  therefore,  he  will  not 
leave  the  principal  part  of  the  creation,  about  the  state  of  which 
he  is  evidently,  in  fact,  chiefly  concerned,  without  making  any 
proper  provision  for  its  being  in  any  other  than  a  state  of  de- 
formity, discord,  and  the  most  hateful  and  dreadful  confusion 
Vol.  VII,  46 


315#  MISCELLANEOUS    KKMARKis. 

§  3.  By  what  has  been  already  said,  God  is  most  concerned 
about  the  state  and  government  of  that  which  is  highest  in  his 
creation,  and  which  he  values  most ;  and  so  he  is  principally 
concerned  about  the  ordering  the  state  of  mankind,  which  is  a 
part  of  the  creation  that  he  has  made  superior,  and  that  he 
values  most :  and  therefore,  in  like  manner,  it  follows,  that  he 
is  principally  concerned  about  the  regulation  of  that  which  he 
values  most  in  man,  viz.  what  appertains  to  his  intelligence  and 
voluntary  acts.     If  there  be  any  thing  in  the  principal  part  of 
the  creation,  that  the  Creator  values  more  than  other  parts,  it 
must  be  that  wherein  it  is  above  them,  or,  at  least,  something 
wherein  it  differs  from  them.     But  the  only  thing  wherein  men 
differ  from  the  inferior  creation,  is  intelligent  perception  and 
action.     This  is  that  in  which  the  Creator  has  made  man  to 
differ  from  the  rest  of  the  creation,  and  by  which  he  has  set  him 
over  it,  and  by  which  he  governs  the  inferior  creatures,  and 
.uses  them  for  himself;  and  therefore  it  must  needs  be,  that  the 
Creator  should  be  chiefly  concerned,  that  the  state  of  mankind 
should  be  regulated  according  to  his  will,  with  respect  to  what 
appertains  to  him  as  an  intelligent,  voluntary  creature.  Hence 
it  must  be,  that  God  does  take  care,  that  a  good  moral  govern- 
ment should  be  maintained  over  man ;    that   his  intelligent, 
voluntary  acts,  should  be  all  subject  to  rules ;    and  that   with 
respect  to  them  all,  he  should  be  the  subject  of  judicial  pro- 
ceeding.    For  unless  this  be,  there  is  no  care  taken,  that  the 
state  of  mankind  with  respect  to  their  intelligent  voluntary 
acts,  should  be  regulated  at  all ;  but  all  things  will  be  remedi- 
lessly  in  the  utmost  deformity,  confusion  and  ruin.     The  world 
of  mankind,  instead  of  being  superior,  will  be  the  worse,  and 
more  hateful,  and  the  more  vile  and  miserable,  for  having  the 
faculties  of  reason  and  will ;  and  this  highest  part  of  the  crea- 
tion will  be  the  lowest,  and  infinitely  the  most  confused,  de- 
formed and  detestable,  without  any  provision  for  rectifying  its 
evils.     And   the  God  of  order,  peace,  and  harmony,  that  con- 
stituted the  inferior  parts  of  the  world,  which  he  has  subjected 
to  man,  and  made  subservient  to  him,  in  such  decency,  beauty, 
and  harmony,  will  appear  to  have  left  this  chief  part  of  his 
work,  and  the  end  of  all  the  rest,  to  the  reign  of  everlasting  dis- 
cord, confusion,  and  ruin  ;  contradicting  and  conflicting  with  its 
own  nature  and  faculties  ;  having  reason,  and  yet  acting  in  all 
things  contradictory  to  it ;  being  men,  but  yet  beasts  ;  setting 
sense  above  reason  ;  improving  reason  only  as  a  weapon  of 
mischief  and  destruction  of  God's  workmanship. 

§  4.  I  would  again  argue,  that  God  must  maintain  a  moral 
government  over  mankind,  thus  ; — It  is  evident,  that  it  was 
agreeable  to  the  Creator's  design,  that  there  should  be  some 
moral  government  maintained  amongst  men  :  because,  without 


MISCEEtAftEOtJS    REiVrAHKS.  363 

any,  either  in  nations,  provinces,  towns,  or  families,  and  also 
without  any  divine  government  over  the  whole,  the  world  of 
mankind  could  not  subsist,  but  would  destroy  itself.  Men 
would  be  not  only  much  more  destructive  to  each  other,  than 
any  kind  of  animals  are  to  their  own  species,  but  a  thousand 
times  more  than  any  kind  of  beasts  are  to  those  of  any  other 
species.  Therefore,  the  nature  that  God  has  given  all  mankind, 
and  the  circumstances  in  which  he  has  placed  them,  lead  all, 
in  all  ages  throughout  the  habitable  world,  into  moral  govern- 
ment. And  the  Creator  doubtless  intended  this  for  the  preser- 
vation of  this  highest  species  of  creatures,  otherwise  he  has 
made  much  less  provision  for  the  defence  and  preservation 
of  this  species,  than  of  any  other.  There  is  no  kind  of  crea- 
ture that  he  has  left  without  proper  means  for  its  own  pre- 
servation. But  unless  man's  own  reason,  to  be  improved  in 
moral  rule  and  order,  be  the  means  he  has  provided  for  the  pre- 
servation of  man,  he  has  provided  him  with  no  means  at  all. 
Therefore,  it  is  doubtless  the  original  design  of  the  Creator,  that, 
there  should  be  moral  subordination  amongst  men,  and  that 
he  designed  there  should  be  heads,  princes,  or  governors. 
to  whom  honour,  subjection  and  obedience  should  be  paid. 
Now,  this  strongly  argues,  that  the  Creator  himself  will  main- 
tain a  moral  government  over  the  whole.  For,  without  this, 
the  preservation  of  the  species  is  but  very  imperfectly  provided 
for.  If  men  have  nothing  but  human  government  to  be  a 
restraint  upon  their  lusts,  and  have  no  rule  or  judgment 
of  an  universal  omniscient  governor  to  be  a  restraint  upon 
their  consciences,  still  they  are  left  in  a  most  woful  condition, 
and  the  preservation  and  common  benefit  of  the  species,  ac- 
cording to  its  necessities,  and  the  exigencies  of  its  place,  nature 
and  circumstances  in  the  creation,  is  in  nowise  provided  for,  as 
the  preservation  and  necessities  of  other  species  are. 

Now,  it  is  reasonable  to  think,  that  the  Creator  would  so 
constitute  the  circumstances  of  mankind,  that  some  particular 
persons,  that  have  only  a  little  image  and  shadow  of  his  great- 
ness  and  power  over  men,  should  exercise  it  in  giving  forth 
edicts  and  executing  judgment ;  and  that  he  who  is  above  all 
and  the  original  of  all,  should  exercise  no  power  in  this  way 
himself,  when  mankind  stand  in  so  much  more  need  of  such 
an  exercise  of  his  power,  than  of  the  power  of  human  govern- 
ors ? — He  has  infinitely  the  greatest  right  to  exercise  the  power 
of  a  moral  governor,  if  he  pleases.  His  relation  to  man  as  his 
Creator,  most  naturally  leads  to  it.  He  is  infinitely  the  most 
worthy  of  that  respect,  honour  and  subjection,  that  is  due  to  a 
moral  governor.  He  has  infinitely  the  best  qualifications  of  a 
governor,  being  infinitely  wise,  powerful  and  holy,  and  his  go- 
vernment will  be  infinitely  the  most  effectual  to  answer  the  ends 
of  government. 


;{{j.t  MISCELLANEOUS   REMARKS. 

§  5.  It  is  manifest,  that  the  Creator  of  the  world,  in  consti- 
tuting human  moral  governments  among  men,  has,  in  that 
constitution,  had  great  respect  to  those  qualifications,  that  re- 
lation, and  those  rights  and  obligations,  in  those  whom  he  has 
appointed  to  be  rulers,  and  in  putting  others  under  their  moral 
government,  which  he  has  in  himself  in  a  vastly  more  eminent 
degree.  As,  particularly,  in  the  government  of  parents  over 
their  children,  which  of  all  other  kinds  of  human  moral  govern- 
ment is  most  evidently  founded  in  nature,  and  which  the  pre- 
servation of  the  species  doth  most  immediately  require.  Here 
God  hath  set  those  to  be  moral  rulers,  who  are  the  wiser  and 
stronger,  and  has  appointed  those  to  be  in  subjection,  who  are 
less  knowing,  and  weaker,  and  have  received  being  from  their 
rulers,  and  are  dependent,  preserved  and  maintained.  Would 
not  he  therefore  maintain  moral  government  himself  over  man- 
kind, who  is  their  universal  father,  their  universal  preserver, 
who  maintains  all,  and  provides  all  with  food  and  raiment,  and 
all  the  necessaries  and  enjoyments  of  life,  and  is  infinitely  wiser 
and  stronger  than  they  ?  Would  not  he  maintain  a  moral  go- 
vernment over  men,  who  need  his  government,  as  children 
need  the  government  of  their  parents,  and  who  are  no  more  fit 
to  be  left  to  themselves  in  the  world  without  his  rules,  direc- 
tions, authority,  promises,  threatenings,  and  judgment,  than 
children  are  fit  to  be  left  to  themselves  in  a  house  ? 

§  6.  As  man  is  made  capable  of  knowing  his  Creator,  so  he 
is  capable  of  a  high  esteem  of  his  perfections,  his  power,  wis- 
dom and  goodness.  He  is  capable  of  a  proper  esteem  of  God 
for  his  wise,  excellent,  and  wonderful  works,  which  he  beholds  ; 
and  for  their  admirable  contrivance,  which  appears  in  so  ex- 
cellently ordering  all  things  ;  and  of  gratitude  to  him  for  all  the 
goodness  of  which  he  himself  is  the  subject ;  or,  on  the  con- 
trary, of  slighting  and  despising  him,  and  hating  him,  finding 
fault  with  his  works,  reproaching  him  for  them,  slighting  all 
his  goodness  which  he  receives  from  him ;  yea,  hating  him  for 
ordering  things  in  his  providence  to  him  as  he  has  done,  and 
cursing  and  blaspheming  him  for  it. 

Now,  it  is  unreasonable  to  suppose,  that  God  should  be  an 
indifferent  spectator  of  those  things  in  his  creature  made  in  his 
own  image,  and  made  superior  to  all  other  creatures  ;  and  in  a 
creature  that  he  values  above  all  the  rest  of  the  creation.  It 
cannot  be  equally  agreeable  to  him,  whether  man  gives  him 
proper  esteem,  love,  honour,  and  gratitude  ;  or,  on  the  con- 
trary, unreasonably  despises,  hates,"  and  curses  him.  And  if 
he  be  not  an  indifferent  spectator  of  these  things,  then  he  will 
not  act  as  a  perfectly  indifferent  spectator,  and^wholly  let  men 
alone,  and  order  things  in  no  respect  differently  for  those  ends 
one  way  or  other.  But  so  it  must  be.  if  God  maintains  no 
moral  government  over  mankind. 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS.  365 

§  7.  As  man  is  made  capable  of  knowing  his  Creator,  so  he 
is  capable  of  knowing  his  will  in  many  things,  i.  e.  he  is  capa- 
ble of  knowing  his  ends  in  this  and  the  other  works  which  he 
beholds.  For  it  is  this  way  principally  that  he  comes  to  know- 
there  is  a  God,  even  by  seeing  the  final  causes  of  things ;  by 
seeing  that  such  and  such  things  are  plainly  designed  and  con- 
trived for  such  and  such  ends;  and  therefore  he  is  capable  of 
either  complying  with  the  will  of  his  Creator,  or  opposing  it. 
He  is  capable  of  falling  in  with  God's  ends,  and  what  he  sees 
his  Creator  aim  at,  and  co-operating  with  him,  or  of  setting 
himself  against  the  Creator's  designs.  It  is  manifest,  that  it  is 
the  Creator's  design,  that  parents  should  nourish  their  children, 
and  that  children  should  be  subject  to  their  parents.  If  a 
man  therefore  should  murder  his  children,  or  if  children  should 
rise  up  and  murder  their  parents,  they  would  oppose  the  Crea- 
tor's aims.  So  if  men  use  the  several  bodily  organs  to  quite 
contrary  purposes  to  those  for  which  they  were  given,  and  if 
they  use  the  faculties  of  their  own  minds  to  ends  quite  contrary 
to  those  for  which  they  were  fitted,  (for  doubtless  they  were 
given  and  fitted  for  some  end  or  other,)  he  may  perversely  use 
his  dominion  over  the  creatures  against  the  ends  to  which  they 
were  given.  For,  however  far  we  may  suppose  man  may  be 
from  being  capable  of  properly  frustrating  his  Creator,  yet  he 
is  capable  of  showing  that  his  will  is  contrary  to  his  Creator's 
ends.  He  may  oppose  his  Creator  in  his  will;  he  may  dislike 
God's  ends,  and  seek  others.  Now,  the  Creator  cannot  be  an 
indifferent  spectator  of  this  ;  for  it  is  a  contradiction  to  suppose, 
that  opposition  to  his  will  and  aims  should  be  as  agreeable  to 
him  in  itself,  as  complying  with  his  will.  And  if  he  is  not  an 
indifferent  spectator,  then  he  will  not  act  as  such,  and  so  he 
must  maintain  a  moral  government  over  mankind. 

§  8.  This  argument  is  peculiarly  strong,  as  it  respects  man's  be- 
ing capable  of  falling  in  with,  or  opposing  God's  ends  in  his  own 
creation,  and  his  endowing  him  with  faculties  above  the  rest  of 
the  world.  It  is  exceeding  manifest  concerning  mankind,  that 
God  must  have  made  them  for  some  end ;  not  only  as  it  is  evi- 
dent that  God  must  have  made  the  world  in  general  for  some 
end,  and  as  man  is  an  intelligent  voluntary  agent ;  but  as  it  is  es- 
pecially manifest/rom  fact,  that  God  has  made  mankind  for  some 
special  end.  For,  it  is  apparent,  in  fact,  that  God  has  made  the 
inferior  parts  of  the  world  for  some  end,  and  that  the  special 
end  he  made  them  for  is  to  subserve  the  benefit  of  mankind. 
Therefore,  above  all,  may  it  be  argued,  that  God  has  made 
mankind  for  some  end.  If  an  artificer  accomplishes  some 
great  piece  of  workmanship,  very  complicated,  and  with  a 
vast  variety  of  parts,  but  the  whole  is  so  contrived  and  connect- 
ed together,  that  there  is  some  particular  part  which  all  the 
other  parts  are  to  subserve,  we  should  well  conclude  that  the 


366  Miscellaneous  remarks. 

workman  had  so*me  special  design  to  serve  by  that  part,  and 
that  his  peculiar  aim  in  the  whole,  was  what  he  intended  should 
be  obtained  by  that  part.  Now,  man,  the  principal  part  of  the 
creation,  is  capable  of  knowing  his  Creator,  and  is  capable  of 
discerning  God's  ends  in  the  formation  of  other  things;  there- 
fore, doubtless,  since  God  discovers  to  him  the  ends  for  which 
he  has  made  other  things,  it  would  be  very  strange,  if  he  should 
not  let  him  know  the  end  for  which  he  himself  is  made,  or  for 
which  he  had  such  distinguishing  faculties  given  him,  whereby 
he  is  set  above  other  parts  of  the  creation.  Therefore,  in  the 
use  of  his  own  faculties,  he  must  either  fall  in  with  the  known 
design  of  the  Creator  in  giving  them,  or  thwart  it.  He  must 
oither  co-operate  with  his  Creator,  as  complying  with  the  end 
of  his  own  being,  or  wittingly  set  himself  as  his  enemy.  Of 
this  the  Creator  cannot  be  an  indifferent  spectator ;  and  there- 
fore, by  what  was  said  before,  must  maintain  moral  govern- 
ment over  mankind. 

§  9.  It  may  be  argued,  that  God  maintains  a  moral  govern- 
ment over  the  woHd  of  mankind,  from  this,  that  the  special 
end  of  the  being  of  man  is  something  wherein  he  has  to  do 
with  his  Creator.  The  special  end  of  the  brute  creation,  is 
something  wherein  they  are  concerned  with  men.  But  man's 
special  end  is  some  improvement  or  use  of  his  faculties  towards 
God.  For  the  special  end  for  which  God  made  mankind,  is 
something  very  diverse  and  very  superior  to  those  ends  for 
which  he  made  any  part  of  the  inferior  creation  ;  because  God 
has  made  man  very  different  from  them.  But  man's  special 
end  does  not  respect  any  other  parts  of  the  visible  creation. 
All  these  are  below  him,  and  all,  as  we  observed  before,  arc 
made  for  him,  to  be  subservient  to  his  use.  Their  special  end 
respects  him  ;  but  his  special  end  does  not  respect  them.  For. 
this  is  unreasonable  in  itself:  if  they  are,  in  their  formation 
and  end  subordinated  to  him,  and  subjected  to  him,  then  the 
Maker  sets  a  greater  value  on  him  than  them,  and,  therefore, 
he  has  not  made  him  for  them.  For  that  would  be  to  suppose 
them  most  valuable  in  the  eyes  of  their  Maker.  And,  it  is 
manifest,  in  fact,  that  the  being  of  mankind  does  not  subserve 
the  benefit  of  the  inferior  creatures,  any  farther  than  is  just 
necessary  to  turn  them  to  his  own  use,  and  spend  them  in  it. 

To  this  we  may  add,  that  the  happiness  of  the  greater  part 
of  mankind,  in  their  worldly  enjoyments,  is  not  great  enough, 
or  durable  enough,  to  prove  that  the  end  of  all  things  in  the 
whole  visible  universe,  is  only  that  happiness.  Therefore,  no- 
thing else  remains,  no  other  supposition  is  possible,  but  that 
man's  special  end  is  something  wherein  he  has  immediately  to 
do  with  his  Creator. 

§  10.  If  God  has  made  men  above  other  creatures,  with 
("apacitiep  superior  to  them,  for  some   special  end.   for  wlu>h 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  307 

other  creatures  are  not  made,  that  special  end  must  be  some- 
thing peculiar  to  them,  for  which  they  are  capacitated  and 
litted  by  those  superior  faculties.  Now,  the  greatest  thing 
that  men  are  capacitated  for,  by  their  faculties,  more  than  the 
beasts,  is,  that  they  are  capable  of  having  intercourse  with 
their  Creator,  as  intelligent  and  voluntary  agents.  They  are 
capable  of  knowing,  esteeming,  and  loving  him,  and  capable 
of  receiving  instructions  and  commands  from  him,  and  capable 
of  obeying  and  serving  him,  if  he  be  pleased  to  give  com- 
mands, and  make  a  revelation  of  his  mind.  Surely,  this  is  not 
without  some  end.  He  that  has  done  nothing  in  the  inferior 
world  in  vain,  has  not  given  man  this  capacity  in  vain.  The 
sun  has  not  its  light  given  it  without  a  final  cause;  and  shall 
we  suppose,  that  mankind  has  this  light  of  the  knowledge  of 
their  Creator,  without  a  final  cause  ? 

Thus,  it  is  evident,  that  the  special  end  for  which  God  has 
made  man,  is  something  wherein  he  has  intercourse  with  his 
Creator,  as  an  intelligent,  voluntary  agent.  Hence,  the  con- 
sequence is  certain,  that  mankind  are  subject  to  God's  moral 
government.  For,  there  can  be  no  such  thing  maintained,  as 
a  communication  between  God  and  man,  as  between  intelli- 
gent, voluntary  agents,  without  moral  government.  For,  in 
maintaining  communication,  or  converse,  one  must  yield  to  the 
other,  must  comply  with  the  other  ;  there  must  be  union  of 
wills  ;  one  must  be  clothed  with  authority,  the  other  with  sub- 
mission. If  God  has  made  man  to  converse  with  himself,  he 
is  not  indifferent  how  he  is  conversed  with.  One  manner  of 
behaviour  must  be  agreeable  to  his  will,  and  another  not ;  and, 
therefore,  God  cannot  act  as  indifferent  in  this  matter.  He 
cannot  let  man  alone,  to  behave  toward  him  just  as  he  pleases  ; 
therefore,  there  must  be  moral  government.  God  cannot  be 
indifferent,  whether  he  is  respected  and  honoured,  or  is  con- 
temned and  hated. 

§  11.  .Now  as  the  consequence  of  the  whole,  I  would  infer 
two  things : 

1.  A  future  state  of  rewards  and  punishments.  For,  unless 
there  he  such  a  state,  it  will  certainly  follow,  that  God,  in  fact, 
maintains  no  moral  government  over  fhe  world  of  mankind. 
For,  otherwise,  it  is  apparent,  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as- 
rewarding  or  punishing  mankind,  according  to  any  visible 
rule,  or  indeed,  according  to  any  order  or  method  whatsoever. 
Without  this,  there  may  be  desires  manifested,  but  there  can 
be  no  proper  laws  established,  and  no  authority  maintained. 
Nothing  is  more  manifest,  than  that  in  this  world  there  is  no 
such  thing  as  a  regular,  equal  disposing  of  rewards  and  punish- 
ments of  men  according  to  their  moral  estate.  There  is  no 
thing  in  God's  disposals  toward  men  in  this  world,  to  make 
-his   distributive  justice  and  judicial   equity   visible,   but   n]» 


368  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

things  are  in  the  greatest  confusion.  Often  the  wicked  prosper, 
and  are  not  in  trouble  as  other  men. — They  become  mighty 
in  power;  yea,  it  has  commonly  been  so  in  all  ages,  that  they 
have  been  uppermost  in  the  world.  They  have  the  ascendant 
over  the  righteous.  They  are  mounted  on  thrones  ;  while  the 
righteous  remain  in  cottages.  And,  in  this  world,  the  cause  of 
the  just  is  not  vindicated. — Many  wicked  men  have  the  righteous 
in  their  power,  and  trample  them  underfoot,  and  become  their 
cruel  persecutors :  And  the  righteous  are  oppressed,  and 
suffer  all  manner  of  injuries  and  cruelties  ;  while  the  wicked 
live,  and  reign  in  great  glory  and  prosperity. 

%  What  has  been  said  does  invincibly  argue  a  divine  revela- 
tion. Because,  if  God  maintains  a  moral  government  over 
mankind,  then  there  must  be  rewards  and  punishments.  But 
these  sanctions  must  be  declared  :  For  instance,  the  punish- 
ments which  enforce  God's  laws  must  be  made  known.  To 
suppose  that  God  keeps  up  an  equal,  perfect  moral  govern- 
ment over  the  world,  and  yet  leaves  men  wholly  at  a  loss  about 
the  nature,  manner,  degree,  time,  place,  and  continuance  of 
their  punishment,  or  leaves  it  wholly  to  their  guesses,  or  for 
them  to  argue  it  out  from  the  nature  of  things,  as  well  as  they 
can,  and  every  one  to  make  his  judgment  according  as  his  no- 
tions shall  guide  him,  is  a  very  unreasonable  supposition.  If 
moral  government  be  maintained,  the  order  and  method  of 
government  must  be  visible  ;  otherwise  it  looses  the  nature  of 
moral  government.  There  may  be  a  powerful  disposal,  as 
inanimate,  unintelligible  things  are  the  subjects  of  God's  go- 
vernment, in  a  visible  and  established  order ;  but  no  moral 
government.  The  order  of  government  serves  to  maintain 
authority,  and  to  influence  and  rule  the  subject  morally,  no  far- 
ther than  it  is  visible.  The  notion  of  a  moral  government,  with- 
out a  revelation  or  declaration  of  the  mind  of  the  head  by  his 
word,  or  some  voluntary  sign  or  signification,  in  the  whole  of 
it  is  absurd.  How  absurd  is  it  to  suppose,  that  there  should  be 
converse  and  moral  government  maintained  between  the  head 
and  subjects,  when  both  are  intelligent,  voluntary  agents, 
without  a  voluntary  communication  of  minds  and  expressions, 
thoughts  and  inclinations,  between  the  head  and  the  members 
of  the  society  ! 

§  12  It  need  not  be  looked  upon  as  any  objection  to 
men's  remaining  in  being  after  the  death  of  their  bodies,  that 
the  beasts  that  are  made  for  man  cease  to  be  when  they  die. 
For  it  is  manifest,  in  fact,  that  man  is  the  end  of  the  rest  of  the 
creatures  in  this  lower  world.  This  world,  with  all  its  parts 
inanimate,  vegetative,  and  sensitive,  was  made  for  an  habita- 
tion for  man  during  his  present  state  :  And  if  man  be  the  end 
of  the  rest  of  the  creatures,  for  which  the  rest  were  made, 
fiftd  to  whose  use   they  are  subordinated,  then  man  is  imtar 


omnium.  The  end  of  all  is  equivalent  to  the  whole.  There 
fore  there  is  no  need  of  any  thing  else  to  be  preserved ;  no- 
thing is  lost ;  no  part  is  in  vain.  If  the  end  of  all  be  preser- 
ved, all  is  preserved :  because  he  is  all,  the  rest  is  only  for 
his  occasional  use.  The  beasts  subserve  man's  use  in  the 
present  state ;  and  then,  though  they  cease,  yet  their  end  is 
obtained,  and  their  good,  which  is  their  end,  remains  still  in 
man.  Though  the  tent  that  was  set  up  for  man  to  sojourn  in 
during  his  state  of  probation,  ceases  when  that  occasion  is 
over,  surely  that  is  no  argument  that  the  inhabitant  ceases 
too. 

And  that  the  beasts  are  made  for  man,  affords  a  good  posi- 
tive argument  for  a  future  state  of  man's  existence.  For  that 
all  other  creatures  in  this  lower  world  are  made  for  man,  and 
that  he  himself  should  be  made  for  no  more  than  they,  viz.  a 
short  continuance  in  this  world  to  enjoy  the  good  things  of  it,  is 
unreasonable. 

§  13;  The  natural  world,  which  is  in  such  continual  labour, 
as  is  described  in  the  first  chapter  of  Ecclesiastes,  constantly 
going  round  in  such  revolutions,  will  doubtless  come  to  an  end ' 
These  revolutions  are  not  for  nothing.  There  is  some  great 
event  and  issue  of  things,  some  grand  period  aimed  at.  Does 
God  make  the  world  restless,  to  move  and  revolve  in  all  its 
parts,  to  make  no  progress  ?  To  labour  with  motions  so  mighty 
and  vast,  only  to  come  to  the  same  place  again  ?  Some  great 
end  is  nearer  to  an  accomplishment,  after  a  thousand  revo- 
lutions are  finished,  than  when  there  was  only  one  finished. 
The  waters  of  the  sea  are  not  so  restless,  continually  to  ascend 
into  the  heavens,  and  then  descend  on  the  earth,  and  then 
return  to  the  sea  again,  only  that  things  may  be  as  they 
were  before.  One  generation  of  men  does  not  come,  another 
go,  and  so  continually  from  age  to  age,  only  that  at  last  there 
may  be  what  there  was  at  first,  viz.  mankind  upon  earth.  The 
wheels  of  God's  chariot,  after  they  have  gone  round  a  thousand 
times,  do  not  remain  just  in  the  same  place  that  they  were  in 
at  first,  without  having  carried  the  chariot  nearer  to  a  journey'? 
end. 

§  14.  This  is  a  confirmation  of  a  future  state.  For,  if  these 
revolutions  have  not  something  in  another  state  that  is  to  suc- 
ceed this,  then  they  are  in  vain.  If  any  thing  of  this  world  is 
to  remain,  after  its  revolutions  are  at  an  end,  doubtless  it  will 
be  that  part  which  is  the  head  of  all  the  rest ;  or  that  creature 
for  which  all  the  rest  is  made  ;  and  that  is  man.  For,  if  he 
wholly  ceases,  and  is  extinct,  it  is  as  if  the  whole  were  totally- 
extinct  :  because  he  is  the  end  of  all.  He  is  that  creature,  to 
serve  whom  the  labours  and  revolutions  of  this  world  are,  and 
whom  they  affect ;  and  therefore,  if  he  does  not  remain  after 
the  revolutions  have  ceased,  then  no  end  is  obtained  by  all  th^sr 

Vol.  VII.  47 


;>.7(J  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

revolutions  :  because  nothing  abides  as  the  fruit  of  them  after 
they  are  finished.  But  all  comes  to  no  more  than  just  what 
was  before  this  world  itself  began,  viz.  an  universal  non-exist- 
ence :  all  is  extinct ;  all  is  as  if  the  world  had  never  been  ;  and 
therefore  all  has  been  in  vain  ;  for  nothing  remains  as  the  fruit. 
He  that  is  carried  in  the  chariot,  does  not  remain  after  he  is 
brought  with  so  much  labour  and  vast  ado  to  the  end  of  his 
journey  ;  but  ceases  to  be,  as  the  chariot  itself  does. 

§  15.  This  confirms  the  divinity  of  the  Christian  revelation  ; 
which  gives  this  account  of  things,  that  this  world  is  to  come  to 
an  end  ;  it  is  to  be  dissolved  ;  that  the  revolutions  of  the  world 
have  an  appointed  period ;  and  that  man,  the  end  of  this  lower 
world,  is  to  remain  in  being  afterward  ;  and  gives  a  most  rational 
account  of  the  great  period,  design  and  issue  of  all  things, 
worthy  of  the  infinite  wisdom  and  majesty  of  God. 

§  16.  Some  part  of  the  world,  viz.  that  which  is  the  highest, 
the  head,  and  the  end  of  the  rest,  must  be  of  eternal  duration, 
even  the  intelligent,  reasonable  creatures.  For,  if  these  crea- 
tures, the  head  and  end  of  all  the  rest  of  the  creation,  come  to 
an  end,  and  be  annihilated,  it  is  the  same  thing  as  if  the  whole 
were  annihilated.  And  if  the  world  be  of  a  temporary  dura- 
tion, and  then  drops  into  nothing,  it  is  in  vain,  i.  e.  no  end  is 
obtained  worthy  of  God.  There  is  nobody  but  what  will  own, 
that  if  God  had  created  the  world,  and  then  it  had  dropt  into 
nothing  the  next  minute,  it  would  have  been  in  vain  ;  no  end 
could  be  obtained  worthy  of  God.  And  the  only  reason  is,  that 
the  end  would  have  been  so  small,  by  reason  of  the  short  con- 
tinuance of  the  good  obtained  by  it.  And  so  it  is  still  infinitely 
little,  if  it  stand  a  million  of  ages,  and  then  drops  into  nothing. 
That  is  as  a  moment  in  the  sight  of  God.  It  is,  in  comparison 
of  him,  absolutely  equivalent  to  nothing,  and  therefore  an  end 
not  worthy  of  him.  No  end  is  worthy  of  an  infinite  God,  but 
an  infinite  end  ;  and  therefore  the  good  obtained  must  be  of 
infinite  duration.  If  it  be  not  so,  who  shall  fix  the  bounds  ? 
Who  shall  say  a  million  of  years  is  long  enough  ?  And  if  it 
be,  who  shall  Bay  a  good  of  a  thousand  years'  continuance  does 
not  become  the  wisdom  of  God  ?  And  if  it  does,  how  can  we 
say  but  that  a  good  of  still  shorter  continuance  would  not  an- 
swer the  ends  of  wisdom  ?  If  it  would,  who  can  say  that  the 
sovereignty  of  God  shall  not  fix  on  a  good  of  a  minute's  con- 
tinuance as  sufficient :  which  is  as  great  in  comparison  with 
him  as  a  million  of  years  ?  The  only  reason  why  a  good  of  a 
minute's  continuance  is  not  great  enough  to  become  the  Crea- 
tor of  the  world,  is,  that  it  is  a  good  so  little,  when  compared 
with  him.  And  the  same  reason  stands  in  equal  force  against 
a  good  of  any  limited  duration  whatsoever. 

§  17.  It  is  often  declared  in  the  Old  Testament,  that  God 
will  bring  every  work  into  judgment ;  that  there  is  verily  a  God 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  371 

lhat  judgeth  in  the  earth  ;  that  his  eyes  are  on  the  way  of  man  r. 
that  he  considers  all  his  goings  :  That  the  sins  of  the  wicked, 
and  the  good  deeds  of  the  righteous,  are  exactly  observed,  and 
written  in  a  book  of  remembrance,  and  none  of  them  forgotten  ; 
that  they  are  sealed,  and  laid  up  among  God's  treasures ;  and 
that  he  will  render  to  every  man  according  to  his  works :  That 
the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  will  do  right ;  and  that  therefore  God 
will  not  destroy  the  righteous  with  the  wicked  :  That  as  to  the 
righteous,  it  shall  be  well  with  him,  for  he  shall  eat  the  fruit  of 
his  doings  ;  that  as  to  the  wicked,  it  shall  be  ill  with  him,  for  the 
reward  of  his  hands  shall  be  given  him  ;  that  it  is  impossible  it 
•should  be  otherwise ;  that  there  is  no  darkness  nor  shadow  of 
death,  where  the  workers  of  iniquity  can  hide  themselves  from 
God  the  Judge  ;  that  God  cannot  forget  his  people  ;  that  a  wo- 
man may  sooner  forget  her  sucking  child  ;  that  God  has  graven 
them  on  the  palms  of  his  hands;  that  God  beholds  and  takes  no- 
tice of  all  their  afflictions,  and  pities  them,  as  a  father  pitieth  his 
children ;  but  that  he  is  the  enemy  of  wicked  men ;  that  their  sins 
shall  find  them  out ;  that  though  hand  join  in  hand,  the  wicked 
shall  not  go  unpunished  ;  that  the  way  of  righteousness  is  a  cer- 
tain way  to  happiness,  and  the  way  of  sin  a  sure  way  to  misery. 
Solomon  himself  is  more  abundant  than  all  other  penmen  of  the 
old  Testament,  in  observing  the  difference  between  the  righteous 
and  the  wicked  in  this  respect,  the  greatness  and  the  certainty 
of  that  difference.*  And  in  Ecclesiastes  xii.  13,  14.     Solomon 
declares,  "  That  to  fear  God  and  keep  his  commandments,  is 
the  whole  duty  of  man  :  because  God  will  bring  every  work  in- 
to judgment,  with  every  secret  thing,  whether  it  be  good,  or 
whether  it  be  evil."  And  chap.  v.  8.  "  If  thou  seest  the  oppres- 
sion of  the  poor,  and  the  violent  perverting  of  judgment  and 
justice  in  a  province,  marvel  not  at  the  matter  ;  for  he  that  is 
higher  than  the  highest  regardeth,  and  there  be  higher  than 
they.'1  Chap.  viii.  11.  "  Because  sentence  against  an  evil  work 
is  not  executed  speedily,  therefore  the  heart  of  the  sons  of  men  is 
fully  set  in  them  to  do  evil."  And  therefore,  there  is  some  other 
time,  beside  the  time  of  this  life,for  executing  the  sentence  which 
he  observes  will  so  surely  be  executed.  In  Prov.  x.  7.  Solomon 
says,  "  the  memory  of  the  just  is  blessed,  but  the  name  of  the 
wicked  shall  rot."     And  of  this  memory  or  good  name  of  the 
just,  he  says,  (Eccles.  vii.  1.)  that  "  it  is  better  than  precious 
ointment,  (meaning  the  precious  ointment  they  were  wont  to 
anoint  the  children  of  great  and  rich  men  with,  when  first  born:) 

*  See  Prov.  i.  31,  32;  and  ii.  11,  21,  22;  and  iii.  2,  4,  8,  13—18,  21—26,  32v 
35;  iv.5— 13.22;  viii.  17— 21,  35,  36  ;  ix.  5,  6,  11,  12,  x.  16,  17,  27,  28,  29; 
xi  7.  8,  1U,  19,  21,  30  31 ;  xii.  2,  3,  14.  21,  28 ;  xiii.  9,  13,  14,  15,  21 ;  xiv.  19, 
26,  27  ;  xv.  3,  6,  24  ;  xvi.  3—7  ;  xix.  23 ;  xxi.  15.  16,  18,  21 ;  xxii.  4,  8  ;  xxiii. 
17,  18  ;  xxiv.  1—5,  12,  15,  16, 19—22;  xxviii.  10,  13,  14,  18;  xxix.  6;  and  in 
many  other  places  in  the  book  of  Proverbs. 


372  dlSCELLANEOUS  REMARKS. 

and  that,  upon  this  account,  the  day  of  a  godly  man's  death 
'followed  with  a  good  name  and  so  blessed  a  memory)  is  better 
than  the  day  of  one's  birth." 

§  18.  If  God  has  perfectly  forgiven  all  the  sins  of  the 
righteous,  and  they  are  so  high  in  his  favour ;  and  if  the  great 
evidence  of  this  favour  be  the  durableness  of  the  benefits  that 
are  the  fruits  of  it,  and  the  chief  fruit  of  it  is  life  ;  then  it  is  at 
least  to  be  expected,  that  they  will  escape  that  mortality  which 
is  such  a  remarkable  disgrace  to  those  that  have  the  human 
nature,  and  so  wonderful  to  behold  in  those  whom  the  Most 
High  has  made  to  differ  so  much  from  the  beasts  in  capacity, 
dignity,  end  and  design.  We  might  surely  expect,  that  these 
high  favourites  should,  with  regard  to  life  and  durableness  of 
happiness,  not  be  mere  beasts,  and  have  no  pre-eminence  above 
them  ;  and  that  the)  should  not  be  like  the  grass,  and  the  flower 
of  the  field,  which  in  the  morning  flourisheth  and  groweth  up, 
but  in  the  evening  is  cut  down  and  withered  ;  that  all  their 
happiness,  and  all  the  benefits  of  God's  favour,  should  not  be 
like  a  shadow,  like  a  dream,  like  a  tale  that  is  told  ;  that  it 
should  not  be  as  a  span,  and  should  not  pass  away  as  the  swift 
ships,  as  the  eagle  that  hasteth  to  the  prey  ;  to  which  things,  the 
life  of  man  is  compared  in  scripture. 

The  things  of  this  world  are  spoken  of  as  having  no  profit, 
or  value,  because  they  are  not  lasting,  but  must  be  left  at  death, 
and,  therefore,  are  mere  vanity,  and  not  worthy  that  any  man 
should  set  his  heart  on  them  ;  Psalm  xlix.  6.  to  the  end  ;  Prov. 
xxiii.  4,  5 ;  Prov.  xi.  7 ;  Ecclesiastes  ii.  15,  16,  17 ;  chap,  hi: 
ten  first  verses  ;  verse  19  ;  chap.  v.  14, 15,  16.  But  the  rewards 
of  righteousness  are  abundantly  represented  as  exceedingly 
valuable  and  worthy  that  men  should  set  their  hearts  upon 
them,  because  they  are  lasting ;  Prov.  iii.  16 ;  viii.  18 ;  and 
x.  25,  27 ;  Isaiah  lv.  3  ;  Psalm  i.  3.  to  the  end ;  Isaiah  xvii. 
7,  8 ;  and  innumerable  other  places.  How  can  these  things 
consist  one  with  another,  unless  there  be  a  future  state  ? 

It  is  spoken  of  as  a  remarkable  thing,  and  what  one  would 
not  expect,  that  good  men  should  die  as  wicked  men  do,  as  it 
seems  to  be,  by  good  men's  dying  a  temporal  death  as  wicked 
men  do  •,  Eccles.  ii.  16  ;  chap.  ix.  3,  4,  5.  And,  therefore,  it 
may  be  argued,  that  it  does  but  seem  to  be  so  ;  but  that  in  real- 
ity it  shall  not  be  so,  inasmuch  as,  though  good  men  die  a 
temporal  death  as  wicked  men  do,  yet,  as  to  their  happiness, 
they  die  not,  but  live  for  ever  in  a  future  state.  It  is  an  evi- 
dence of  a  future  state,  that,  in  the  Old  Testament,  so  many 
promises  are  made  to  the  godly,  of  things  that  shall  be  after 
they  are  dead,  which  shall  be  testimonies  of  God's  great  favour 
10  them,  and  blessed  rewards  of  his  favour  ;  so  many  promises 
concerning  their  name,  and  concerning  their  posterity,  and 
tJie  future  church  of  God  in  the  world :    and  vet  that  we  arr 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARK.-. 


'ii<> 


^o  much  taught  in  the  Old  Testament,  that  men  are  never  the 
better  for  what  comes  to  pass  after  they  are  dead,  concerning 
these  things,  (i.  e.  if  we  look  only  at  the  present  life,  without 
taking  any  other  state  of  existence  into  consideration,)  Job 
xiv.  21  ;  Eccles.  i.  ii.  iii.  *2'2  ;  and  ix.  5,  6.  Yea,  the  wise  man 
says  expressly^  that  the  dead  have  no  more  a  reward,  (Eccles. 
ix.  5.)  i.  e.  in  any  thing  in  this  world. — That  man  shall  die  as  a 
beast,  seems  to  be  spoken  of,  Eccles.  iii.  16.  to  the  end ;  as  a 
vanity,  an  evil,  a  kind  of  mischief  and  confusion,  that  appears 
in  the  world.  Therefore,  this  is  an  argument,  that  God,  the 
wise  orderer  of  all  things,  who  brings  order  out  of  confusion, 
will  rectify  this  disorder  by  appointing  a  future  state. 

§  19.  It  is  an  argument  that  the  Old  Testament  affords  for 
the  proof  of  a  future  life  and  immortality,  that  we  are  there 
taught,  that  mortality  is  brought  in  by  sin,  and  comes  as  a  pu- 
nishment of  sin.  Therefore,  it  is  natural  to  suppose,  that 
when  complete  forgiveness  is  promised,  and  perfect  restoration 
to  favour,  and  deliverance  from  death,  and  the  bestowment  of 
life,  as  the  fruit  of  this  favour,  eternal  life  and  immortality  is 
intended.  The  better  men  are,  the  more  terrible  would  it 
make  death,  if  there  were  no  future  state.  For  the  better 
they  are,  the  more  they  love  God.  Good  men  have  found  the 
fountain  of  good.  Those  men  who  have  a  high  degree  of 
love  to  God,  greatly  delight  in  God.  They  have  experience 
of  a  much  better  happiness  in  life  than  others ;  and,  therefore, 
it  must  be  more  dreadful  for  them  to  have  their  beings  eternally 
extinct  by  death.  Hence,  we  may  strongly  argue  a  future 
state  :  for,  it  is  not  to  be  supposed,  that  God  would  make  man 
such  a  creature  as  to  be  capable  of  looking  forward  beyond 
death,  and  capable  of  knowing  and  loving  him,  and  delighting 
in  him  as  the  fountain  of  all  good,  which  will  necessarily  in- 
crease in  him  a  dread  of  annihilation,  and  an  eager  desire  of 
immortality  ;  and  yet  so  order  it,  that  such  desire  should  be 
disappointed  ;  so  that  his  loving  his  Creator,  should,  in  some 
sense,  make  him  the  more  miserable. 

§  20.  Nothing  is  more  manifest,  than  that  it  is  absolutely 
necessary,  in  order  to  a  man's  being  thoroughly,  universally, 
and  steadfastly  virtuous,  that  his  mind  and  heart  should  be 
thoroughly  weaned  from  this  world  ;  which  is  a  great  evidence, 
that  God  intends  another  world  for  virtuous  men  He  surely 
would  not  require  them,  in  their  thoughts,  affections,  and  ex- 
pectations, wholly  to  relinquish  this  world,  if  it  were  all  the 
world  they  were  to  expect :  if  he  had  made  them  for  this  world 
wholly  and  only,  and  had  created  the  world  for  them,  to  be 
their  only  country  and  home,  all  the  resting  place  ever  design- 
ed for  them. — If  all  the  creatures  God  has  made  are  to  come 
to  an  end,  and  the  world  itself  is  to  come  to  an  end,  and  so  to 
be  as  though  it  had  never  been,  then  it  will  be  with  all  God> 


'm-4  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS 

glorious  and  magnificent  works,  agreeably  to  what  is  said  o! 
the  temporal  prosperity  of  the  wicked,  Job  xx.  6,  7,8.  "  Though 
its  excellency  be  never  so  great,  yet  it  shall  perish  for  ever ;  it 
shall  all  fly  away-  as  a  dream  ;  it  shall  be  chased  away  as  a 
vision  of  the  night."  It  shall  vanish  totally,  and  absolutely 
be   as  though  it  had  not  been. 


CHAPTER  II. 


■  ONCERNING    THE    ENDLESS     PUNISHMENT    OF      THOSE      WHO    DIE 
IMPENITENT. 

§  1.  The  word  everlasting  is  used  in  the  very  sentence  of  the 
Judge  at  the  last  day,  whom  we  cannot  suppose  to  use  rhetori- 
cal tropes  and  figures.  The  wicked  that  are  finally  impenitent, 
are  represented  as  wholly  cast  away,  lost,  made  no  account  of, 
&e. ;  which  is  quite  inconsistent  with  their  punishment  being 
medicinal,  and  for  their  good  and  purification,  and  to  fit  them 
for  final  and  eternal  happiness. — Eternal  punishment  is  not 
eternal  annihilation.  Surely  they  will  not  be  raised  to  life  at 
the  last  day,  only  to  be  annihilated.  "  The  words  used  to 
signify  the  duration  of  the  punishment  of  the  wicked,  do,  in 
their  etymology,  truly  signify  a  proper  eternity  ;  and  if  they 
are  sometimes  used  in  a  less  strict  sense,  when  the  nature  of 
the  thing  requires  it,  yet  that  can  never  pass  as  any  reason  why 
they  are  not  to  be  understood  absolutely,  when  the  subject  is 
capable  of  it.  They  are  terms  the  most  expressive  of  an  end- 
less duration,  of  any  that  can  be  used  or  imagined.  And  they  al- 
ways signify  so  far  positively  endless,  as  to  be  express  against 
any  other  period  or  conclusion,  than  what  arises  from  the  na- 
ture of  the  thing.  They  are  never  used  in  Scripture  in  any 
other  limited  sense,  than  to  exclude  all  positive  abolition,  or 
annihilation;  or  conclusion,  other  than  what  the  natural  intent 
or  constitution  of  the  subject  spoken  of  must  necessarily  admit. 
The  word  aiwvios,  which  is  the  word  generally  used  by  the  sa- 
cred writers,  is,  we  know,  derived  from  the  adverb  asi,  which 
signifies  for  ever,  and  cannot  without  force  be  used  in  any 
lower  sense.  And  particularly,  this  is  the  word  by  which  the 
eternal  and  immutable  attributes  of  Deity  are  several  times 
expressed."— Dod well's  sermon  in  answer  to  Winston,  p.  15, 16. 

§  2.  If  the  torments  of  hell  are  purifying  pains,  that  purge 
the  damned  from  their  sins,  it  must  be  by  bringing  them  to 
repentance,  convincing  them  of  the  evil  of  sin,  and  inducing 
them  to  forsake  it,  and  with  a  sincere  heart  to  turn  from  sin  to 
God.  and  heartily  to  enclose  virtue  and  holiness.     Them  is  n< 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS,  375 

other  way  for  sinners  being  purged  as  moral  agents ;  and,  if 
hell  fire  is  the  means  of  any  other  purification,  it  cannot  be  a 
moral  purification. 

If  the  wicked  in  hell  are  the  subjects  of  torments,  in  order 
to  their  purification,  and  so  being  fitted  for,  and  finally  brought 
to  eternal  happiness:  then  they  are  the  subjects  of  a  dispensa- 
tion, that  is  truly  a  dispensation  of  love,  and  of  divine  and  in- 
finite goodness  and  benevolence,  towards  them. — And  if  the  de~ 
sign  of  the  pains  of  hell  be  that  of  kind  and  benevolent  chastise- 
ment, to  bring  sinners  to  repentance,  and  compliance  with  the  di- 
vine will ;  then  we  cannot  suppose  that  they  will  be  continued 
after  the  sinner  has  repented,  and  is  actually  brought  to  yield  and 
comply.  For  that  would  be  to  continue  them  for  no  purpose  ;  to 
go  on  using  means  and  endeavours  to  obtain  the  end,  when 
the  end  is  accomplished,  and  the  thing  aimed  at  is  fully  ob- 
tained already. — Moreover,  if  the  damned,  after  many  ages 
suffering  extreme  torment  in  hell,  are  to  be  delivered,  and 
made  perfectly  and  eternally  happy,  then  they  must  be  in  a 
state  of  probation  during  this  long  season  of  their  confinement 
to  such  extreme  misery.  If  they  are  not  in  a  state  of  probation, 
or  on  any  trial  how  they  will  behave  themselves,  under  these 
severe  and  terrible  inflictions  of  wrath,  but  are  to  be  delivered 
and  made  eternally  happy  at  the  end  of  a  certain  period :  then 
what  restraints  are  they  under  from  giving  an  unbounded 
loose  and  license  to  their  wickedness,  in  expressions  of  enmity 
against  God,  in  cursing  and  blaspheming,  and  whatever  their 
hearts  are  inclined  to  ?  And  if  they  are  in  such  a  state  as  this, 
wherein  they  are  thus  left  to  unrestrained  wickedness,  and 
every  curb  to  their  most  wicked  inclination  is  taken  oft',  being 
nevertheless  sure  of  deliverance  and  everlasting  happiness  ; 
how  far  is  this  state  fit  to  be  a  state  of  purgation  of  rational 
creatures  and  moral  agents  from  sin,  being  a  state  wherein 
they  are  so  far  from  means  of  repentance,  reformation,  and  en- 
tirely reclaiming  and  purging  them  from  sin,  that  all  manner 
of  means  are  rather  removed  ;  and  so  much  is  every  restraint 
taken  off,  that  they  are  given  up  wholly  to  sin,  which,  instead 
of  purifying  them,  will  tend  above  all  things  that  can  be  con- 
ceived,* to  harden  them  in  sin,  and  desperately  establish  the 
habits  of  it  ? 

§  3.  A  state  of  purgation  of  moral  agents,  that  is,  a  state  to 
bring  sinners  to  repentance  and  reformation,  and  not  a  state  of 
trial,  is  a  gross  absurdity.  If  any  should  say,  that,  "  though 
we  should  maintain  that  the  pains  of  hell  are  purifying  pains, 
to  bring  sinners  to  repentance,  in  order  to  their  deliverance 
and  eternal  happiness ;  yet  there  will  be  no  necessity  of  sup- 
posing, either  that  they  may  sin  with  impunity,  and  so  without 
restraint ;  or  that  they  are  properly  in  a  state  of  probation :  for 
they  have  no  probation  whether  they  shall  finally  have  eternal 


37(3  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS. 

happiness,  because  it  is  absolutely  determined  by  the  benevo- 
lent Creator,  concerning  his  intelligent  creatures,  that,  they 
shall  finally  be  brought  to  a  state  of  happiness ;  but  yet  their 
circumstances  may  be  such  as  may  tend  greatly  to  restrain 
their  wickedness,  because  that  the  time  of  their  torment  shall 
be  longer  or  shorter,  according  as  they  behave  themselves 
under  their  chastisements  more  or  less  perversely  ;  or  that  their 
torment  shall  be  raised  to  a  greater  height,  and  additions  be 
made  in  proportion  to  the  wickedness  they  commit  in  their 
purgatory  flames :"  To  this,  I  answer  :  Even  on  this  suppo- 
sition they  are  in  a  state  of  probation  for  a  more  speedy  pos- 
session of  eternal  life  and  happiness,  and  deliverance  from  fur- 
ther misery  and  punishment ;  this  makes  their  state  as  much 
a  state  of  probation,  as  their  state  in  the  present  life.  For  here 
it  is  supposed  by  these  men,  that  sinners  are  not  in  a  state  of 
trial,  whether  ever  they  shall  obtain  eternal  happiness  or  no  ; 
because  that  is  absolutely  determined,  and  the  determination 
known,  or  knowable  concerning  all  without  any  trial.  But 
only  it  is  a  state  of  trial  whether  they  shall  obtain  eternal  life 
so  soon  as  at  the  end  of  their  lives,  or  at  the  day  of  judgment. 
Neither  have  they  any  trial  during  this  life,  whether  they  shall 
escape  all  affliction  and  chastisement  for  sin  or  not  ;  but 
whether  they  shall  be  relieved  from  a  state  of  suffering  so  soon, 
and  shall  escape  those  severer  and  longer  chastisements  that, 
with  respect  to  many,  are  to  come  afterward. 

And  on  the  supposition  of  the  objection,  there  must  be  the 
proper  circumstances  of  a  state  of  probation  in  hell,  as  well 
as  on  earth.  There  they  must  likewise  be  continued  in 
that  state  of  free  agency,  that  renders  them  properly  the  sub- 
jects of  judgment  and  retribution.  For  on  the  supposition  of 
the  objection,  they  shall  be  punished  for  their  wickedness  in 
hell,  by  an  addition  to  their  misery  proportioned  to  their  sin  ; 
and  they  shall  be  the  subjects  of  God's  merciful  strivings,  en- 
deavours, and  means  to  bring  them  to  repentance,  as  well  as 
here.  And  there  must  be  a  divine  judgment  after  the  trial,  to 
determine  their  retribution,  as  much  as  after  this  life.  And  the 
same  or  like  things,  must  be  determined  by  the  Supreme  Judge, 
as  will  be  determined  at  the  day  of  judgment.  At  that  great 
day,  on  the  supposition  of  such  as  1  oopose,  What  will  be  de- 
termined concerning  the  impenitent  ?  not.  what  their  eternal 
state  shall  be,  but  only  whether  they  shall  have  eternal  happi- 
ness immediately ;  whether  they  have  repented,  and  are  qua- 
lified for  immediate  admission  to  heavenly  glory  ;  or,  whether 
the  bestowment  of  it  shall  be  delayed,  and  further  chastise- 
ments made  use  of,  and  so  it  must  be  again  after  their  castiga- 
tory  purifying  pains.  At  the  end  of  all  there  must  be  a  judg- 
ment, whether  now  they  truly  repent,  and  so  have  performed 
the  condition  of  deliverance,  and  immediate  admission  to  thr 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS.  377 

state  of  the  blessed,  or  whether  there  shall  be  a  further  season 
of  misery  ;  which  brings  it  in  all  respects  to  be  a  proper  judg- 
ment, as  much  as  that  at  the  general  resurrection  ;  and  the  pre- 
ceding time  of  the  use  of  means  and  God's  striving  with  them 
to  bring  them  to  repentance,  is  as  much  a  proper  time  of  trial 
in  order  to  judgment,  as  the  tune  of  this  life. 

§  4.  But  if  the  damned  are  in  a  state  of  trial,  let  it  be  con- 
sidered how  unreasonable  this  is.  If  they  are  in  a  state  of 
trial,  then  they  must  be  in  a  state  of  liberty  and  moral  agency, 
as  those  men  will  doubtless  own ;  and  so,  according  to  their 
notion  of  liberty,  must  be  under  no  necessity  of  continuing  in 
their  rebellion  and  wickedness,  but  may  cast  away  their  abomi- 
nations, and  turn  to  God  and  their  duty,  in  a  thorough  sub- 
jection to  his  will,  very  speedily.  And  then,  seeing  the  end  of 
their  probationary  state,  and  the  severe  means  God  uses  with 
them  to  bring  them  to  repentance,  is  obtained ;  how  unreasona- 
ble will  it  be  to  suppose,  that  God,  after  this,  would  continue 
them  still  under  hell-torments  for  a  long  succession  of  ages? 
But  if  God  should  speedily  deliver  them  on  their  speedy  re- 
pentance ;  how  are  the  threatenings  and  predictions  of  their 
everlasting  punishment  fulfilled  in  any  sense,  according  to  the 
sense  even  of  those  who  deny  the  absolute  eternity  of  the  misery 
of  hell,  and  hold,  that  the  words  everlasting  and  for  ever,  &,c, 
when  applied  to  the  misery  of  the  damned,  are  not  to  be  taken 
in  the  strictest  sense  ?  They  yet  allow,  they  signify  a  very  long, 
time,  a  great  many  ages. 

§  5.  If  the  devils  and  damned  spirits  are  in  a  state  0' 
bation,  and  have  liberty  of  will,  and  are  under  the  last 
most  extreme  means  to  bring  them  to  repentance,  and,  conse- 
quently, the  greatest  means,  having  the  strongest  tendency  of 
all  to  be  effectual  ;  I  say,  if  thus,  then  it  is  possible,  that  the 
greatest  part,  if  not  all  of  them,  may  be  reclaimed  by  those 
extreme  means,  and  may  be  brought  to  thorough  repentance 
before  the  day  of  judgment ;  yea,  it  is  possible,  it  might  be 
very  soon.  And,  if  so,  how  could  it  certainly  be  predicted 
concerning  the  devil,  that  he  would  do  such  and  such  great 
things  in  opposition  to  Christ  and  his  church,  from  age  to  age  ? 
and  that,  at  last,  he  should  be  judged  and  punished,  and  have 
God's  wrath  more  terribly  executed  upon  him  ?  as  Rev.  xx.  10. 
"  And  the  devil  that  deceived  them,  was  cast  into  the  lake  of 
fire  and  brimstone,  where  the  beast  and  false  prophet  are,  and 
shall  be  tormented  day  and  night  for  ever  and  ever."  And 
how  is  it  said  in  Scripture,  that  when  he  fell,  he  was  cast  down 
from  heaven,  and  reserved  under  chains  of  darkness  unto 
judgment  ?  The  expression  seems  naturally  to  signify  strong 
and  irrefragable  bonds,  which  admit  of  no  comfort  or  hope  of 
escape.  And,  besides,  a  being  reserved  in  chains  unto  judg- 
men:,  is  not  consistent  with  the  appointment  of  another  time 

Vol,  VII.  48 


st  ancT^Hp 


•j/5  MIaCELL.Ai.Woc;    REMARKS  < 

of  trial  and  opportunity  to  escape  the  judgment  and  condem- 
nation. It  is  said,  Jude  6,  "  They  are  reserved  in  everlasting 
chains  under  darkness  unto  the  judgment  of  the  great  day." 
And  if  any  of  the  separate  souls  of  the  wicked,  that  are  in  the 
case  that  the  soul  of  the  rich  man  was  in,  when  he  died  and 
lift  up  his  eyes  in  hell,  being  in  torments,  should  repent  and  be 
delivered  before  the  day  of  judgment,  and  so  should  appear  at 
the  right  hand  among  the  righteous  at  that  day,  then  how 
could  that  be  verified,  2  Cor.  v.  10.  "  For  we  must  all  stand 
before  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ,  that  every  one  may  receive 
the  things  done  in  his  body,  whether  good  or  bad  ?"  And  we 
have  reason  to  think,  that  the  time  of  standing  before  the 
judgment-seat  of  Christ,  which  the  apostle  has  a  special  respect 
to,  is  the  day  of  judgment,  if  we  compare  this  with  other 
scriptures  ;  as  that  of  the  same  apostle,  Acts  xvii.  31.  "  He 
hath  appointed  a  day  in  which  he  will  judge  the  world  in 
righteousness,  by  that  man  whom  he  hath  ordained."  And 
many  other  places. 

§  6.  And  how  does  their  being  in  a  state  of  trial,  many  of 
them  for  so  many  ages  after  death  before  the  day  of  judgment, 
during  all  which  time  they  have  opportunity  to  repent,  consist 
with  those  words  of  Christ,  Mark  viii.  38.  "  Whosoever, 
therefore,  shall  be  ashamed  of  me,  and  my  words,  in  this  adul- 
terous and  sinful  generation,  of  him,  also,  shall  the  Son  of 
man  be  ashamed,  when  he  cometh  in  the  glory  of  his  Father, 
witb^ie  holy  angels  ?"  How  is  their  continuing  in  a  state  of 
om  the  time  of  that  generation,  and  from  the  end  of 

eir  lives,  to  the  day  of  judgment,  consistent  with  its  being 
declared  to  them  from  God  beforehand,  that  they  shall  cer- 
tainly be  condemned  at  the  day  of  judgment?  cr,  with  Christ's 
certifying  them  beforehand,  that  whatever  trial  they  shall  have, 
whatever  opportunity  God  should  give  them  for  repentance  and 
pardon,  for  so  many  ages,  all  would  be  in  vain  ;  which,  in  effect, 
is  passing  the  sentence.  We  may  argue,  in  like  manner,  from 
those  words,  Matt.  x.  14,  15.  "  And  whosoever  shall  not  re- 
ceive you,  and  hear  your  words, — Verily  I  say  unto  you,  it 
shall  be  more  tolerable  for  the  land  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah 
m  the  day  of  judgment,  than  for  that  city."  So  Matt.  xi.  21 — 
24.  "  Wo  unto  thee,  Chorazin  !  wo  unto  thee,  Bethsaida  ! — 
I  say  unto  you,  it  shall  be  more  tolerable  for  Tyre  and  Sidon, 
in  the  day  of  judgment,  than  for  you.  And  thou,  Capornaum, 
which  art  exalted  to  heaven,  shalt  be  brought  down  to  hell. 
I  say  unto  you,  it  shall  be  more  tolerable  for  the  land  of  Sodom 
in  the  day  of  judgment,  than  for  thee." 

It  is  here  declared,  what  the  state  of  those  obstinate  unbe- 
lievers should  be  at  the  day  of  judgment,  for  their  wickedness 
here  in  the  body,  with  an  asseveration  /  say  unto  you.  And 
sentence  indeed  is  passed  beforehand  upon  them  by  their  Judge, 


,<■;,    REMARKS.  379 

concerning  die  punishment  that  shall  be  executed  upon  them 
at  the  day  of  judgment.  The  declaration  is  made  in  the  form 
of  a  solemn  denunciation  or  sentence :  Wo  unto  thee,  Chora 
zin !  wo  unto  thee,  Bethsaida,  &c.  And  ia  it  reasonable  to 
suppose,  that  the  very  Judge  that  is  to  judge  them  at  the  end 
of  the  world,  would  peremptorily  declare,  that  they  should  not 
escape  punishment  at  the  day  of  judgment ;  yea,  solemnly  de™ 
nounce  sentence  upon  them,  dooming  them  to  the  dis- 
tinguished punishment  they  should  then  suffer  for  their  ob> 
stinacy  in  their  lifetime  ;  and  yet  appoint  another  time  of  trial, 
of  a  great  many  hundred  years  between  their  death  and  the 
day  of  judgment,  wherein  they  should  have  opportunity  to 
escape  that  punishment  ? 

§  1.  It  is  here  also  to  be  observed,  that  the  wicked  inhabi- 
tants of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  should  be  condemned  to  misery 
at  the  day  of  judgment,  though  they  had  already  been  in  their 
purifying  flames,  and  in  a  state  of  probation.  The  apostle  (Rom. 
ii.  16.)  repeatedly  tells  us,  when  these  things  shall  be,  that  men 
shall  thus  receive  iheir  retribution ;  "  In  the  day  when  God 
shall  judge  the  secrets  of  men  according  to  my  gospel ;"  which 
shows  that  this  life  is  the  only  state  of  trial,  and  that  all  men 
shall  be  judged  at  the  end  of  the  world  according  to  their  be- 
haviour in  this  life,  and  not  according  to  their  behaviour  in 
another  state  of  trial,  between  this  life  and  that  day.  So  it  is 
apparent,  by  2  Thess.  i.  5 — 9.  "  Which  is  a  manifest  token  of 
the  righteous  judgment  of  God— seeing  it  is  a  righteous  thing 
with  God  to  recompense  tribulation  to  them  that  trouble  you. 
When  the  Lord  Jesus  shall  be  revealed  from  heaven  with  his 
mighty  angels,  in  flaming  fire,  taking  vengeance  on  them  that 
know  not  God,  and  obey  not  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ ;  who 
shall  be  punished  with  everlasting  destruction,"  &c.  Here  it  is 
manifest,  that  all  who  are  obstinate  unbelievers,  rejectors  of  the 
gospel,  shall  at  the  day  of  judgment,  be  punished  with  ever- 
lasting destruction.  So  that  no  room  is  left  for  a  state  of  trial, 
and  a  space  to  repent  before  that  time  for  ages  in  hell.  So  it 
is  apparent  Matt.  xxv.  that  none  will  be  found  at  the  right  hand, 
but  they  that  have  done  such  good  works,  as  can  be  done  only 
in  this  world ;  which  would  not  be  declared  beforehand,  if 
there  was  an  opportunity  given  for  millions  of  others  to  obtain 
that  privilege. 

§  8.  It  may  be  proved,  that  the  day  of  man's  trial,  and  the 
time  of  God's  striving  in  the  use  of  means  to  bring  him  to  re- 
pentance, and  waiting  for  his  repentance  under  the  use  of 
means,  will  not  be  continued  after  this  life,  from  those  words, 
Gen.  vi.  6.  "  My  spirit  shall  not  always  strive  with  man,  for 
that  he  also  is  flesh ;  yet  his  days  shall  be  one  hundred  and 
twenty  years."  It  is  as  much  as  to  say,  that  it  is  not  fit  that  this 
day  of  trial  and  opportunity  should  last  always  to  obstinate. 


380  MISCELLANEOUS   REMARK.-,, 

perverse  sinners.  It  is  fit  some  bounds  should  be  set  to  my 
striving  and  waiting  on  such  as  abuse  the  day  of  my  patience ; 
and  that  merciful  means  and  gracious  calls  should  not  be  con- 
tinued, without  limits,  to  them  that  trample  all  means  and  mer- 
cies under  foot,  and  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  all  calls  and  invitations, 
and  treat  them  with  constant  contempt.  Therefore  I  will  fix 
a  certain  limit ;  I  will  set  their  bounds  to  one  hundred  and 
twenty  years ;  when,  if  they  repent  not,  I  will  put  an  end  to  all 
their  lives,  and  with  their  lives  shall  be  an  end  of  my  striving 
and  waiting.  This,  which  in  Genesis  is  called  GuiVs  spirit 
striving,  is  by  the  apostle  Peter  expressed  by  the  waiting  of  the 
long-suffering  of God ;  1  Pet.  iii.  20.  But,  according  to  the 
doctrine  we  are  opposing,  instead  of  God's  striving  and  using 
means  to  bring  those  wicked  men  to  repentance,  and  waiting 
in  the  use  of  striving  and  endeavours  one  hundred  and  twenty 
years,  or  to  the  end  of  their  lives,  and  no  longer  ;  he  has  gone 
on  still  since  that,  for  above  four  thousand  years,  striving  with 
them  in  the  use  of  more  powerful  means  to  bring  them  to  re- 
pentance, and  waiting  on  them,  and  will  continue  to  do  so  for 
so  long  a  time  afterward,  that  the  time  is  often  called  everlast- 
ing, and  represented  as  enduring  for  ever  and  ever. 

§  9.  Those  words  of  Christ,  "  I  must  work  the  works  of  him 
that  sent  me  while  it  is  day,  the  night  cometh  wherein  no  man 
can  work,"  (John  ix.  4.)  prove  that  there  is  no  other  day  of 
trial  after  this  life.  Christ  having  undertaken  for  us,  and  ta- 
ken on  him  our  nature,  and  appearing  in  the  form  of  a  servant, 
and  standing  as  our  surety  and  representative,  had  a  great  work 
appointed  him  of  God  to  do  in  this  life  for  eternity.  He  could 
not  obtain  eternal  life  and  happiness  for  himself  any  other  way, 
than  by  doing  that  work  in  this  life,  which  was  the  time  of  his 
probation  for  eternity,  as  well  as  ours.  And  therefore  his 
words  imply  as  much  as  if  he  had  said,  1  must  do  that  work 
which  God  has  appointed  me  to  do  for  eternity,  that  great 
service  which  must  be  done,  as  I  would  be  eternally  happy,  now 
while  the  day  of  life  lasts,  which  is  the  only  day  appointed  for 
the  trial  of  man's  faithfulness  in  the  service  of  God,  in  order  to 
his  being  accepted  to  eternal  rewards.  Death  is  coming, 
which  will  be  the  setting  of  the  sun,  and  the  end  of  this  day  ; 
after  which  no  work  will  remain,  nothing  to  be  done  that  will 
be  of  any  significance  in  order  to  the  obtaining  of  the  recom- 
pense of  eternal  felicity. 

§  10.  And  doubtless  to  the  same  purpose  is  that  in  Eccles.  ix. 
10.  "Whatsoever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  thy  might  : 
For  there  is  no  work,  (or  no  man  can  work,)  nor  device,  nor 
knowledge,  nor  wisdom,  in  the  grave,  whither  thou  goest." 
As  much  as  to  say,  after  this  life,  nothing  can  be  done,  nothing 
invented  or  devised  in  order  to  your  happiness ;  no  wisdom  or 
art  will  serve  you  to  any  such  purpose,  if  you  neglect  the  time 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS'.  381 

of  the  present  life.  It  is  unreasonable  to  suppose  the  wise  man 
means  only  that  we  should  in  this  life  do  all  that  we  can  in 
temporal  concerns,  and  to  promote  our  temporal  interest,  and 
that  nothing  can  be  done  towards  this  after  this  life  ;  not  only  as 
this  would  be  an  observation  of  very  little  importance,  it  being 
as  flat  and  impertinent  as  if  he  had  said,  Whatever  your  hand 
finds  to  do  this  year,  do  it  with  your  might ;  for  nothing  that 
you  do  or  devise  the  next  year,  will  signify  any  thing  to  pro- 
mote your  interest  and  happiness  this  year ;  but  also  because 
the  wise  man  himself,  in  the  conclusion  of  this  book,  informs  us 
that  his  drift  through  the  whole  book  is,  to  induce  us  to  do  a 
spiritual  work ;  to  fear  God  and  keep  his  commandments,  in 
order,  not  to  happiness  in  this  life,  (which  he  tells  us  throughout 
the  book  is  never  to  be  expected,)  but  in  order  to  a  future 
happiness  and  retribution  in  consequence  of  a  judgment  to 
come  ;  chap.  xii.  13,  14.  "Let  us  hear  the  conclusion  of  the 
whole  matter.  Fear  God,  and  keep  his  commandments.  For 
this  is  the  whol~  duty  (i.  e.  the  whole  business,  the  whole  con- 
cern) of  man.  For  God  will  bring  every  work  into  judgment, 
whether  it  be  good,  or  whether  it  be  evil." 

§  11.  If  the  wicked  in  hell  are  in  a  state  of  trial,  under  severe 
chastisement,  as  means  in  order  to  their  repentance  and  ob- 
taining the  benefit  of  God's  favour  in  eternal  rewards,  then 
they  are  in  a  state  of  such  freedom  as  makes  them  moral  agents 
and  the  proper  subjects  of  judgment  and  retribution.  'Then 
those  terrible  chastisements  are  made  use  of  as  the  most  power- 
ful means  of  all,  more  efficacious  than  all  the  means  used  in 
this  life  which  prove  ineffectual,  and  which  proving  insufficient 
to  overcome  sinners1  obstinacy,  and  prevail  with  their  hard 
hearts,  God  is  compelled  to  relinquish  them  all,  and  have  re- 
course to  those  torments  as  the  last  means,  the  most  effectual 
and  powerful.  If  the  torments  of  hell  are  to  last  ages  of  ages, 
then  it  must  be  because  sinners  in  hell  all  this  while  are  obsti- 
nate ;  and  though  they  are  free  agents  as  to  this  matter,  yet  they 
wilfully  and  perversely  refuse,  even  under  such  great  means,  to 
repent,  forsake  their  sins,  and  turn  to  God.  It  must  be  farther 
supposed,  that  all  this  while  they  have  the  offers  of  immediate 
mercy  and  deliverance  made  to  them,  if  they  will  comply. 
Now.  if  this  be  the  case,  and  they  shall  go  on  in  such  wicked- 
ness, and  continue  in  such  extreme  obstinacy  and  pertina- 
ciousness,  for  so  many  ages,  (as  is  supposed,  by  its  being 
thought  their  torments  shall  be  so  long  continued,)  how 
desperately  will  their  guilt  be  increased  ?  How  many  thou- 
sand times  more  guilty  at  the  end  of  the  term,  than  at  the 
beginning  ?  And  therefore  they  will  be  much  the  more  pro- 
per objects  of  divine  severity,  deserving  God's  wrath,  and  still 
a  thousand  times  more  severe  or  longer  continued  chastise- 
ments than  the  past ;  and  therefore  it  is  not  reasonable  to  sup- 


oi>2  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARK::. 

pose,  that  all  the  damned  should  be  delivered  from  miser}. 
and  received  to  God's  favour,  and  made  the  subjects  of  eter- 
nal salvation  and  glory  at  that  time,  when  they  are  many- 
thousand  times  more  unworthy  of  it,  more  deserving  of 
continuance  in  misery,  than  when  they  first  were  cast  into  hell. 
It  is  not  likely  that  the  infinitely  wise  God  should  so  order 
the  matter.  And  if  their  misery  should  be  augmented,  and 
still  lengthened  out  much  longer,  to  atone  for  their  new  con- 
tracted guilt ;  they  must  be  supposed  to  continue  impenitent, 
till  that  second  additional  time  of  torment  is  ended  •,  at  the 
end  of  which  their  guilt  will  still  be  risen  higher,  and  vastly 
increased  beyond  what  it  was  before.  And,  at  this  rate, 
where  can  there  be  any  place  for  an  end  of  their  misery  ? 

§  12.  It  further  appears  from  what  was  observed  above, 
that  the  sinner  continuing  obstinate  in  wickedness  under  such 
powerful  means  to  reclaim  him,  for  so  long  a  time,  will  be  so 
far  from  being  more  and  more  purged,  or  brought  nearer  to 
repentance,  that  he  will  be  further  from  it.  Wickedness  in 
his  heart  will  be  vastly  established  and  increased.  For  it  may 
be  laid  down  as  an  axiom,  that  the  longer  men  continue  wil- 
fully in  wickedness,  the  more  is  the  habit  of  sin  established, 
and  the  more  and  more  will  the  heart  be  hardened  in  it. 
Again,  it  may  be  laid  down  as  another  axiom,  that  the  greater 
and  more  powerful  the  means  are,  that  are  used  to  bring  men 
to  reform  and  repent,  which  they  resist,  and  are  obstinate 
under,  the  more  desperately  are  men  hardened  in  sin,  and  the 
more  the  principle  of  it  in  the  heart  is  confirmed.  It  may  be 
laid  down  as  a  third  axiom,  that  long  continuance  in  perverse 
and  obstinate  rebellion  against  any  particular  kind  of  means, 
tends  to  render  those  particular  means  vain,  ineffectual,  and 
hopeless. 

After  the  damned  in  hell  have  stood  it  out  with  such  prodi- 
gious perverseness  and  stoutness,  for  ages  of  ages,  in  then- 
rebellion  and  enmity  against  God,  refusing  to  bow  to  his  will 
under  such  constant,  severe,  mighty  chastisements,  attended 
all  the  while  with  offers  of  mercy,  what  a  desperate  degree  of 
hardness  of  heart  and  fixed  strength  of  habitual  wickedness 
will  they  have  contracted  at  last,  and  inconceivably  further 
will  they  be  from  a  penitent,  humble,  and  pure  heart,  than 
when  first  cast  into  hell !  And  if  the  torments  should  be 
lengthened  out  still  longer,  and  also  their  impenitence,  (as  by 
the  supposition  one  will  not  end  before  the  other  does :)  still 
the  further  will  the  heart  be  from  being  purified.  And  so,  at 
this  rate,  the  torments  will  never  at  all  answer  their  end,  and 
must  be  lengthened  out  to  all  eternity. 

§  13.  Matt.  v.  25, 26.  "  Agree  with  thine  adversary  quickly, 
while  thou  art  in  the  way  with  him  ;  lest  at  any  time  the 
adversary  deliver  thee  to  the  judge,  and  the  judge  deliver  ihpp 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  383 

to  the  officer,  and  thou  be  cast  into  prison.  Verily,  I  say  unto 
thee,  thou  shalt  not  come  out  thence,  till  thou  hast  paid  the 
uttermost  farthing."  These  words  imply,  that  sinners  are  in  the 
way  with  their  adversary,  having  opportunity  to  be  reconciled  to 
him  but  for  a  short  season,  inasmuch  as  it  is  intimated,  that 
they  must  agree  with  him  quickly,  or  they  shall  cease  to  be  in 
the  way  with  him,  or  to  have  opportunity  to  obtain  his  favour 
any  more.  But,  if  they  shall  be  continued  in  a  state  of  'proba- 
tion after  death  to  the  end  of  the  world,  and  after  that  for  ages, 
how  far,  how  very  far,  are  these  words  of  Christ  from  repre- 
senting the  matter  as  it  is  ? 

§  14.  That  some  even  in  this  world  are  utterly  forsaken  of 
God,  and  given  up  to  their  own  hearts'  lusts,  proves  that  these 
men  never  will  be  purified  from  their  sins.  That  God  should, 
in  the  future  world,  use  great  means  to  purify  them,  and  fit  them 
for  eternal  happiness  and  glory,  in  the  enjoyment  of  himself,  is 
not  consistent  with  the  supposition,  that  after  the  use  of  great 
means  and  endeavours  with  them  in  this  world,  he  gives  them 
up  to  sin,  because  of  their  incorrigibleness  and  perverse 
obstinate  continuance  in  rebellion,  under  the  use  of  those 
great  means,  and  so  leaves  them  to  be  desperately  hardened  in 
sin,  and  to  go  on  and  increase  their  guilt,  and  multiply  trans- 
gressions to  their  utter  ruin ;  which  is  agreeable  to  manifold 
representations  of  scripture.  This  is  not  agreeable  to  the 
scheme  of  such  as  suppose,  that  God  is  all  the  while,  before 
and  after  death,  prosecuting  the  design  of  purifying  and  pre- 
paring them  for  eternal  glory.  Consider  Psal.  xcii.  7.  "  When 
the  wicked  spring  as  grass,  and  when  all  the  workers  of  iniquity 
do  flourish,  it  is  that  they  shall  be  destroyed  for  ever."  These 
places  show,  God  has  no  merciful  design  with  those  whom  he 
gives  up  to  sin. 

§  15.  The  apostle,  in  Heb.  iv.  4 — 6,  says,  **  It  is  impossible 
for  those  who  were  once  enlightened,  and  have  tasted  of  the 
heavenly  gift,  &c.  if  they  fall  away,  to  renew  them  again 
unto  repentance,  seeing  they  crucify  to  themselves  the  Son 
of  God  afresh,  and  put  him  to  an  open  shame,"  &c.  The 
apostle  speaks  of  their  renovation  to  repentance,  as  nevei 
likely  to  happen  ;  for  this  reason,  that  they  have  proved  irre- 
claimable under  such  great  means  to  bring  them  to  repent- 
ance, and  have  thereby  so  desperately  hardened  their  hearts, 
and  contracted  such  great  guilt  by  sinning  against  such  great 
light,  and  trampling  on  such  great  privileges.  But  if  so,  how 
much  more  unlikely  still  will  it  be,  that  they  should  ever  be 
renewed  to  repentance,  after  they  have  gone  on  still  more 
and  more  to  harden  their  hearts  by  an  obstinate,  wilful  con- 
tinuance in  sin,  many  thousand  years  longer,  under  much 
greater  means ;  and  have  therefore  done  immensely  more  to 
establish  the  habit  of  sin,  and  increase  the  hardness  of  their 


384  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

hearts  ;  and  after  their  guilt  is  so  vastly  increased,  instead  of 
being  diminished  ?  If  it  be  impossible  to  bring  them  to  re- 
pentance, after  they  have  rebelled  against  such  light  and  know- 
ledge of  Christ,  and  the  things  of  another  world,  as  they  had 
in  this  life  ;  how  much  more  impossible  is  it,  when,  added  to 
this,  they  have  had  that  infinitely  greater  and  clearer  know- 
ledge and  view  of  those  things  to  be  manifested  at  the  day  of 
judgment?  Then  they  shall  see  Christ  in  the  glory  of  his  Father, 
with  all  his  holy  angels  ;  shall  see  his  great  majesty,  and  know 
the  truth  of  his  promises  and  threatenings,  by  sight  and  expe- 
rience ;  and  shall  see  all  those  ineffable  manifestations  of  the 
glory  of  Christ,  of  his  power,  omniscience,  strict  inflexible  jus- 
tice, infinite  holiness  and  purity,  truth  and  faithfulness,  and  his 
infinite  mercy  to  penitents.  They  shall  then  see  the  dreadful 
consequences  of  rebellion  and  wickedness,  and  the  infinitely 
happy  and  glorious  consequences  of  the  contrary;  and,  even  at 
this  time,  (on  the  supposition)  have  the  offers  of  mercy  and  de- 
liverance from  that  dreadful  misery,  and  the  enjoyment  of  the 
favour  of  their  great  Judge,  and  participation  of  all  the  happi- 
ness and  glory  of  the  righteous  which  they  shall  see  at  his  right 
hand,  if  then  they  will  throw  down  the  weapons  of  their  rebel- 
lion, and  repent,  and  comply  with  his  will.  But  if  they  still, 
from  the  greatness  of  their  enmity  and  perverseness,  obstinately 
and  wilfully  refuse,  yea,  and  continue  still  thus  refusing,  even 
after  they  have  actually  felt  the  terrible  wrath  of  God,  and  are 
cast  into  the  lake  of  fire  ;  yea,  after  they  have  continued  there 
many  ages,  all  the  while  under  offers  of  mercy  on  repentance  : 
T  say,  if  it  be  impossible  to  renew  them  to  repentance,  after  their 
rebelling  against,  and  trampling  on  the  light  and  knowledge, 
and  means  used  with  them  in  this  world,  so  that  it  is  not  to  be 
expected,  because  of  the  degree  of  hardness  and  guilt  contracted 
by  it ;  how  much  less  is  it  to  be  expected  at  the  day  of  judg- 
ment, after  all  this  obstinacy  manifested,  and  guilt  contracted  ! 
If  guilt  be  contracted  by  despising  such  means  and  advantages 
as  the  apostle  has  respect  to  in  this  life,  that  it  may  be  compared 
to  guilt  that  would  be  contracted  by  crucifying  Christ  afresh  ; 
how  much  more,  when,  added  to  this,  they  shall  so  openly  have 
despised  Christ,  when  appearing  to  them  in  all  the  terrors,  and 
glories,  and  love,  that  shall  be  manifested  at  the  day  of  judg- 
ment, in  their  immediate  and  most  clear  view,  and  all  is  offered 
to  them,  if  they  will  but  yield  subjection  to  him  ;  and  their  en- 
mity shall  have  appeared  so  desperate,  as  rather  to  choose  that 
dreadful  lake  of  fire,  and  shall  have  continued  in  their  choice 
even  after  they  have  felt  the  severity  of  that  torment  without 
rest  day  or  night  for  many  ages  ? 

§  16.  That  all  shall  not  be  finally  purified  and  saved,  is 
manifest  from  Matt.  xii.  31,  32.  "  Wherefore  I  say  unto  you, 
all  manner  of  sin  and  blasphemy  shall  be  forgiven  unto  men : 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  d&b 

but  the  blasphemy  against  the   Holy  Ghost  shall  not  be  for- 
given unto  men.     And  whosoever  speaketh  a  word  against  the 
Son  of  man,  it  shall  be  forgiven  him  ;  but  whosoever  speaketh 
against  the  Holy  Ghost,  it  shall  not  be  forgiven  him,  neither 
in  this  world,  neither  in  the  world  to  come," — Also,  Mark  iii, 
28,  29.   "  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  all  sins  shall  be  forgiven  unto 
the  sons  of  men,  and  all  blasphemies  wherewithsoever  they 
shall  blaspheme ;    but   he  that  shall  blaspheme    against   the 
Holy  Ghost,  hath  never  forgiveness,  but  is  in  danger  of  eternal 
damnation." — And  1  John  v.  16.  "  If  any  man  see  his  brother 
sin  a  sin   which  is  not  unto  death,  he  shall  ask,  and  he  shall 
give  him  life  for  them  that  sin  not  unto  death.     There  is  a  sin 
unto  death ;  I  do  not  say  he  shall  pray  for  it."     From  each  of 
these  places,  it  is  manifest,  that  he  that  is  guilty  of  blasphemy 
against  the  Holy  Ghost,  shall  surely  be  damned,  without  any 
deliverance  from  his  punishment,  or  end  to  it.     The  various 
expressions  that  are  used,  serve  much  to  certify  and  fix  the 
import  of  others.     In  Matt.  xii.  31,  >t  is  said,  "  The  blasphemy 
against  the  Holy  Ghost  shall  not  be  forgiven  unto  men."  The 
negative  is  general,  and  equally  respects  all  times.     If  this  sin 
should  be  forgiven  at  a  remote  time,  it  would  be  as  contrary 
to  such  a  negative,  as  if  it  were  forgiven  immediately.     Put, 
to  determine  us  that  Christ  has  respect  to  all  times,  even  the 
remotest,  and  that  he  means  to  deny  that  he  shall  be  forgiven 
at  any  time  whatsoever,  in  Mark  it  is  said,  "  He  shall  never 
be  forgiven  ;  or,  hath  never  forgiveness  ;"  and,  lest  this  never 
should  be   interpreted  to  mean,  never  as  long  as  he  lives,  or 
never  in  this  world,  it  is  said  in  Matt.  xii.  32.  "  It  shall  not  be 
forgiven  him,  neither  in  this  world,  nor  in  the  world  to  come," 
And  lest  it  should  be  said,  that  although  he  never  is  forgiven, 
yet  that  does  not  hinder  but  that  there  may  be  an  end  to  his 
punishment ;  because  he  may  suffer  all  he  deserves  in  suffer- 
ing a  temporal  punishment,  or  punishment  of  a  limited,  long 
duration ;  and  he  that  is  acquitted  in  paying  al?  his  debt,  is 
not  said  to  be  forgiven  his  debt :  another  expression  is  used  in 
Mark,  which  shows,  that  he  shall  ever  suffer  damnation,  and 
never  have  deliverance  from  his  misery,  whether  by  forgive- 
ness or  without  it. — "  Hath  never  forgiveness,  but  is  in  danger 
of  eternal  damnation."     And  the  forementioned  expressions, 
"  He  shall  never  be  forgiven  ;"  a  He  hath  never  forgiveness ;" 
"  Shall  not  be  forgiven  in  this  world,  nor  the  world  to  come," 
show  the  meaning  of  the  word  eternal  here,  to  be  such  as  ab- 
solutely excludes  any  period,  any  time  of  favour,  wherein  con- 
demnation and  punishment  shall  have  ceased.     And  what  the 
apostle  John  says  of  those  who  commit  the  unpardonable  sin, 
confirms  the  whole,  and  proves,  that  he  that  has  committed 
this  sin  remains  under  no  dispensation  of  mercy,  and  that  no 
favour  is  ever  to  be  hoped  for  from  God :  and  therefore  it  \s 
Vol.  VIL  49 


)jtfO  MISCELLANEOUS  HEMAREi. 

not  our  duty  to  pray  for  such  favour.  "  There  is  a  sin  unto 
death,  I  do  not  say  he  shall  pray  for  it ;"  or,  I  give  you  no  di- 
rection to  pray  for  them  that  sin  this  sin  unto  death. 

§  17.  Thus  it  is  evident,  that  all  wicked  men  will  not  have 
an  end  to  their  damnation  ;  but  when  it  is  said,  they  are  in 
danger  of  eternal  or  everlasting  damnation,  the  word  eternal 
is  to  be  understood  in  the  strictest  sense.  The  same  terms 
are  used  concerning  all  impenitent  sinners,  that  they  shall  be 
sentenced  to  eternal  punishment,  and  shall  go  into  everlasting 
punishment,  &c. — That  their  worm  dieth  noi,  and  the  fire  is 
not  quenched  ;  and  they  shall  be  tormented  for  ever  and  ever ; 
and  such  terms  are  used  after  this  world  comes  to  an  end  ; 
and  also  when  they  who  have  committed  the  unpardonable 
sin,  and  others,  shall  be  sentenced  all  together  to  an  everlast- 
ing fire,  in  the  same  terms.  It  is  unreasonable  to  suppose 
that  the  punishment  of  some  will  be  everlasting,  in  an  infi- 
nitely different  sense  from  others  jointly  sentenced  ;  and  that 
the  duration  of  the  punishment  of  one  shall  be  perfectly  as 
nothing,  compared  with  the  duration  of  the  punishment  of  the 
other,  infinitely  less  than  a  second  to  a  million  of  ages.  And 
it  is  unreasonable  to  suppose  such  a  difference,  also  on  this 
account,  that  there  cannot  be  such  a  difference  in  the  demerit 
of  them,  that  commit  the  unpardonable  sin,  and  the  demerit 
of  the  sins  of  all  other  wicked  men,  some  of  whom  are  ex- 
ceedingly, and  almost  inconceivably  wicked.  There  cannot 
be  a  truly  infinite  difference  in  their  guilt,  as  there  must  be  a 
properly  infinite  difference  between  the  dreadfulness  of  those 
torments  that  have  an  end,  however  long  continued,  and  how- 
ever great,and  the  torments  of  a  truly  and  strictly  everlasting  fire. 

§  18.  If  the  damned  in  hell  shall  all  finally  be  saved,  they 
shall  be  saved  without  Christ.  It  is  manifest,  that  Christ's 
saving  work  will  be  at  an  end  at  the  day  of  judgment ;  for,  as 
Christ  has  a  twofold  office,  that  of  the  Saviour  of  the  world, 
and  the  Judge  of  the  world :  so,  the  business  of  the  latter 
office  properly  succeeds  the  former.  It  is  not  fit  in  the  nature 
of  things,  that  he  should  come  into  the  world,  and  appear 
openly  in  the  character  of  universal  Judge,  to  decide  men's 
state — in  consequence  of  the  trial  there  has  been  for  making 
their  state  better  by  salvation — till  that  trial  is  over,  and  all  its 
effects  completed,  when  no  more  is  to  be  hoped  as  to  altering 
their  state  for  the  better  by  his  salvation.  Therefore  Christ,  at 
his  first  coming,  appeared  in  order  to  save  men  from  condem- 
nation, and  a  sentence  of  eternal  misery ;  and  not  to  judge 
them,  as  he  tells  us,  John  xii.  47.  "  If  any  man  hear  my 
words,  and  believe  not,  I  judge  him  not :  for  I  came,  not  to 
judge  the  world,  but  to  save  the  world."  See,  also,  chap.  iii. 
17.  and  viii.  15.  But  the  great  business  he  will  come  upon  at 
hrs  second  coming,  as  rs  abundantly  declared,  is  to  judge  the 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  387 

world.  And  it  is  also  exceedingly  plain,  that  Christ's  saving 
work  will  be  at  an  end  at  the  day  of  judgment ;  because  we 
read,  (2  Cor.  xv.)  that,  at  the  end  of  the  world,  he  will  deliver 
up  his  kingdom  ;  he  will  resign  his  commission  :  which  proves 
that  the  work  of  salvation,  which  is  the  design  of  it,  will  be  at 
an  end,  when  all  his  enemies,  all  that  rejected  him,  and  would 
not  have  him  to  rule  over  them,  and  so  have  failed  of  his  sal- 
vation, shall  be  made  his  footstool,  shall  be  condemned  and 
destroyed.  Instead  of  being  the  heirs  of  salvation,  he  shall 
come  in  flaning  fire,  to  take  vengeance  on  them  that  know 
not  God,  and  obey  not  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  who  shall 
be  punished  with  everlasting  destruction,  &c.  When  he  shall 
come  to  be  glorified  in  his  saints,  and  admired  in  all  them  that 
believe ;  2  Thess.  i.  8,  9,  10. 

§  19.  If  the  damned,  after  they  have  suffered  a  while,  are  to 
be  delivered,  and  to  have  eternal  life,  then  the  present  dispen- 
sation of  grace  and  life  to  the  fallen  children  of  men,  that  was 
introduced  by  Christ  and  his  apostles,  is  not  the  last ;  but  ano- 
ther is  to  be  introduced  after  this  has  proved  unprofitable  and 
ineffectual.  But,  that  a  new  dispensation  of  grace  should  thtts* 
be  introduced,  because  that  which  was  brought  in  by  Christ 
and  his  apostles,  proves  weak  and  unprofitable  through  men1* 
corruption,  and  there  appears  to  be  need  of  one  which  shall 
be  more  effectual,  is  not  agreeable  to  the  Scripture.  For  this 
dispensation  is  spoken  of  as  the  last  and  most  perfect,  wherein 
perfection  was  reached,  Heb.  vii.  19.  "  For  the  law  made  n©> 
thing  perfect,  but  the  bringing  in  of  a  better  hope  did."  And 
chap.  xi.  40 :  "  God  having  provided  some  better  thing  for  us, 
that  they,  without  us,  should  not  be  made  perfect.'"  f  he  an» 
cient  dispensation  is  spoken  of  as  that  which  God  found  fault 
with,  in  proving  ineffectual  through  the  corruption  of  men ; 
and  so  he  introduced  a  new  administration,  that  should  not  be 
liable  to  exception,  and,  therefore,  should  not  wax  old,  or  be 
ever  liable  to  vanish  away  and  give  place  to  another.  Heb. 
viii.  6.  to  the  end.  So  he  speaks  of  the  things  of  that  ancient 
dispensation,  as  things  which  were  liable  to  be  shaken  and  re- 
moved ;  but  of  the  things  of  the  new  dispensation  then  intro- 
duced, as  those  that  could  not  be  shaken,  but  should  remain 
for  ever;  Heb.  xii.  25.  to  the  end  ;  and  2  Cor.  iii.  11.  The 
dispensation  of  the  New  Testament,  is  often  spoken  of  in  the 
prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament  as  an  everlasting  dispensa- 
tion ;  Jer.  xxxi.  31,  32.  chap,  xxxii.  40 ;  Isa.  Ixi.  8 ;  Ezek* 
xxxvii.  26. 

§  20.  To  suppose  that,  after  all  the  means  of  grace  that  arc 
used  in  this  world,  Moses  and  the  prophets,  Christ  and  the 
gospel,  the  warnings  of  God's  word,  and  the  exhibitions  of 
glorious  gospel  grace,  have  been  despised  and  obstinately 
withstood,  so  as  t«  make  the  case  desperate  as  to  their  snccess» 


388  MISCELLANEOUS   REMARKS 

God  lias  other  means  in  reserve,  to  be  used  afterward,  to 
make  men  holy,  that  will  be  more  powerful,  and  shall  be  ef- 
fectual ;  is  not  agreeable  to  Scripture.  Particularly,  Luke 
xvi.  27.  to  the  end  :  "  Then  he  said,  I  pray  thee,  therefore, 
Father,  that  thou  wouldest  send  him  to  my  father's  house :  for 
I  have  five  brethren  ;  that  he  may  testify  to  them,  lest  they  also 
come  into  this  place  of  torment.  Abraham  saith  unto  him, 
They  have  Moses  and  the  prophets,  let  them  hear  them.  And 
he  said,  Nay,  Father  Abraham,  but  if  one  went  unto  them 
from  the  dead,  they  will  repent.  And  he  said  unto  him,  If 
they  hear  not  Moses  and  the  prophets,  neither  wiil  they  be 
persuaded,  though  one  rose  from  the  dead."  And  this  is  espe- 
cially manifest,  from  Rev.  xxii.  10,  11,  12.  "And  he  saith 
unto  me,  Seal  not  the  sayings  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book  l 
for  the  time  is  at  hand.  He  that  is  unjust,  let  him  be  unjust 
still  ;  and  he  that  is  filthy,  let  him  be  filthy  still.  And  behold 
I  come  quickly,  and  my  reward  is  with  me,  to  give  every  man 
according  as  his  work  shall  be." 

I  think  the  meaning  must  be  either,  The  time  is  quickly  com- 
ing, when  every  man's  state  will  be  fixed,  inasmuch  as  I  am 
quickly  coming  to  judgment,  to  fix  every  man's  state  unalter- 
ably, according  as  his  work  shall  be  ;  and  after  that  there  will 
be  no  alteration,  nor  any  means  or  endeavours  in  order  to  it ; 
but  he  that  is  unjust,  let  him  be  unjust  still  ;  and  he  that  is  filthy 
let  him  be  filthy  still :  and  if  this  be  the  meaning,  it  makes  it  evi- 
dent, that  Christ  will  not  immediately  proceed  to  the  use  of  the 
most  powerful  and  effectual  means  of  all,  to  change  the  state 
of  the  unjust,  and  filthy,  to  purify  them  and  make  them  holy,  and 
fit  them  for  eternal  glory,  with  infallible  success. — Or,  the  mean- 
ing must  be  this,  which  seems  to  be  mucl  the  most  probable  : 
Christ,  having  given  this  last  revelation  to  his  church  to  be  added 
to  the  book  of  Sc  ipture,  with  which  the  canon  was  to  be  shut  up 
and  sealed  by  the  instrumentality  of  the  apostle  John,  who  lived 
the  longest  of  the  apostles,  and  wrote  this  book  after  all  die  it-st 
were  dead  ;  orders  John  (ver.  10.)  to  publish  this  book  wh<  -.m 
such  great  future  judgments  are  revealed  as  coming  on  the  v  ick- 
ed,and  such  an  affecting  declaiation  oil  the  future  glory  •  t  the 
saints,  to  enforce  the  rest  of  God's  word  and  means  of  grace; 
and  then  intimates,  that  no  more  revelations  are  to  be  expect- 
ed, no  more  instructions  and  warnings  are  to  be  added  to  the 
word  of  God,  as  the  steady  means  of  grace,  any  further  to  con- 
firm and  enforce  the  rest  •,  that  the  n^xt  revelation  that  is  to  be 
expected,  and  that  Christ  will  make  of  himself  to  the  world,  is 
to  be  his  immediate  appearance  in  judgment,  to  fix  unalterably 
every  man's  state  according  to  his  works,  according  to  the 
improvement  he  shall  have  made  of  those  past  revelations, 
instructions,  and  warnings  ;  and  therefore,  those  that  will  not  be 
purified  bv  those  means,  are  not  to  expect  that  better,  or  other 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS.  38i> 

means,  will  ever  be  used  with  them  ;  but  he  that  is  unjust 
must  remain  so  still,  and  he  that  is  filthy  must  be  filthy  still,  and 
he  that  is  righteous  shall  be  righteous  still,  and  he  that  is  holy 
shai:  be  holj  still.  Thus  Christ  takes  leave  of  his  church  till 
his  last  coming,  warning  them  to  improve  the  means  of  grace 
they  have,  and  informing  them  that  they  are  never  to  have  any 
othe=  :  q.  d.  They  have  Moses  and  the  prophets  ;  and,  in  the 
writings  of  the  New  Testament,  they  have  more  glorious, 
powerful,  and  efficacious  revelations  of  me.  Those  writings  I 
now  finish  and  seal.  Let  them  hear  these,  and  make  a  good 
improvement  of  them  :  for  these  are  the  last  means  1  shall  ever 
use  to  change  man's  state.  This  is  inconsistent  with  his  reser- 
ving his  greatest  and  most  powerful  means,  with  a  determined 
certain  success,  to  be  used  after  the  day  of  judgment. 

§  21.  They  who  suppose  the  damned  are  made  to  suffer  the 
torments  of  hell  for  their  purification,  suppose,  that  God  is 
herein  prosecuting  hi3  grand  design  of  benevolence  to  his  crea- 
tures ;  yea,  benevolence  to  the  sufferers ;  and  that  he  does  not 
use  these  severe  means  but  from  necessity  for  their  good,  be- 
cause all  gentle  remedies  prove  ineffectual.  Now,  it  is  un- 
reasonable to  suppose,  that  God  is  under  any  necessity  of  in- 
flicting such  extreme  torments  upon  them  for  so  long  a  time, 
in  order  to  their  being  brought  to  repentance ;  and  that, 

1.  If  wc  consider  the  nature  of  things :  torments  inflicted 
have  no  tendency  to  bring  a  wicked  man  to  repentance  directly 
and  properly  if  by  repentance  we  mean  an  alteration  of  the 
disposition,  and  appetites,  a;»d  taste  of  the  mind.  We  know 
by  experience,  that  pain  inflicted  for  gratifying  an  appetite, 
may  make  men  afraid  to  gratify  the  appetite,  but  they  do 
not.  change  the  inclination,  or  destroy  the  appetite.  They  may 
make  men  willing  to  comply  with  external  exercises  ;  of  which 
they  have  a  distaste,  and  to  which  their  heart,  in  its  relish  and 
inclinations,  is  averse  ;  yet  not  from  love  to  the  things  complied 
with,  but  from  hatred  of  pain,  and  love  of  ease.  So  that  the 
man  complies  in  some  sense :  but  his  heart  does  not  comply. 
He  is  only  driven,  and  as  it  were  forced  ;  and  an  increase 
of  pain  alters  not  the  nature  of  things.  It  may  make  a  man 
more  earnestly  to  desire  freedom  from  pain  ;  but  still  there  is 
no  more  to  be  expected  from  it,  than  is  in  the  tendency  of  pain, 
which  is  not  to  give  a  new  nature,  a  new  heart,  or  a  new  na- 
tural relish  and  disposition.  It  is  not  granted,  that  even  long 
continued  pains>and  practice  will  gradually  raise  an  habitual 
love  to  virtue.  The  pains  of  the  damned  being  great  and  long 
continued,  may  more  and  more  convince  them  of  the  folly  of 
their  negligence  and  fearlessness  in  sin,  and  may  make  them 
willing  to  take  some  pains,  but  will  not  show  them  the  beauty 
of  holiness,  or  the  odiousness  of  sin,  so  as  to  cause  them  to  hate 
sin  on  its  own  account. 


3&0  MISCELLANEOUS  RESTARTS. 

Can  any  one  that  considers  human  nature,  especially  of  those 
that  deny  an  innate,  desperate  wickedness  of  heart,  (as  the  men 
that  we  have  this  controversy  with  generally  do,)  doubt  in  the 
least,  whether,  if  a  man  should  be  in  a  furnace  of  fire  for  one 
day  only,  alive  and  full  of  quick  sense,  and  should  retain  a 
full  and  lively  remembrance  of  his  misery,  it  would  not  be 
sufficient  to  make  him  wholly  comply  with  all  the  pains  and 
outward  self-denial  requisite  in  order  to  an  universal,  external 
obedience  to  the  precepts  of  the  word  of  God,  rather  than  have 
those  torments  renewed  and  continued  for  ages  ;  and  indeed 
rather  than  endure  one  more  such  day  ?  What  pains  would 
not  such  a  man  be  willing  to  suffer  ?  What  labours  could  be 
too  much  ?  What  would  he  not  be  willing  to  part  with,  in 
foregoing  worldly  wealth  or  pleasures  ?  Would  not  the  most 
covetous  man,  that  had  felt  such  a  rod  as  this,  be  willing  to 
part  with  all  his  treasures  of  silver  and  gold  ?  and  the  most 
ambitious  man  be  willing  to  live  in  a  cottage  or  wilderness? 
the  most  voluptuous  man  to  part  with  his  pleasures?  Would 
he  need  first  to  endure  many  ages  of  such  torment,  before  he 
would  be  willing  thus  far  to  comply  ?  It  is  against  all  princi- 
ples of  human  nature  to  suppose  it.  If  he  retains  the  remem- 
brance of  the  torment,  in  a  lively  idea  of  it,  it  must  unspeakably 
outweigh  the  most  lively  and  affecting  and  attractive  ideas  of 
the  good  things  of  the  world.  The  supposition,  therefore,  of 
His  not  being  brought  to  compliance  by  less  torment,  is  as  un- 
reasonable as  to  suppose  that  a  mote  of  dust  would  sink  the 
scale,  being  put  in  a  balance  with  a  talent  of  lead,  or  with  ten 
thousand  talents.  If  the  Most  High  compassionate  these  poor 
wretches,  and  has  nothing  but  a  kind  and  gracious  design  of 
infinite  mercy  and  bounty  towards  them,  why  does  he  take  such 
dreadful  measures  with  them  ?  Will  no  other  do  ?  Cannot 
infinite  wisdom  find  out  some  gentler  method  to  bring  to  pass 
the  same  design  ?  If  it  be  said,  that  no  other  can  accomplish 
the  effect,  consistently  with  the  freedom  of  will, — I  answer, 
What  means  can  be  devised,  having  a  greater  tendency  to 
drive  men,  and  compel  them  to  comply  with  the  thing  required, 
(if  there  be  any  such  thing,  without  acting  freely,  and  as  per- 
sons left  to  their  own  free  choice,  than  such  a  rod,  not  only 
held  over,  but  used  upon  them  in  such  an  amazing  manner,  by 
an  omnipotent  hand. 

2.  It  is  apparent,  from  what  has  often  come  to  pass,  that 
God  is  in  no  necessity  of  making  use  of  such  dreadful  and 
Jong  continued  torments,  in  order  to  bring  sinners  to  repent- 
ance. It  is  most  unreasonable  to  suppose,  that  no  sinners  that, 
ever  were  converted  in  this  world,  were,  before  their  conver- 
sion, as  wicked  and  as  hard-hearted,  as  some  of  those  that 
have  died  impenitent ;  as  Saul,  the  persecutor,  afterward  the 
apostle  Paul,  and  some  of  the  converts,  in  the  k2d  chapter  <-»< 


MISCELLANEOUS    BEMARKS.  391 


■ 


Acts,  who  had  had  a  hand  in  Christ's  crucifixion,  and  innu- 
merable instances  of  persecutors  and  others,  who  have  been 
brought  to  repentance  since  those  days.  Such  were  converted 
by  gentler  means  than  those  pains  of  hell,  in  what  the  Scrip- 
ture calls  everlasting  burning ;  and  that  without  any  infringe- 
ment of  liberty  necessary  to  their  being  moral  agents.  It 
would  be  unreasonable  to  suppose,  that  all  those  eighteen,  on 
whom  the  tower  of  Siloam  fell,  were  good  men.  But  Christ 
would  not  have  his  hearers  imagine,  they  were  worse  than 
themselves;  and  yet  intimates,  that  there  was  a  possibility  of 
their  escaping  future  misery  by  repentance. 

3.  So  far  as  pain  and  affliction  are  made  use  of  to  bring 
men  to  repentance,  it  is  apparent  God  can  make  infinitely  less 
severe  chastisement  effectual,  together  with  such  influences  and 
assistances  of  his  Spirit,  as  are  not  inconsistent  with  the  per- 
sons1 moral  agency  in  their  forsaking  sin  and  turning  to  God. 
And,  if  it  should  be  said,  that  none  of  them  had  the  habits  of 
sin  so  confirmed,  as  all  such  as  die  in  sin  ;  I  would  answer, 
That  this  is  very  unreasonably  supposed  ;  and  if  it  should  be  al- 
lowed, yet  it  cannot  be  pretended,  that  the  difference  of  guilt 
and  hard-heartedness  is  proportionable  at  all  to  the  severity 
of  the  chastisement  used  for  purgation.  If  no  more  than  ten 
degrees  of  pain,  or  one  year's  chastisement  be  requisite  for 
the  overcoming  of  five  degrees  of  strength  of  the  habit  of 
sin,  one  would  think,  that  less  than  100,000  degrees,  or 
100,000  years'  chastisement,  should  be  sufficient  to  overcome 
ten  degrees  of  strength  of  the  same  habit. 

§  22.  If  the  torments  of  hell  are  purifying  pains,  and  arc 
used  by  a  God  of  universal  benevolence  towards  his  creatures, 
as  necessary  means  for  the  purgation  of  the  wicked  from  sin, 
and  their  being  fitted  for,  and  finally  brought  to  eternal  hap- 
piness in  the  enjoyment  of  the  love  of  God ;  then  it  will  fol- 
low, that  the  damned  in  hell  are  still  the  objects  of  God's 
mercy  and  kindness,  and  that  in  the  torments  they  suffer,  they 
are  the  subjects  of  a  dispensation  of  grace  and  benevolence, 
All  is  for  their  good  ;  all  is  the  best  kindness  that  can  be  done 
them,  the  most  benevolent  treatment  they  are  capable  of,  in 
their  state  of  mind  ;  and,  in  all,  God  is  but  chastising  them  as 
a  wise  and  loving  father,  with  a  grieved  and  compassionate 
heart,  gives  necessary  chastisement  to  sons  whom  he  loves, 
and  whose  good  he  seeks  to  the  utmost ;  in  all  he  does  he  is 
only  prosecuting  a  design  of  infinite  kindness  and  favour. 
And  indeed,  some  of  the  chief  of  those  who  are  in  the  scheme 
of  purifying  pains,  expressly  maintain,  that  instead  of  being 
the  fruits  of  vindictive  justice,  they  are  the  effects  of  God's 
benevolence,  not  only  to  the  system  of  intelligent  creatures  in 
general,  but  to  the  sufferers  themselves.     Now,  how  far  are 


392  AllSCELLANBOHS    REMARKS. 

these  things  from  being  agreeable  to  the  representation  which 
is  made  of  things  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  ? 

The  Scriptures  represent  the  damned  as  thrown  away  of 
God  ;  as  things  that  are  good  for  nothing ;  and  which  God 
makes  no  account  of;  Matt.  xiii.  48.  As  dross,  and  not  gold 
and  silver,  or  any  valuable  metal ;  Psalm  cxix.  119.  "Thou 
puttest  away  all  the  wicked  of  the  earth  as  dross."  So  Ezek. 
xxii.  18.  Jer.  vi.  28 — 30  ;  as  salt  that  has  lost  its  savour  ;  as 
good  for  nothing  but  to  be  cast  out  and  trodden  under  foot  of 
men;  as  stubble  that  is  left,  and  as  the  chaff  thrown  out  to  be 
scattered  by  the  wind,  and  go  whither  that  shall  happen  to 
carry  it,  instead  of  being  gathered  and  laid  up  as  that  which 
is  of  any  value.  Psalm  i.  4.  Job  xxi.  18.  and  xxxv.  5;  as  that 
which  shall  be  thrown  away  as  wholly  worthless,  as  chaff  and 
stubble  and  tares ;  all  which  are  thrown  away  as  not  worthy  of 
any  care  to  save  them ;  yea,  are  thrown  into  the  fire,  to  be 
burnt  up  as  mere  nuisances,  as  fit  for  nothing  but  to  be  de- 
stroyed, and,  therefore,  are  cast  into  the  fire,  to  be  destroyed, 
and  done  with.  Matt.  iii.  12.  and  xii.  31);  Job  xxi.  18;  as 
barren  trees,  trees  that  are  good  for  nothing  ;  and,  not  only  so, 
but  cumberers  of  the  ground;  and,  as  such,  shall  be  cut  down, 
and  cast  into  the  fire.  Matt.  iii.  10.  and  vii.  19.  Luke  xiii.  7 ; 
as  barren  branches  in  a  vine,  that  are  cut  off  and  cast  away ; 
as  good  for  nothing,  and  gathered  and  burned.  John  xv.  6  ; 
as  thrown  out,  and  purged  away,  as  the  filth  of  the  world. 
Thus,  it  is  said,  Job  xx.  7.  that  "  the  wicked  shall  perish  for 
ever,  as  his  own  dung."  They  are  spoken  of  as  those  that 
shall  be  spewed  out  of  God's  mouth ;  as  thrown  into  the  lake 
of  fire ;  as  the  great  sink  of  all  the  filth  of  the  creation  ;  Rev. 
xxi.  8.  "  But  the  fearful,  and  unbelieving,  and  the  abominable, 
and  murderers,  and  whoremongers,  and  sorcerers,  and  idola- 
ters, and  all  liars,  shall  have  their  share  in  the  lake  that  burns 
with  fire  and  brimstone."  As  briers  and  thorns,  that  are  not 
only  wholly  worthless  in  a  field,  but  hurtful  and  pernicious : 
and  are  nigh  unto  cursing,  whose  end  is  to  be  burned  ;  Heb. 
vi.  i.  e.  the  husbandman  throws  them  into  the  fire,  and  so  has 
done  with  them  for  ever.  He  does  not  still  take  care  of  them, 
in  order  to  make  them  fruitful  and  flourishing  plants  in  his 
garden  of  delights.  The  wicked,  it  is  said,  shall  be  driven  from 
light  into  darkness,  and  chased  out  of  the  world  ;  Job  xviii.  18. 
Instead  of  being  treated  by  God  with  benevolence,  chastening 
them  with  the  compassion  and  kindness  of  a  father,  for  their 
great  and  everlasting  good,  they,  at  that  day,  when  God  shall 
gather  his  children  together,  to  make  th?m  experience  the 
blessed  fruits  of  the  love  of  an  heavt  nlv  Father,  shall  be  shut 
out  as  dogs ;  Rev.  xxi.  7,  8.  with  chap.  xxii.  14, 15.  And  are 
represented  as  vessels  of  dishonour,  vessels  of  wrath,  fit  for 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS.  ^)9o 

nothing  else,  but  to  contain  wrath  and  misery.  They  are  spo- 
ken of  as  those  that  perish  and  lose  their  sou's — that  are  lost ; 
(2  Cor.  iv.  4.)  Those  that  lose  themselves,  and  are  cast  away  ; 
those  that  are  destroyed,  consumed,  &c. ;  which  representa- 
tions do  not  agree  with  such  as  are  under  a  dispensation  of 
kindness,  and  the  means  of  a  physician,  in  order  to  their  eter- 
nal life,  health,  and  happiness,  though  the  means  are  severe. 
When  God,  of  old,  by  his  prophets,  denounced  his  terrible 
judgments  against  Jerusalem  and  the  people  of  Israel,  against 
Moab,  Tyre,  Egypt,  Assyria,  &c,  which  judgments,  though 
long-continued,  were  not  designed  to  be  perpetual ;  there  were 
mixed  with  those  awful  denunciations,  or  added  to  them,  pre* 
mises  or  intimations  of  future  mercy.  But,  when  the  Scrip- 
ture speaks  of  God's  dealings  with  ungodly  men  in  another 
world,  there  are  nothing  but  declarations  and  denunciations 
of  wrath  and  misery,  and  no  intimations  of  mercy  ;  no  gentle 
terms  used,  no  significations  of  divine  pity,  no  exhortations  to 
humiliation  under  God's  awful  hand,  or  calls  to  seek  his  face 
and  favour,  and  turn  and  repent.  The  account  that  the 
Scripture  gives  of  the  treatment  that  wicked  men  shall  meet 
with  after  this  life,  is  very  inconsistent  with  the  notion  of  their 
being  from  necessity  subjected  to  harsh  means  of  cure,  and 
severe  chastisement,  with  a  benevolent,  gracious  design  of 
their  everlasting  good  :  particularly  the  manner  in  which 
Christ  will  treat  thern  at  the  day  of  judgment.  He  will  bid 
the  wicked  depart  from  him  as  cursed, 

§  23,  We  have  no  account  of  any  invitations  to  accept  of 
mercy  ;  any  counsels  to  repent,  that  they  may  speedily  be  deli- 
vered from  this  misery.  But,  it  is  represented,  that  then  they 
shall  be  made  his  footstool,  He  shall  triumph  over  them. 
He  will  trample  upon  them  as  men  are  wont  to  trend  grapes 
in  a  wine-press,  when  they  trample  with  all  their  might,  to 
that  very  end,  that  they  may  effectually  crush  them  in  pieces. 
He  will  tread  them  in  his  anger,  and  trample  them  in  his  fury, 
and,  as  he  says,  their  blood  shall  be  sprinkled  on  his  garments, 
and  he  will  stain  all  his  raiment,  Isaiah  Ixiii.  at  the  beginning; 
Rev.  xiv.  19,  20.  and  chap.  xix.  15 ;  in  which  last  place,  it  is 
said,  he  treadeth  the  wine-press  of  the  fierceness  and  wrath  of 
Almighty  God.  These  things  do  not  savour  of  chastening 
with  compassion  and  benevolence,  and  as  still  prosecuting  a 
design  of  love  toward  them,  that  he  may  in  the  end  actually 
be  their  Saviour,  and  the  means  of  their  eternal  glory.  There 
is  nothing  in  the  account  of  the  day  of  judgment"  that  looks  as 
though  saints  had  any  love  or  pity  for  the  wicked,  on  account 
of  the  terrible  long-continued  torments  which  they  must  suffer. 
Nor,  indeed  will  the  accounts  that  are  given,  admit  of  supposing 
any  such  thing.  We  have  an  account  of  their  judging  thems 
and  being  with  Christ  in  condemning  them,  concurring  in  the 

Vol.  VII.  50 


394  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

sentence,  wherein  he  bids  them  begone  from  him  as  cursed 
with  devils  into  eternal  fire  ;  but  no  account  of  their  praying 
for  them,  nor  of  their  exhorting  them  to  consider  and  repent. 

They  shall  not  be  grieved,  but  rather  rejoice  at  the  glorious 
manifestations  of  God's  justice,  holiness,  and  majesty  in  their 
dreadful  perdition,  and  shall  triumph  with  Christ ;  Rev.  xviii. 
20.  and  xix.  at  the  beginning.  They  shall  be  made  Christ's' 
footstool,  and  so  they  shall  be  the  footstool  of  the  saints. 
Psalm  Ixviii.  23.  "  That  thy  foot  may  be  dipped  in  the  blood 
of  thine  enemies,  and  the  tongue  of  thy  dogs  in  the  same." 
If  the  damned  were  the  objects  of  divine  benevolence,  and 
designed  by  God  for  the  enjoyment  of  his  eternal  love,  doubt- 
less it  would  be  required  of  all  God's  children  to  love  them, 
and  to  pity  them,  and  pray  for  them,  and  seek  their  good  ;  as 
here,  in  this  world,  it  is  required  of  them  to  love  their  enemies, 
to  be  kind  to  the  evil  and  unjust ;  and  to  pity  and  pray  for  the 
vilest  of  men,  that  were  their  own  persecutors,  because  ihey 
are  the  subjects  of  God's  mercy  in  many  respects,  and  are  fit 
objects  of  infinite  divine  mercy  and  love.  If  Christ,  the  h^ad 
of  all  the  Church,  pities  the  damned,  and  seeks  their  good, 
doubtless  his  members  ought  to  do  so  too.  If  the  saints  in 
heaven  ought  to  pity  the  damned,  as  well  as  the  saints  on 
earth  are  obligated  to  pity  the  wicked  that  dwell  here,  doubtless 
their  pity  ought  to  be  in  some  proportion  to  the  greatness  of 
the  calamities  of  the  objects  of  it,  and  the  greatness  of  the 
number  of  those  they  see  in  misery.  But  if  they  had  pity  and 
sympathizing  grief  in  such  measure  as  this,  for  so  many  ages, 
what  an  alloy  would  it  be  to  their  happiness !  God  is  repre- 
sented as  whetting  his  glittering  sword,  bending  his  bow,  and 
making  ready  his  arrows  on  the  string  against  wicked  men,  •ind 
lifting  his  hand  to  heaven,  and  swearing,  that  he  will  render 
vengeance  to  his  enemies,  and  reward  them  that  hate  him,  and 
make  his  arrows  drunk  with  their  blood,  and  that  his  sword 
shall  devour  their  flesh.  Deut.  xxxii.  40,  41,  42,  and  Psalm 
vii.  11,  12,  13.  Certainly  this  is  the  language  and  conduct  of 
an  enemy,  not  of  a  friend,  or  of  a  compassionate,  chastising 
father. 

§  24.  The  degree  of  misery  and  torment  that  shall  be 
inflicted,  is  an  evidence,  that  God  is  not  acting  the  part  of 
benevolence  and  compassion,  and  only  chastening  from  a  kind 
and  gracious  principle  and  design.  It  is  evident,  that  it  is 
God's  manner,  when  he  thus  afflicts  men  for  their  good,  and 
chastens  them  with  compassion,  to  stay  his  rough  wind  in  the 
day  of  his  east  wind  ;  to  correct  in  measure  ;  to  consider  the 
frame  of  those  that  are  corrected  ;  to  remember  their  weak- 
ness, and  to  consider  how  little  they  can  bear.  He  turns  away 
his  anger,  and  does  not  stir  up  all  his  wrath.  Psalm  lxxviii. 
37,38,39.    Isa.  xxvii.  8.  Jer.  xxx.  11.  and  xlvi.  28.    And  it 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS.  :  395 

is  his  manner,  in  the  midst  even  of  the  severest  afflictions,  to 
order  some  mitigating. circumstances,  and  to  mix  some  mercy, 
But  the  misery  of  the  damned  is  represented  as  unmixed. 
The  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God  is  poured  out  without  mixture 
into  the  cup  of  his  indignation,  that  they  may  be  tormented 
with  fire  and  brimstone  in  the  presence  of  the  holy  angels,  and 
in  the  presence  of  the  Lamb  ;  and  the  smoke  of  their  torment 
shall  ascend  up  for  ever  and  ever,  and  they  have  no  rest  day 
nor  night  Rev.  xiv.  10,  11.  They  are  tormented  in  a  flame 
that  burns  within  them,  as  well  as  round  about  them,  and  they 
shall  be  denied  so  much  as  a  drop  of  water  to  cool  their  tongues. 
And  God's  wrath  shall  be  inflicted  in  such  a  manner  as  to  show 
his  wrath,  and  make  his  strength  known  on  the  vessels  of  wrath, 
and  which  shall  be  punished  with  everlasting  destruction  ; 
answerable  to  that  glory  of  Christ's  power  in  which  he  shall 
appear  at  the  day  of  judgment,  when  he  shall  come  in  the 
glory  of  Iiis  Father,  with  power  and  great  glory,  in  flaming 
fire,  to  take  vengeance  on  them  that  know  not  God,  and  obey 
not  the  gospel.  Can  any  imagine,  that  in  all  this  God  is  only 
correcting  from  love,  and  that  the  subjects  of  these  inflictions 
are  some  of  those  happy  ones  whom  God  corrects  in  order  to 
leach  them  out  of  his  law  ?  whom  he  makes  sore,  and  bindeth 
up  ?  Job  v.  17,  18.  Psalm  xciv.  12.  There  is  nothing  in 
Scripture  that  looks  as  if  the  damned  were  under  the  use  of 
means  to  bring  them  to  repentance.  It  is  apparent  that  God's 
manner  is,  when  he  afflicts  men,  to  bring  to  repentance  by 
affliction,  to  join  instructions,  admonitions,  and  arguments  to 
persuade. 

But  if  we  judge  by  scripture  representations  of  the  state  of 
the  damned,  they  are  left  destitute  of  all  these  things. — There 
are  no  prophets,  or  ministers,  or  good  men,  to  admonish  them, 
to  reason  and  expostulate  with  them,  or  to  set  them  good  exam- 
ples. There  is  a  perfect  separation  made  betwixt  all  the 
righteous  and  the  wicked  by  a  great  gulf:  so  that  there  can 
be  no  passing  from  one  to  the  other.  They  are  left  wholly  to 
the  company  of  devils,  and  others  like  them.  When  the  rich 
man  in  hell  cries  to  his  father  Abraham,  begging  a  drop  of 
water,  he  denies  his  request ;  and  adds  no  exhortation  to  repent- 
ance. Wisdom  is  abundantly  represented  in  the  book  of 
Proverbs,  as  counselling,  warning,  calling,  inviting,  and  expos- 
tulating with  such  as  are  under  means  for  the  obtaining  wisdom, 
and  as  waiting  upon  them  in  the  use  of  means,  that  they  may 
turn  at  her  reproof.  But  as  to  such  as  are  obstinate  under 
these  means  of  grace  and  calls  of  wisdom,  till  the  time  of  their 
punishment  comes,  it  is  represented,  that  their  fear  shall  come 
as  desolation,  and  destruction  as  a  whirlwind ;  that  distress 
and  anguish  shall  come  upon  them  :  and  that  then  it  will  be  in 
vain  for  them  to  seek  wisdom ;  that  if  they  seek  her  early,  they 


39t>  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

shall  not  find  her,  and  if  they  call  upon  her  she  will  not  hear? 
but  instead  of  this,  will  laugh  at  their  calamity,  and  mock  when 
their  fear  cometh  ;  which  certainly  does  not  consist  with  the 
idea  that  the  God  of  wisdom  is  still  striving  with  them,  and 
using  means,  in  a  benevolent  and  compassionate  manner,  to 
bring  them  to  seek  and  embrace  wisdom  ;  still  offering  wis- 
dom, with  all  her  unspeakable  benefits,  if  they  will  hearken  to 
her  voice  and  comply  with  her  counsel.  Is  wisdom  then  actu- 
ally using  the  most  powerful  and  effectual  means  to  bring 
them  to  this  happiness,  even  such  as  shall  surely  be  success- 
ful, though  they  have  obstinately  refused  ail  others ;  and  when 
wisdom  called,  they  heretofore  refused, — when  she  stretched 
forth  her  hand,  they  did  not  regard  ?  Is  he  still  most  effectually 
acting  the  part  of  a  friend,  to  deliver  them  from  their  distress 
and  anguish,  instead  of  laughing  at  their  calamity  ?  Prov.  i, 
latter  end.  This  declaration  of  wisdom,  if  it  evei  be  fulfilled 
at  all,  will  surely  be  fulfilled  most  completely  and  perfectly  at 
the  time  appointed  for  obstinate  sinners  to  receive  their  most 
perfect  and  complete  punishment* 

If  all  mankind,  even  such  as  live  and  die  in  their  wick- 
edness, are  and  ever  will  be  the  objects  of  Christ's  good-will 
and  mercy,  and  those  whose  eternal  happiness  he  desires  and 
seeks  ;  then  surely  he  would  pray  for  all :  but  Christ  declares 
that  there  are  some  that  he  prays  not  for.  John  xvii.  9.  "  I 
pray  for  them :  I  pray  not  for  the  world,  but  for  them  which 
thou  hast  given  me  ;  for  they  are  thine."  Compared  with  ver. 
14.  "  The  world  hath  hated  them,  because  they  are  not  of 
the  world,  even  as  I  am  not  of  the  world."  Ver.  25.  "  The 
world  hath  not  known  thee,  but  I  have  known  thee  ;  and  these 
have  known  that  thou  hast  sent  me  ;"  and  ver.  20.  "  Neither 
pray  I  for  these  alone,  but  for  them  also  which  shall  believe  on 
me  through  their  word."  By  this  it  appears  that  Christ  prayed 
for  all  that  should  ever  be  true  believers. — But  he  prayed  not 
for  those  who  should  not  be  brought  by  the  word  of  the  apostles, 
and  such  means  of  grace  as  are  used  in  this  world,  to  believe 
in  him,  and  should  continue  notwithstanding  not  to  know  God. 
and  in  enmity  against  true  holiness  or  Christianity.  These 
were  such  as  Christ  prayed  not  for* 

§  25.  If  sin  and  misery,  and  the  second  death,  are  to 
continue  and  prevail  for  so  long  a  time  after  the  day  of  judg- 
ment, with  respect  to  great  multitudes  that  Christ  will  finally 
save  and  deliver  from  those  things,  having  perfectly  conquered 
and  abolished  them ;  then  how  can  the  scriptures  truly  repre- 
sent, that  all  enemies  shall  be  put  under  his  feet  at  the  end  of 
the  world,  and  that  the  last  enemy  that  shall  be  destroyed  is 
death ;  and  that  then,  having  perfectly  subdued  all  his  enemies, 
he  shall  resign  up  the  kingdom  to  the  Father,  and  he  himself 
be  subject  to  the  Father  ?  as  in  I  Cor.  xv.  20—28,    The  time 


MISCELLANEOUS   REMARKS.  397 

of  Christ's  victory  over  death  will  be  at  the  general  resurrection 
and  day  of  judgment,  as  is  evident  by  ver.  54,  with  the  foregoing 
context.  The  chief  enemies  that  Christ  came  to  destroy,  with 
regard  to  such  as  should  be  saved,  and  be  of  his  church,  were 
sin  and  misery,  or  death  consisting  in  sin,  and  death  consisting 
in  suffering  the  second  death,  unspeakably  the  greatest  enemy 
that  came  by  sin,  infinitely  more  terrible  than  temporal  death. 
But  if  the  notion  I  am  opposing  be  true,  these  greatest  and 
worst  enemies,  instead  of  being  subdued,  shall  have  their 
principal  reign  afterward,  for  many  ages  at  least ;  viz.  sin  in 
the  sad  effect  and  consequence  of  it,  men's  misery ;  and  God 
shall  have  his  strongest  conflict  with  those  enemies  afterward  ; 
that  is,  shall  strive  against  them  in  the  use  of  the  most  power- 
ful means. 

§  26.  There  is  a  great  evidence,  that  the  devil  is  not  the 
subject  of  any  dispensation  of  divine  mercy  and  kindness,  and 
that  God  is  prosecuting  no  design  of  infinite  goodness  towards 
him,  and  that  his  pains  are  not  purifying  pains.  It  is  manifest 
that,  instead  of  any  influence  of  his  torments  to  bring  him 
nearer  to  repentance,  he  has  been  from  the  beginning  of  his 
damnation,  constantly,  with  all  his  might,  exerting  himself  in 
prosecuting  his  wickedness,  his  violent,  most  haughty,  and 
malignant  opposition  to  God  and  man  ;  fighting  especially  with 
peculiar  virulence  against  Christ  and  his  church ;  opposing 
with  all  his  might,  every  thing  that  is  good  ;  seeking  the 
destruction  and  misery  of  all  mankind,  with  boundless  and  in- 
satiable cruelty  ;  on  which  account  he  is  called  Satan,  the  ad- 
versary, and  Abaddon  and  Apoilyon,  the  destroyer.  He  is  re- 
presented as  a  roaring  lion,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour, 
a  viper,  the  old  serpent,  the  great  red  dragon  ;  red  on  account 
of  his  bloody,  cruel  nature.  He  is  said  to  be  a  murderer  from 
the  beginning.  He  has  murdered  all  mankind,  has  murdered 
their  souls  as  well  as  their  bodies.  He  was  the  murderer  of 
Jesus  Christ,  by  instigating  Judas  and  his  crucifiers.  He  has 
most  cruelly  shed  the  blood  of  an  innumerable  multitude  of  the 
children  of  God.  He  is  emphatically  called  the  evil  one,  that 
wicked  one,  &c.  He  is  a  liar,  and  the  father  of  lies,  and 
father  of  al!  the  sin  and  wickedness  that  is,  or  ever  has  been  in 
the  world.  He  is  the  spirit  that  worketh  in  the  children  of 
disobedience  ;  2  Cor.  iv.  3, 4.  It  is  said,  that  he  that  committeth 
sin  is  of  the  devil.  For  the  devi!  sinneth  from  the  beginning; 
and  all  wicked  men  are  spoken  of  as  his  children.  He  has  set 
up  himself  as  god  of  this  world,  in  opposition  to  the  true  God, 
and  has  erected  a  vast  kingdom  over  the  nations  ;  and  is 
constantly  carrying  on  a  war  with  the  utmost  earnestness,  sub- 
tiliy,  malice,  and  venom,  against  Jesus  Christ,  and  all  his 
holy  and  gracious  designs ;  maintaining  a  kingdom  of  dark- 


-;'.(>>  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

ness,  wickedness,  and  misery,  in  opposition  to  Christ's  kingdom 
of  light,  holiness,  and  peace  ;  and  thus  will  continue  to  do  till 
the  end  of  the  world,  as  appears  by  Scripture  prophecies. 

§  27.  And  God's  dealings  with  him  are  infinitely  far  from 
being  those  of  a  friend,  kindly  seeking  his  infinite  good,  and  de- 
signing nothing  else  in  the  end,  but  to  make  him  eternally 
happy  in  love  and  favour,  and  blessed  union  with  him.  God  is 
represented  every  where  as  acting  the  part  of  an  enemy  to 
him,  that  seeks  and  designs  nothing  in  the  final  event  but  his 
destruction.  The  grand  work  of  God's  providence,  which  he 
is  prosecuting  from  the  beginning  to  ihe  end  of  the  world,  viz. 
the  work  of  redemption,  is  against  him,  to  bruise  or  break  in 
pieces  his  head,  to  cast  him  like  lightning  from  heaven,  from 
that  height  of  power  and  dominion  to  which  he  has  exalted 
himself,  to  tread  him  under  foot,  and  to  cause  his  people  to 
trample  and  bruise,  or  crush  him  under  foot,  and  gloriously  to 
triumph  over  him.  Christ,  when  he  conquered  him,  made  a 
show  of  him  openly,  triumphing  over  him.  And,  it  is  evident 
that,  as  it  will  be  with  the  devil  in  this  respect,  so  it  will  be 
with  the  wicked.  This  is  reasonable  to  suppose,  from  what 
the  Scripture  represents  of  the  relation  wicked  men  stand  in  to 
the  devil  as  his  children,  servants,  subjects,  instruments,  and 
his  property  and  possession.  They  are  all  ranked  together 
with  him  in  one  kingdom,  in  one  interest,  and  one  company. 
And  many  of  them  are  the  great  ministers  of  his  kingdom,  and 
to  whom  he  has  committed  authority  ;  such  as  the  beast  and 
false  prophet  that  we  read  of  in  the  Revelation.  Now,  how 
reasonable  and  natural  is  it  to  suppose,  that  those  who  are 
thus  united  should  have  their  portion  and  lot  together  ?  As 
Christ's  disciples,  subjects,  followers,  soldiers,  children,  instru- 
ments and  faithful  ministers,  shall  have  their  part  with  him,  in 
his  eternal  glory  ;  so  we  may  reasonably  believe,  that  the  devil's 
disciples,  followers,  subjects,  soldiers  in  his  army,  his  children, 
instruments  and  ministers  of  his  kingdom,  should  have  their 
part  with  him,  and  not  that  such  an  infinite  difference  should 
be  made  between  diem,  that  the  punishment  of  the  one  should 
be  eternal,  and  that  of  the  other  but  temporal,  and  therefore 
infinitely  less,  infinitely  disproportionate ;  so  that  the  propor- 
tion between  the  punishment  of  the  latter,  and  that  of  the  for- 
mer, is  as  nothing,  infinitely  less  than  an  unit  to  a  million  of 
millions.  This  is  unreasonable  to  be  supposed  in  itself,  as  the 
difference  of  guilt  and  wickedness  cannot  be  so  great,  but 
must  be  infinitely  far  from  it ;  especially,  considering  the 
aggravations  of  the  wickedness  of  a  great  part  of  damned  men, 
as  committed  against  Christ,  and  gospel  grace  and  love ; 
which  exceeding  great  aggravation  the  sin  of  the  devils  never 
had. 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  399 

$  28.  As  the  devil's  ministers,  servants  and  instruments, 
of  the  angelic  nature,  those  that  are  called  the  devil's  angels, 
shall  have  their  part  with  him  ;  for  the  like  reason  we  may 
well  suppose,  his  servants,  and  instruments  of  the  human  na- 
ture, will  share  with  him.  And  not  only  is  this  reasonable  in 
itself,  but  the  Scripture  plainly  teaches  us  that  it  shall  be  so. 
In  Rev.  xix.  20,  it  is  said,  "The  beast  and  the  false  prophet 
were  both  cast  alive  into  the  lake  of  fire  burning  with  brimstone. 
So  it  is  said,  chap.  xx..  16.  "  The  devil  that  deceived  them 
was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone,  where  the  beast 
and  the  prophet  are,  and  shall  be  tormented  day  and  night  for 
ever  and  ever ;" — thus  expressing  both  the  kind  of  misery 
and  the  duration.  Just  in  the  same  manner  it  is  said  concern- 
ing the  followers  of  the  beast.  It  is  said,  chap.  xiv.  9,  10,  11. 
"  Saying  with  a  loud  voice,  If  any  man  worship  the  beast,  &c. 
— the  same  shall  be  tormented  with  fire  and  brimstone,  and 
the  smoke  of  their  torment  ascendeth  up  for  ever  and  ever,  and 
they  have  no  rest  day  nor  night.1' — And  chap.  xxi.  8.  of  wicked 
men  in  general,  it  is  said,  they  shall  have  their  part  in  the  lake 
which  burneth  with  fire  and  brimstone. — So  we  find  in  Christ's 
description  of  the  day  of  judgment,  the  wicked  are  sentenced 
to  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels.  By 
which  it  appears  most  plainly,  that  they  share  with  the  devils 
in  suffering  misery  of  the  same  kind,  and  also  share  with  him 
in  suffering  misery  ofthe  same  everlasting  continuance.  And, 
indeed,  not  only  would  the  punishment  infinitely  differ  as  to 
quantity  and  duration,  if  the  punishment  ofthe  devils  was  to  be 
eternal,  and  of  wicked  men  only  temporal :  but  if  this  were 
known,  it  would,  as  it  were,  infinitely  differ  in  kind.  The  one 
suffering  God's  hatred  and  mere  vengeance,  inflictions  that 
have  no  pity  or  kindness  in  them  ;  the  other,  the  fruit  of  his  mercy 
and  love,  and  infinitely  kind  intention :  the  one  attended  with 
absolute  despair,  and  a  black  and  dismal  sinking  prospect  of 
misery,  absolutely  endless;  the  other  with  the  light  of  hope, 
and  a  supporting  prospect,  not  only  of  an  end  to  their  misery, 
but  of  an  eternal  unspeakable  happiness  to  follow.  According 
to  the  notion  which  I  am  opposing,  the  judgment  that  shall 
take  place  at  the  end  of  the  world,  will  be  so  far  from  being 
the  last  judgment,  or  any  proper  judgment  to  settle  all  things 
in  their  final  state,  that  it  will,  with  respect  to  the  wicked,  be 
no  more  than  the  judgmnt  of  a  physician,  whether  more  sharp 
and  powerful  remedies  must  not  be  applied  in  order  to  the 
relief  of  sinners  and  the  cure  of  their  disease,  which,  if  not  cured, 
will  make  them  eternally  miserable  ! 

§  '29.  It  is  evident,  that  the  future  misery  of  the  wicked  in 
hell  is  not  to  come  to  an  end,  and  to  be  succeeded  by  eternal 
happiness  ;  and  that  their  misery  is  not  subservient  to  their 
happiness,  because  the  Scripture  plainly  signifies,  concerning 


UK.)  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS. 

those  that  uic  in  their  sins,  that  they  have  all  the  good  and  com- 
fort in  tJiis  life,  that  ever  is  designed  for  them.  Luke  vj.  24. 
"  Wo  unto  you  that  are  rich,  for  ye  have  received  your  conso- 
lation." Luke  xvi.  25.  "  Son,  remember  that  thou  in  thy 
lifetime  receivedst  thy  good  things."  Psal.  xvii.  13,  14.  "  Deliver 
my  soul  from  the  wicked — from  the  men  of  the  world  which 
have  their  portion  in  this  life,  and  whose  belly  thou  fillest  with 
thy  hid  treasure." 

§  30.  According  to  the  opinion  L  am  now  opposing,  God 
will  surely  at  the  last  deliver  all  che  damned  from  their  misery, 
and  make  them  happy.  So  that  God  will  see  to  it,  that  the 
purifying  torments  shall  certainly  at  last  have  their  effect,  to 
turn  them  from  sin.  Now,  how  can  this  consist  with  God's 
treating  them  as  moral  agents,  and  their  acting  from  the  free- 
dom of  their  own  wills,  in  the  affair  of  their  turning  from  sin, 
and  becoming  morally  pure  and  virtuous,  according  to  the 
notions  of  freedom  and  moral  agency  which  now  prevail,  and 
are  strenuously  maintained  by  some  of  the  chief  assertors  of 
this  opinion  concerning  hell  torments  ;  which  notion  of  free- 
dom implies  contingence,  and  is  wholly  inconsistent  with  the 
necessity  of  the  event  ?  If  after  all  the  torments  used  to  bring 
sinners  to  repentance,  the  consequence  aimed  at,  viz.  their 
turning  from  sin  to  virtue,  be  not  necessary,  but  it  shall  still 
remain  a  contingent  event,  whether  there  ever  will  be  any 
such  consequence  of  those  severe,  long-continued  chastise- 
ments  or  no  ;  then,  how  can  it  be  determined,  that  this  will 
surely  be  the  consequence  ?  How  can  it  be  a  thing  infallible., 
that  such  a  consequence  of  means  used  will  follow,  when  at 
the  same  time,  it  is  not  a  consequence  any  way  necessarily 
connected  with  the  means  used,  it  being  only  a  thing  contin- 
gent whether  it  will  follow  or  not  ?  If  God  has  determined 
absolutely  to  make  them  all  pure  and  happy,  and  yet  their 
purity  and  happiness  depend  on  the  freedom  of  their  will ; 
then  here  is  an  absolute,  divine  decree,  consistent  with  the 
freedom  of  men's  will,  which  is  a  doctrine  utterly  rejected  by 
the  generality  of  that  sort  of  men  who  deny  the  eternity  of 
hell  torments.  If  it  be  said,  that  God  has  not  absolutely  de- 
termined the  duration  or  measure  of  their  torments,  but  in- 
tends to  continue  them  till  they  do  repent,  or  to  try  lesser  tor- 
ments first,  and,  if  these  do  not  answer,  to  increase  them  till 
they  are  effectual,  determining  that  he  will  raise  or  continue 
them  till  the  effect  shall  finally  and  infallibly  follow ;  that  is 
the  same  thing  as  to  necessitate  the  effect.  And  here  is  ne- 
cessity in  such  a  case,  as  much  as  when  a  founder  puts  a 
piece  of  metal  into  a  furnace,  with  a  resolution  to  melt  it,  and 
if  continuing  it  there  a  little  while  will  not  dissolve  it,  that  he 
will  keep  it  there  till  it  does  dissolve  :  and  if,  by  reason  of  its 
peculiar  hardness,  an  ordinary  degree  of  heat  of  the  furnace 


;dlS<  ELLANEGUS    REMARKS 


401 


will  not  be  effectual,  that  he  will  increase  the  vehemence  of 
ihe  heat,  till  the  effect  shall  certainly  follow. 

§  31.  If  any  should  maintain  this  scheme  of  temporary  fu- 
ture punishments,  viz.  that  the  torments  in  hell  are  not  purify- 
ing pains,  and  that  the  damned  are  not  in  a  state  of  trial  with 
regard  to  any  expected  admission  to  eternal  happiness,  and 
that  therefore  they  are  not  the  proper  objects  of  divine  benevo- 
lence ;  that  the  dispensation  they  are  under,  is  not  truly  a  dis- 
pensation of  mercy,  but  that  their  torments  are  properly  penal 
pains,  wherein  God  displays  his  vindictive  justice  ;  that  they 
shall  suffer  misery  to  such  a  degree,  and  for  so  long  a  time,  as 
their  obstinate  wickedness  in  this  world  deserves;  and  that 
indeed  they  shall  be  miserable  a  very  long  time,  so  long  that 
it  is  often  figuratively  spoken  of  in  Scripture  as  being  everlast- 
ing, and  that  then  they  shall  be  annihilated  :  On  this  I  would 
observe,  that  there  is  nothing  got  by  such  a  scheme  ;  no  relief 
from  the  arguments  taken  from  Scripture,  for  the  proper 
eternity  of  future  punishment.  For,  if  it  be  owned,  that 
Scripture  expressions  denote  a  punishment  that  is  properly 
eternal,  but  that  it  is  in  no  other  sense  properly  so,  than  as  the 
annihilation,  or  state  of  non-existence  to  which  the  wicked 
shall  return,  will  be  eternal ;  and  that  this  eternal  annihilation 
is  that  death  which  is  so  often  threatened  for  sin,  perishing 
for  ever,  everlasting  destruction,  being  lost,  utterly  consumed, 
&,c.  ;  and  that  the  fire  of  hell  is  called  eternal  fire,  in  the 
same  sense  that  the  external  fire  which  consumed  the  cities  of 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah  is  called  eternal  fire,  (Jude  7.)  because 
it  utterly  consumed  those  cities,  that  they  might  never  be 
built  more  ;  and  that  this  fire  is  called  that  which  cannot  be 
quenched,  or  at  least  not  until  it  has  destroyed  them  that  are 
cast  into  it.  If  this  be  all  that  th?se  expressions  denote,  then 
they  do  not  at  all  signify  the  length  of  the  torments,  or  long 
continuance  of  their  misery  ;  so  that  the  supposition  of  the 
length  of  their  torments  is  brought  in  without  any  necessity, 
the  Scripture  saying  nothing  of  it,  having  no  respect  to  it, 
when  it  speaks  of  their  everlasting  punishments :  and  it 
answers  the  Scripture  expressions  as  well,  to  suppose  that 
they  shall  be  annihilated  immediately,  without  any  long  pains, 
provided  the  annihilation  be  everlasting. 

§  3:2.  If  any  should  suppose,  that  the  torments  of  the  damned 
in  hell  are  properly  penal,  and  in  execution  of  penal  justice,  but 
yet  that  they  are  neither  eternal,  nor  shall  end  in  annihilation, 
but  shall  be  continued  till  justice  is  satisfied,  and  they  have  truly 
suffered  as  much  as  they  deserve,  whereby  their  punishment 
shall  be  so  long  as  to  be  called  everlasting,  but  that  then  they 
shall  be  delivered,  and  finally  be  the  subjects  of  everlasting 
happiness ;  and  that  therefore  they  shall  not  in  the  mean-time 
be  in  a  state  of  trial,  nor  will  be  waited  upon  in  order  to  repent- 

Voi*  VTT.  51 


402  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

ance,  nor  will  their  torments  be  used  as  means  to  bring  them 
to  it  ;  for  that  the  term  and  measure  of  their  punishment  shall 
be  fixed,  from  which  they  shall  not  be  delivered  on  repentance, 
or  any  terms  or  conditions  whatsoever,  until  justice  is  satisfied  : 
I  would  observe  in  answer  to  this,  that  if  it  be  so,  the  damned, 
while  under  their  suffering,  are  either  answerable  for  the  wick- 
edness that  is  acted  by  them  while  in  that  state,  or  may  pro- 
perly be  the  subjects  of*  a  judicial  proceeding  for  it,  or  not.  If 
the  former  be  supposed,  then  it  will  follow,  that  they  must  have 
another  state  of  suffering  and  punishment,  after  the  ages  of  their 
suffering  for  the  sins  of  this  life  are  ended.  And  it  cannot  be* 
supposed,  that  this  second  period  of  suffering  will  be  shorter 
than  the  first :  For  the  first  is  only  for  the  sins  committed  du- 
ring a  short  life,  often  represented  in  Scripture  for  its  shortness, 
to  be  a  dream,  a  tale  that  is  told,  a  blast  of  wind,  a  vapour,  a 
span,  a  moment,  &,c.  But  the  time  of  punishment  is  always 
represented  as  exceeding  long,  called  everlasting  ;  represented 
as  enduring  for  ever  and  ever,  as  having  no  end,  &c.  If  the 
sins  of  a  moment  must  be  followed  with  such  punishment,  then, 
doubtless  the  sins  of  those  endless  ages,  must  be  followed  with 
another  second  period  of  suffering,  much  longer.  For  it  must  be 
supposed,  that  the  damned  continue  sinning  ail  the  time  of  their 
punishment ;  for  none  can  rationally  imagine,  that  God  would 
hold  them  under  such  extreme  torments,  and  terrible  manifes- 
tations and  executions  of  his  wrath,  after  they  have  thoroughly 
repented,  and  turned  from  sin,  and  are  become  pure  and  holy, 
and  conformed  to  God,  and  so  have  left  off  sinning.  And  if  they 
continue  in  sin,  during  this  state  of  punishment,  with  assur- 
ance that  God  still  has  a  great  benevolence  for  them,  even  so 
as  to  intend  finally  to  make  them  everlastingly  happy  in  the 
enjoyment  of  his  love,  then  their  sin  must  be  attended  with 
great  aggravation  ;  as  they  will  have  the  evil  and  ill  desert  of 
sin  set  before  them  in  the  most  affecting  manner,  in  their  dread- 
ful sufferings  for  it,  attended  besides  with  evidence  that  God  is 
infinitely  benevolent  towards  them,  and  intends  to  bestow  infi- 
nite blessings  upon  them. — But,  if  this  first  long  period  of  pu- 
nishment must  be  followed  with  a  second  as  long,  or  longer  ;  for 
the  same  reason,  the  second  must  be  followed  by  a  third,  as 
long  or  longer  than  that ;  and  so  the  third  must  be  followed  by 
a  fourth,  and  so  in  infinitum  ;  and,  at  this  rate,  there  never 
can  be  an  end  of  their  misery.  So  this  scheme  overthrows 
itself. 

§  39.  And  if  the  damned  are  not  answerable  for  the  wicked- 
ness they  commit  during  their  state  of  punishment,  then  we 
must  suppose  that,  during  the  whole  of  their  long,  and,  as  it 
were,  eternal  state  of  punishment,  they  are  given  up  of  God  to 
the  most  unrestrained  wickedness,  having  this  to  consider,  that, 
how  far  soever  they  go  in  the  allowed  exercises  and  manifesto  - 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMA.EKS.  403 

ttons  of  their  malice  and  rage  against  God  and  Christ,  saints 
and  angels,  and  their  fellow  damned  spirits,  they  have  nothing 
to  fear  from  it,  it  will  be  never  the  worse ;  and  surely,  continu- 
ing in  such  unrestrained  wickedness,  for  such  duration,  must 
most  desperately  confirm  the  habit  of  sin,  must  increase  the 
root  and  fountain  of  it  in  the  heart.  Now,  how  unreasonable 
is  it  to  suppose  that  God  would  thus  deal  with  such  as  were 
objects  of  his  infinite  kindness,  and  the  appointed  subjects  of 
the  unspeakable  and  endless  fruits  of  his  love,  in  a  state  of  per- 
fect holiness  and  purity,  and  conformity  to  and  union  with  him- 
'  self;  thus  to  give  them  up  beforehand  to  unrestrained  malig- 
nity against  himself,  and  every  kind  of  hellish  wickedness,  as 
it  were  infinitely  to  increase  the  fountain  of  sin  in  the  heart, 
and  the  strength  of  the  principle  and  habit  ?  Now,  how  incon- 
gruous is  it  to  suppose,  with  regard  to  those  for  whom  God  has 
great  benevolence,  and  designs  eternal  favour,  that  he  would 
lay  them  under  a  necessity  of  extreme  unbounded  hatred  of  him, 
blasphemy  and  rage  against  him,  for  so  many  ages  ;  such  ne- 
cessity as  should  exclude  all  liberty  of  their  own  in  the  case  ? 
If  God  intends  not  only  punishment,  but  purification  by  these 
torments ;  on  this  supposition,  instead  of  their  being  purified, 
they  must  be  set  at  an  infinitely  greater  distance  from  purifica- 
tion. And  if  God  intends  them  for  a  second  time  of  probation, 
in  order  to  their  being  brought  to  repentance  and  the  love  of 
God  after  their  punishment  is  finished  ;  then  how  can  it  be  cer- 
tain beforehand, .that  they  shall  finally  be  happy,  as  is  supposed? 
How  can  it  be  certain  they  will  not  fail,  in  their  second  trial,  or 
in  their  third,  if  there  be  a  third  ?  Yea,  how  much  more  likely, 
that  they  will  fail  of  truly  turning  in  heart  from  sin  to  the  love 
of  God,  in  their  second  trial,  if  there  be  any  proper  trial  in  the 
case,  after  their  hearts  have  been  so  much  more  brought  under 
the  power  of  a  strong  habit  of  sin  and  enmity  to  God  1  If  the 
habit  proved  so  strong  in  this  life,  that  the  most  powerful  means 
and  mighty  inducements  of  the  gospel  would  not  prevail,  so 
that  God  was,  as  it  were,  under  a  necessity  of  cutting  them 
down  and  dealing  thus  severely  with  them  ;  how  much  less 
likely  will  it  be,  that  they  will  be  prevailed  upon  to  love  God 
and  the  ways  of  virtue,  after  their  hearts  are  set  at  so  much 
greater  distance  from  those  things  ?  Yea,  unless  we  suppose  a 
divine  interposition  of  almighty,  efficacious  power,  to  change 
the  heart  in  the  time  of  this  second  trial,  we  may  be  sure  that, 
under  these  circumstances,  the  heart  will  not  turn  to  love  God. 
§  34.  And  besides,  if  they  are  laid  under  such  a  necessity  of 
hating  and  blaspheming  God,  for  so  many  ages,  in  the  manner 
that  has  been  spoken  of,  how  extremely  incongruous  is  such 
an  imagination,  that  God  would  lay  those  he  intended  for  the 
eternal  bounty  and  blessedness  of  dear  children,  under  such 
circumstances,  that  they  must  necessarily  hate  him,  and  with 


404  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS. 

devilish  fury  curse  and  blaspheme  him  for  innumerable  ages, 
and  yet  never  have  cause,  even  when  they  arc  delivered  and 
made  happy  in  God's  love,  to  condemn  themselves  for  it,  though 
they  see  the  infinite  hatefulness  and  unreasonableness  of  it, 
because  God  laid  them  under  such  a  necessity,  that  they 
could  use  no  liberty  of  their  own  in  the  case  ?  I  leave  it  for 
all  to  judge,  whether  God's  thus  ordering  things,  with  regard 
to  such  as,  from  great  benevolence,  he  intended  for  eternal 
happiness  in  a  most  blessed  union  with  himself,  be  credible. 

§  35.  The  same  disposition  and  habit  of  mind,  and  manner 
of  viewing  things,  is  indeed  the  main  ground  of  the  cavils  of 
many  of  the  modern  free-thinkers  ;  and  modish  writers,  against 
the  extremity  and  eternity  of  hell  torments,  if  relied  upon, 
would  cause  them  to  be  dissatisfied  with  almost  any  thing  that 
is  very  uncomfortable  in  a  future  punishment,  so  much  as  the 
enduring  of  the  pain  that  is  occasioned  by  the  thrusting  of  a 
thorn  under  the  nail  of  the  finger,  for  a  whole  year  together, 
day  and  night,  without  any  rest  or  the  least  intermission  or 
abatement.  There  are  innumerable  calamities  that  come  to 
pass  in  this  world,  through  the  permission  and  ordination  of 
divine  providence,  against  which  (were  it  not  that  they  are 
what  we  see  with  our  eyes,  and  are  universally  known  and  in- 
contestable facts,)  this  cavilling,  unbelieving  spirit,  would 
strongly  object:  and,  if  they  were  only  proposed  in  theory,  as 
matters  of  faith,  would  be  opposed  as  exceedingly  inconsistent 
with  the  moral  perfections  of  God  ;  and  the  opinions  of  such  as 
asserted  them  would  be  cried  out  against,  as  in  numberless  ways 
contrary  to  God's  wisdom,  his  justice,  goodness,  mercy,  &c  •, 
such  as,  the  innumerable  calamities  that  have  happened  to 
poor  innocent  children,  through  the  merciless  cruelty  of  barba- 
rous enemies  ;  their  being  gradually  roasted  to  death,  shrieking 
and  crying  for  their  fathers  and  mothers  ;  the  extreme  pains 
they  sometimes  are  tormented  with,  by  terrible  diseases  which 
they  suffer  ;  the  calamities  that  have  many  times  been  brought 
on  whole  cities,  while  besieged,  and  when  taken  by  merciless 
soldiers,  destroying  all  men,  women,  and  children,  withou*  any 
pity  ;  the  extreme  miseries  which  have  been  suffered  by  mil- 
lions of  innocent  persons,  of  all  ages,  sexes,  and  conditions,  in 
times  of  persecution,  when  there  has  been  no  refuge  to  be  found 
on  earth ;  yea,  those  things  that  come  to  pass  universally,  of 
which  all  mankind  are  the  subjects,  in  temporal  death,  which 
is  so  dreadful  to  nature. 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  405 


T 

CHAPTER  111. 

*  CONCERNING  THE  DIVINE  DECREES  IN  GENERAL,  AND  ELECTION 

IN  PARTICULAR. 


I 


I 


§  1.  Whether  God  has  decreed  all  things  that  ever  came 
to  pass  or  not,  all  that  own  the  being  of  a  God,  own  that  he 
knows  all  things  beforehand.  Now,  it  is  self-evident,  that  if 
he  knows  all  things  beforehand,  he  either  doth  approve  of 
them,  or  he  doth  not  approve  of  them  ;  that  is,  he  either  is 
willing  they  should  be,  or  he  is  not  willing  they  should  be. 
But  to  will  that  they  should  be,  is  to  decree  them* 


*  Were  the   true   origin  of  moral  evil,  that  is,  the  adequate  reason  of  its 
taking  place  as  a  consequence,  more  generally  known,  there  would  be  less  un- 
*    profitable  disputing  about  the  divine  decrees  in  general,  and  about  predestina- 
tion and  election  in  particular.      It  is  to  the  want  of  this  knowledge,  that  we  a\^ 
s      must  ascribe  many  things  advanced  by  ancient  as  well  as  modern  writers,  who,  * 
a  in  other  important  respects,  are  truly  valuable  and  judicious.     Our  excellent 

author  appears  never  less  at  home,  than  when  he  touches  upon  those  points 
^  which  are  immediately  connected  with  that  knowledge;  and  his  reasoning  in' '" 

the  short  section  to  which  this  note  refers,  is  a  striking  specimen.     The  conclu-aAiM 
fusion  he  draws,  is  true  in  one  sense,  but  not  in  another.     It  is  applicable  only  to 
real  entities,  while  it  does    not  affect   negative  causations,  and  consequences     < 
flowing  from  them.     That  God  "  knows  beforehand"  all  things,  (whether  of  a 
positive  or  negative  kind,)  is  an  important  truth;  but  things  coming  to  pass,  or     WMH 
M      not  coming  to  pass,  is  no  proper  criterion  of  his  "  approving"  or  "  not  approving 
them."     He  may  approve  of  what  does  not  come  to  pass,  and  he  may  not  approve 
of  what  does.     He  approves  of  all  possible  ixcelleneies,  and  he  disapproves  of    jfcM 
^.'      all  possible  moral  evil.       But  who  will  say  that  there  are  as  many  excellencies  _ 

I"  among  creatures,  or  as  much  moral  evil,  as  it  is  possible  there  might  be  ? 
When  it  is  said,  "he  either  is  willing  they  should  be,  or  he  is  not  willing 
they  should  be,"  the  terms  require  a  distinction,  and  the  sentiment  an  explana- 
tion. If  by  "they,"  or  "things,"  be  meant  real  entities,  it  is  very  proper  to 
say,  that  "  God  is  either  ivilling  they  should  be,  or  ?u>t  willing  they  should 
be;"  and,  if  the  former,  they  must  exist  from  his  will,  and,  therefore,  are 
decreed  ;  but,  if  the  latter,  they  must  not  exist,  for  there  is  no  other  adequate 
cause  of  their  existence.  But  this  reasoning  is  not  valid  when  applied  to  ne°-a- 
tions  and  defects.  For  there  are  multitudes  of  things,  (as  all  failings,  wants, 
if  and  negative  considerations,)  concerning  which  there  is  no  decretive  will  exer- 
ii  cised  for  their  existence,   (if  existence  it  may  be  called,)  nor  yet  any  contrary 

t*^,will  to  prevent  their  existence.       What  intelligent  person  can  suppose,  for  in-* 
stance,  that  a  mathematical  point,  a  relative  nothing,  was  decreed  either  to  be, 
or  not  to  be  ?  and  yet,  when  it  stands  related  to  real  entities,  which  are  decreed' 
'What  innumerable  demonstrative  consequences  follow  from  it? 

By  whomsoever  sanctioned,  it  is  an  erroneous  notion,  that  a  decretive  will  is4 
implied  in,  or  is  at  all  requisite  for  the  production  of  a  negative  cause.  It  is 
not  less  erroneous,  than  to  suppose,  that  negative  causes  may  produce  real  enti- 
ties. That  the  latter  is  an  erroneous  notion,  may  be  easily  made  to  appear. 
Millions  of  inhabited  systems  are  among  possible  effects,  but  who  would  say 
that  there  must  be  a  decretive  will,  or  any  will,  to  prevent  their  existence  ? — 

>  torn  t^^"*  "**  «^**V  ^5^**  ^^  *  i'%5*^  ft. 


40b' 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARK*, 


I 


§  2.  The   Arminians  ridicule  the  distinction  between  the 
secret  and  revealed  will  of  God,  or,  more  properly  expressed,  «/^ 
the  distinction  between  the  decree  and  law  of  God  ;  because  ^ 

T 

Would  they  start  into  being  of  themselves,  if  not  prevented  by  an  act  of  will  ? —      1 
To  suppose  that  an  exercise  of  divine  will  is  requisite  for  confirming  \he  nega- 
tive consideration  of  their  non-existence,  is  an  absurd  idea,  except  these  ideal 
possibles  had  an   inherent   tendency  towards    actual  existence  of  themselves.  • 
And,  as  there  is  no  will  requisite  to  prevent  tbeir  existence,  so  neither  is  there 
any  required  to  continue  tbeir  non-existence.     Bui  though  a  negative  cause,  like  > 
a  mathematical  point,   be  a  relative  nothing,  yet  on  the  supposition  of  existing 
free  agents,  in  given  circumstances,  millions  of  sins  would  come  to  pass,  more 
than  do  in  fact,  were  they  not  prevented  by  a  counteracting  will.      This  coun- 
teraction is  very  properly  termed  "  restraining,  or  preventing  grace ;"  for  the 
object  of  a  decree  which  counteracts  evil,  is  the  positive  existence  of  an  oppo- 
site good.     And, if  moral  evil  be  the  object  of  prevention,  it  must  be  prevented 
by  divine  gracious  will  and  influence,   which  counteracts  the  operation  of  that 
negative   principle  in  the  agent,   from  which  the  moral  evil  takes  its  origin. — 
Therefore,  our  author's  conclusion,  "  to  will  that  they  should  be,  is  to  decree 
them,"  applies  only  to  one  sort  of  "things,'1  vis.  real   entities;  but  negative  ^ 
considerations,  defects,  and  moral  evils,  no  more  imply  a  decree  concerning  their    , 
cauration,  and  their  appropriate  consequences,  than  does  absolute  non-existence 
imply  it. 
/      The  true  notion  of' moral  evil,  or  the  sinfulness  of  a  free  act,  is  the  absence 
i  or  the  want  of  conformity  to  rectitude.     And  if  God  were  the  decretive  cause  \ 
of  moral  evil,  by   "  willing  it  should  be,"  the  will  of  the  agent  would  be  only 
the  instrument  of  the  first  will  in  producing  an  intended  or  decreed  event      But 
if  sucb  event   be  decreed,  and   if  there  be  no  cause  of  failure  in  the  agent  bul% 
what  is  decreed,  it  is  impossible  to  avoid  the  consequence  that  God  is  the  pri-  , 
~  ary  author  of  sin.      And  how  could  he  hate  and  blame  the  effect  of  his  own  # 
[Vf-  ^faiicatinn,    any  more   than   he  hates   natural  evils,   or  blames  volcanoes  and 
storms,   diseases  and  death?     He  i^  never  said,  or  even  supposed,  to  hate  or 
blame  these,  because  he  is  the  primary  source  of  them,  according  to  established 
laws  and  instruments  of  his  own  appointment.      If  moral  evil  were  decreed  by 
him,  he  must  be  the  efficient  of  it:  foT,  whatever  he  decrees,  he  effects;  and, 
notwithstanding  any  kind,  whatever,  of  instrumentality  in  its  production — the 
human  will  or  any  thing  else — he  could  no  more  disapprove  of  it,  than  he  does 
of  lightning  and  earthquakes. 

But  if  "willing  they  should  be"  denote,  not  exercising  a  will  to   prevent 
!>  m>Cf moral  evils,  the  expression  is  inappropriate,  and  implies  a  contradiction.     For 
a  decree  implies  the  exercise  of  will;   but  not  exercising   a  preventing  will 
.     ty—  (by  which  alone  the  event  can  be  arrested.)   is  an  idea  directly  contrary  ;   and 
the  two  id^as  are  absolutely  incompatible.     The  same  intelligent  cause,  indeed, 
A  may  produce   pffecls  different  from  itself;   and  this  must  be  the  case,  as  cause 

and  effect  cannot  be  identified,  (for  identity  h  that  which  excludes  difference,) 
\^         but  the  same  intelligent  cause  cannot  produce  effects  contrary  to  itself.     All 
'     ,   the  decrees  of  God  are  holy,  like  himself ;  but  to  suppose  a  decree  of  moral  evil, 
~~-&t-  -  is  to  suppose  an  effect  contrary  to  its  cause,  which  is  to  suppose  incompatible 
s  ideas  to  be  a  truth.     The  intervention  of  a  secoyidary.  will  make  no  real  differ- 

*^C       ence,  if  there  be  not  another  cause  of  failure  in  the  act,  totally  different  from 
^decretive  will, 
t*-i<~  gut  js  tnere  any  adequate  cause,  or  sufficient  reason,  of  the  consequence,  why 
-  ^      moral  evil  takes  place,  if  we  exclude  a  divine  decree  of  it?     Most  assuredly 
*     \       th  re  is;  as  sure  as  all  the  decrees  of  God,  and  the  exercise  of  those  decrees,  ^- 
Jjfe^^are  holy ;  and.  as  sure  as  moral  evil  is  an  effect  which  he  blames  and  infinitely  ^^ 
nates.     And  this  cause  is  of  such  a  nature,  that  if  God  decrees  one  kind  of  I* 
•  good,  but  not  another  also,  moral  evil  is  certain  to  follow.     That  is,  if  he  decree  ^. 

n         the  existence  of  an  active  will,  in  perfect  liberty  from  constraint  to  evil,  together  Wf 
x.Sa^-.  with  a  variety  of  objects,  all  of  which  are  good  in  themselves;  but  at  the  same 

"  Hme,  has  not  decreed  preserving  grace — a  continued,  holy  influence,  enlightenins      ^^^ 


MM)     41 


**    •  ■*«--■ 


a>**~£*/ 


*U> 


*>zi~  t»0  **  &Z)  £ 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS,  407 

we  say  he  may  decree  one  thing,  and  command  another.  And 
so,  they  argue,  we  hold  a  contrariety  in  God,  as  if  one  will  of 
his  contradicted  another.      However,  if  they   will  call  this  a 

and  purifying  the  mind — the  intellect  will  be  certain,  (as  chance  is  out  of  the 
question,)  to  give  a  defective  representation  of  good,  because  it  is  necessarily 
connected  with  ihe  source  of  failure,  vtz.  comparative  defect,  and,  therefore,  the 
want  of  infallibility.  If  the  choice  be  right  and  virtuous,  it  is  the  infallible 
index  of  two  good  things  decreed,  the  natural  ac,  and  a  holy  principle  in  the 
heart,  which  is  the  source  of  moral  actions.  If  the  choice  be  wrong  and  vicious, 
it  is,  also,  an  infallible  index  of  two  things,  the  natural  act  which  is  good,  and, 
therefore,  decreed,  and  a  principle  of  limitation  and  failure,  which  neither  is, 
nor  can  be,  an  object  of  decree.  This  negative  principle  in  fallen  angels  and 
men,  is  intimately  connected  and  intermixed  with  moral  depravity,  yet  in  itself, 
abstractedly  considered,  it  is  not  sinful,  but  is  the  cause  of  all  sinfulness  It  is 
an  essential  property  of  creatures  in  every  state  of  their  existence,  and,  there- 
fore, cannot  be  in  itself  sinful ;  nor  is  it  possible  for  any  thing  sinful,  to  be  the 
origin  of  sin,  for  then  sin  would  be  the  origin  of  itself,  or  self-existent,  which 
is  infinitely  absurd-     How  can  the  same  thing  be  both  before  and  after  itself? 

Here  it  may  be  asked,  if  the  origin  of  moral  evil  be  noi  itselfsinful,  why  may 
not  God  be  its  origin  ?  The  reason  is  plain,  because  God  is  absolute  perfection, 
and  has  not  in  him  a  principle  of  defection,  and  therefore  it  is  impossible  for  him 
to  impart  what  he  has  not.  He  can  no  more  impart  imperfection,  than  he  can 
impart  falsehood.  Why  is  he  a  God  that  cannot  lie?  Becaue  he  is  absolute 
truth.  Why  cannot  he  impart  imperfection,  or  decree  sinfulness?  Because  he 
is  absolute  goodness  and  holiness.  But  though  that  principle  which  is  the 
origin  of  sin  is  not  sinful,  it  is  not  a  perfection,  in  any  sense,  but  a  relative  defect. 
This  is  its  real  character,  and  such  character  must  necessarily  be  the  origin  of 
moral  evil.  Were  it  sinful,  it  could  not  be  the  cause  of  sin,  for  this  wouid  treats 
absurdly  to  identify  the  cause  and  the  effect,  or  to  ascribe  to  imperfection,  the 
perfection  of  self  existence.  And  were  it  a  perfection,  or  something  that  whs  not 
an  imperfection,  the  effect  would  he  contrary  to  the  tendency  of  its  cause,  which  "% 
would  be  to  subvert  the  first  principles  of  knowledge,  reason,  and  truth. 

Moral  evil,  which  is  the  sinfulness  of  a  free  act,  is  a  defect,  a.  failure  oi  conformity  ^»- 
to  rectitude,  and  therefore,  though  a  source  of  misery  to  the  subject  of  it,  (a 
misery  generated  by  the   defect  itself.)  it  can  no   more  be  caused  by  the  divine 
will,  than  pure  nihility,  or  a  mathematical  point,  can  be  so  caused.     The  entity^ 
of  the  free  act  is  indeed  effected  by  divine  will  and  energy,  operating  on  a  se-^ 
condary  cause,  but  this  constitutes  no  part  of  its  defect,  its  failure  of  conformity, 
or  sinfulness.     Thus  the  very  nature  of  sin  proves  that  the  divine  will  neither 
is,  nor  can  possibly  be,  the  cause  of  it.       To  suppose  that  God  decrees,  or  any 
way  wills  a  defect,  or  a  failure  of  perfection  of  any  kind,  is  even  more  absurd  *" 
than  to  suppose  that  he  decrees  inert  nihility;  because  it  involves  more  absurd 
consequences,  when  compared  with  his  declared  opposition  to  sin.     Though  he 
counteracts  nihility  by  actual  creation,  and  providential  preservation,  it  is  no 
object  of  blame,  or  holy  hatred,  as  moral  evil  is. 

As  the  point  under  discussion,  though  deep,  is  far  from  being  a  mere  spe- 
culation which  has  no  practical  advantage — hut  has  an  extensive  influence  on 
many  important  theological  subjects,  and  on  the  rational  ground  of  experi- 
mental religion — it  may  be  advantageous  to  view  it  in  different  lights.  Still, 
it  may  he  asked  by  some,  if  moral  evil  does  not  take  place  because  *  God  wills 
it  should  be,"  whence  does  it  originate  ?  It  may  be  replied,  its  immediate 
origination  is  a  moral  ageut's  abuse  of  his  free  will,  or  of  his  wiil  acting 
freely,  without  restraint  from  good  or  constraint  to  evil.  But  the  question 
still  returns,  What  is  the  ultimate  cause  of  that  abuse?  Every  o»e  must 
allow,  that,  as  an  effect,  it  must  liavf  some  cause.  «ome  adequate  reason  why  it 
takes  place  in  a  moral  system  ;  and  it  must  be  further  allowed,  that  this  cannot 
be  chance,  or  absolute  contingeuce,  for  then  there  would  be  no  ground  of  its 
being  foreknown.  To  foreknow  what  is  in  itself  uncertain,  is  a  direct  con- 
tradiction; and  a  contradictory  position  cannot  be  an  object  of  foreknowledge;, 


*»^ 


-*•*'•'   >-'  ?»•  «Mfe  -*%**  JtSft*   \tnii  rft 


JUS  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

contradiction  of  wills,  we  know  that  there  is  such  a  thing  :  so 
that  it  is  the  greatest  absurdity  to  dispute  about  it.  We  and 
they  know  it  was  God's  secret  will,  that  Abraham  should  not 

because  it  cannot  he  an  object  of  any  knowledge,  except  as  a  falsehood.  To 
attempt  an  evasion  of  ihi?  argument,  by  recurring  to  the  infinitude  of  the 
divine  knowledge,  is  a  w«  ak  subterfuge  ;  lor.  il  any  thing  be  in  itself  uncertai?i, 
the  more  perfect  l)ie  tuo-w  lecljje  is,  the  more  perfectly  it  is  known  to  be  un- 
certain What  is  con  tinge  i  t  with  respect  to  us  is  only  relatively  so,  because 
our  knowledge  1-  limited;  but  with  respect  to  (iod,  whoi-e  understanding  is 
infinite,  there  is  nothing  contiugeni  ;  that  is,  there  is  no  absolutt  contingency, 
or  mete  chance,  in  ihe  nature  ol  things.  There  n.ust,  therefore,  ol  necessity, 
be  an  origin  of  moral  evil,  which  is  certainly  foreknown,  or  foreknown  as  a 
certain  fact.  And  it  has  been  proved  that  it  is  not.  and  that  it  cannot  pos- 
sibly be,  divinely  caused  ;  it  must,  therefore,  originate  in  the  creature,  and  in 
something  of  which  he  is  the  subject,  which  is  not  an  object  of  divine  causation. 
It  may  still  be  objected.  Is  there  any  thing  in  a  creature,  as  such,  which  is 
not  divine  y  caused  i  If.  by  •'  thing."  be  meant,  what  has  i  ositive  existence, 
there  certainly  is  not;  but,  in  another  sense,  there  certainly  is,  otherwise 
there  would  be  a  creature  without  any  relative  defect,  compared  wiih  the 
Creator.  If  he  has  no  defect  or  imperfection  ot  any  kind,  then  the  C  reator 
and  the  creature  must  necessarily  be  identified.  Fur  what  can  constitute  the 
difference  between  a  caused  and  an  uneauseu  being,  if  not  the  absolute  per- 
fection of  the  latter,  and  the  comparative  impertection  ot  the  former  ?  And 
this  comparative  impertection  cannot  be  sinjul.  otherwise  there  could  be  no 
M  creature   without   sin,  which  is  absurd  m  thought,  and   contrary  to  revealed 

^m         facts  X  This  relative  defectVwhich  constitutes  an  essential  difference  between 
i     u  derived  and  an  underived   existence,   is  an  adequate   (and   indeed  the  only 
ulvrr  jng^ihip)  origin  of  moral  evil  ;     but  it  is,  however,   only  hypothetical,   that  is, 
on  supposition,  that  there    is   no  decreed  operation  of  a  contrary  principle,  to 
m»  prevent  the  occurrence  of  moral  evil  as  a  consequence.      And  there  can  be  no 

^— --^"-doubt,  that  God  actually  does,  in  millions  of  instances,  "overcome  this  evil 
*•*"'*  with  good,"  in  preventing  the  inhabitants  of  this  world  from  being  wor-e  than 
.  ^/they  are.  That  interrogation,  "  Who  hath  made  thee  to  differ  from  another  ?" 
"J  is  full  of  important  meaning,  't  implies  a  strong  affirmation,  that  God  alone 
f~yf  makes  any  man  to  differ  for  the  belter  from  unoiher,  and  that  no  one  has  any 
Jjccellencu.  either  natural  or  spiritual,  but  what  is  a  divine  gift.  But,  on  the 
^0te*^>ther  hand,  the  agent  alone  makes  himself  to  differ  for  the  uorse,  whether 
from  others,  or  troni  Ins  former  self,  otherwise  he  could  not  be  the  object  of 
divine  displeasure  and  blame.  It  is  not,  however,  the  cause  ot  sin  that  is  the 
obje.'.t  ot  blame  and  displeasure  in  the  exercise  of  holy  government,  but  the  sin 
tselt,  and  the  person  who  commits  it. 
^  _  It  is  of  little  moment,  by  what  words,    or  in  what  language,  this  essential 

f  principle  is  expressed  :  whether  by  passive  power,  (pei  haps  the  most  significant 
■lT^  and  convenient  as  a  technical  term.)  comparative  impertection,  the  evil  of 
^^tmm,  imperfect  existence,    me  a  physical   evil,    the   want   of  ulterior   perfection,   an 

v essential  tendency  to  detection,   &.c  ;  the  thing  itself,  as    possessing  a  relative 

*++*%.  —influence  in   the  demonstrations  of  moral  science,   is  absolutely  certain.     If  we 
reject  it,  nothing  in  morality  can  putridly  be  the  subject  of  scientific  demonstra- 
tion, anymore  than   in  geomitry,   any  proposition  can  be  demonstrated  if  we 
*—  ^y,  reject  that   relative  nothing,  a  mathematical  point,  which  is  implied  in  every 
diagram.     But,  it  we  admit  it,  there  is  nothing  important  in  moral  science  but 
~~T"   is  capable  ot  being  reduced  to  rigid  and  lair  demonstration.       It  should,  how- 
.  ever,  b<-  carefully  remembered,  that  though   it  is    an  adequate  reason  of  the 

jf '-     event,   and   is  the  only  ultimate  origin  of  moral  evil   as  the  consequence,  it  is 
suspended  on  this  condition,  "  Ifthi  all-sufficient  first  cause  do  not  communicate 
J- — to  the  agent's  mind  a  supporting  holy  influence."     Grant  the  agent  (that  is, 
*"  */       a  created,  and,  therefore   a  dependant  agent,)  active  powers  and  freedom,  (that  is, 
-f-1*     freedom  from  decretive  constraint  to  an  evil  choice,  and  from  restraint  as  to  a 
H         good  choice,)  and  nothing  but  sovereign  or  arbitrary  goodness  ran,  in  the  na- 

y  p^   Am*  *J^L  -tt  ~mJUf/~^ZL.    *~~«4-"  f+lt 


a 


.MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  409 

bucntice  his  son  Isaac ;  but  yet  his  command  was,  that  he 
should  do  it. 

§  3.  It  is  most  certain,  that  if  there  arc  any  things  so  con- 
tingent, that  there  is  an  equal  possibility  of  their  being,  or  not 
being,  so  that  they  may  be,  or  they  may  not  be  ;  God  fore- 
knows, from  all  eternity,  that  they  may  be,  and  also,  that  they 
may  not  be.  All  will  grant,  that  we  need  no  revelation  to 
teach  us  this.  And  furthermore,  if  God  knows  all  things  that 
are  to  come  to  pass,  he  also  foreknows  whether  those  contin- 
gent things  are  to  come  to  pass  or  no,  at  the  same  time  that 
they  are  contingent,  and  that  they  may,  or  may  not  come  to 
pass.  But  what  a  contradiction  is  it  to  say,  that  God  knows  a 
thing  will  come  to  pass,  and  yet  at  the  same  time  knows  that  it 
is  contingent  whether  it  will  come  to  pass  or  no  ;  that  is,  he 
certainly  knows  it  will  come  to  pass,  and  yet  certainly  knows 
it  may  not  come  to  pass  ?  What  a  contradiction  is  it  to  say, 
that  God  certainly  foreknew  that  Judas  would  betray  his  mas- 
ter, or  Peter  deny  him,  and  yet  certainly  knew  that  it  might  be 
otherwise,  or  certainly  knew  that  he  might  be  deceived  ?     I 

lure  of  things,  (that  is,  in  the  nature  of  God  and  of  the  creature.)  prevent  the 
consequence.,  moral  evil.  What  an  argument  for  godly  fear,  profound  humility 
and  constant  dependence  on  God  all-sufficient;  and  what  a  proof  of  our  need 
of  gracious  influence,  (even  abstracted  from  the  additional  consideration  of  our 
sinful  apostacy,)  to  keep  us  from  sin  ;  and  considered  as  apostate  creatures, 
what  a  powerful  recommendation  of  a  life  of  prayer,  and  the  gospel  system  of 
salvation  ! 

COROLLARIES. 

1.  Hence  we  may  see  that  a  decree  of  good  does  not  imply  a  decree  of  evil— 
predestination  to  life,  does  not  imply  predestination  to  death — in  other  words, 
that  a  decree  of  election,  does  not  imply  a  decree  of  reprobation,  as  maintained 
by  some  of  the  reformers.  The  17th  article  of  the  church  of  England  steers 
clear  of  this  dangerous  rock. 

2.  Since  all  the  disputes  between  Calvinists  and  Arminians,  are  founded  ia 
differing  notions  about  the  divine  decrees  and/ree  will,  and  since  these  differing 
notions  are  thoroughly  removed  by  a  right  knowledge  of  the  origin  of  moral 
evil,  which  is  capable  of  demonstrative  evidence — we  may  inler,  that  in  pro- 
portion as  Calvinists  and  Armimans  are  capable  of  estimating  absolute  demon- 
stration, their  disagreement  will  be  annihilated — and  that  nothing  but  igno- 
rance and  prejudice  can  prevent  their  harmonious  coalition.  O  happy  period, 
when  all  God's  people  shall  "  see  eye  to  eye !" — Let  the  Calvinist,  from  full 
conviction,  assure  his  opponent,  that  God  decrees  only  good,  whether  natural, 
moral,  or  spiritual ;  but  in  no  sense,  whatever,  decrees,  or  any  way  wills  moral 
evil — let  him  further  state,  that  the  origin,  or  cause  of  moral  evil,  is  in  the 
creature  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  be  neither  created  nor  willed  by  the  author  of 
our  being,  but  yet  is  inseparably  related  to  our  existence — and  let  him  further 
insist,  that  God  could,  if  he  saw  it  best,  prevent  by  his  grace  the  commission  of 
ain,  in  every  possible  instance,  while  he  leaves  the  human  will  perfectly  free — 
and  that  to  him  alone  we  should  look  for  assistance  to  enable  us  to  avoid  sin, 
as  well  as  for  pardon  and  acceptance — firmly  persuaded  of  these  things,  on  the 
clearest  ground  of  evidence,  let  him  invite  his  opponent  to  give  him  the  right 
band  of  fellowship — if,  after  all,  the  Arminian  draws  back,  he  must,  in  the 
view  of  every  intelligent  mind,  appear  either  profoundly  ignorant,  or  most  un- 
reasonably bigotted.  In  this  case,  though  not  blameies^  he  should  be  the  sub- 
ject of  pity  and  of  praver, — W,  ^ 

Vol.  VII.  52 


110  MISCELLANEOUS  UKMAKK.. 

suppose  it  will  be  acknowledged  by  all,  that  for  God  certainly 
to  know  a  thing  will  be,  and  yet  certainly  to  know  that  it  may 
not  be,  is  the  same  thing  as  certainly  to  know  that  he  may  be 
deceived.  I  suppose  it  will  also  be  acknowledged,  that  cer- 
tainly to  know  a  thing,  and,  also,  at  the  same  time,  to  know- 
that  we  may  be  deceived  in  it,  is  the  same  thing  as  certainly  to 
know  it,  and  certainly  to  know  that  we  are  uncertain  of  it,  or 
that  we  certainly  do  not  know  it :  and  that  is  the  same  thing 
as  certainly  to  know  it,  and  not  certainly  to  know  it  at  the 
same  time  ;  which  we  leave  to  be  considered,  whether  it  be 
not  a  contradiction. 

§  4.  The  meaning  of  the  word  absolute,  when  used  about 
the  decrees,  wants  to  be  stated.  It  is  commonly  said,  God 
decrees  nothing  upon  a  foresight  of  any  thing  in  the  creature  : 
as  this,  they  say,  argues  imperfection  in  God  ;  and  so  it  does, 
taken  in  the  sense  that  they  commonly  intend  it.  But  nobody. 
I  believe,  will  deny  that  God  decrees  many  things  that  he 
would  not  have  decreed,  if  he  had  not  foreknown  and  fore- 
determined  such  and  such  other  things.  What  we  mean,  we 
completely  express  thus — That  God  decrees  all  things  harmo- 
niously, and  in  excellent  order,  one  thing  harmonizes  with 
another,  and  there  is  such  a  relation  between  all  the  decrees, 
as  makes  the  most  excellent  order.  Thus  God  decrees  rain 
in  drought,  and  he  also  decrees  the  earnest  prayers  of  his 
people,  because  he  decrees  rain.  I  acknowledge,  to  say,  God 
decrees  a  thing  because,  is  an  improper  way  of  speaking ;  but 
not  more  improper  than  all  our  other  ways  of  speaking  about 
God.  God  decrees  the  latter  event,  because  of  the  former, 
no  more  than  he  decrees  the  former,  because  of  the  latter. 
But  this  is  what  we  mean : — When  God  decrees  to  give  the 
blessing  of  rain,  he  decrees  the  prayers  of  his  people ;  and, 
when  he  decrees  the  prayers  of  his  people  for  rain,  he  very 
commonly  decrees  rain  ;  and,  thereby,  there  is  an  harmony 
between  these  two  decrees,  of  rain,  and  the  prayers  of  God's 
people.  Thus,  also,  when  he  decrees  diligence  and  industry, 
he  decrees  riches  and  prosperity  ;  when  he  decrees  prudence, 
he  often  decrees  success ;  when  he  decrees  striving,  then  he 
often  decrees  the  obtaining  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ;  when  he 
decrees  the  preaching  of  the  gospel,  then  he  decrees  the 
bringing  home  of  souls  to  Christ ;  when  he  decrees  good 
natural  faculties,  diligence,  and  good  advantages,  then  he 
decrees  learning ;  when  he  decrees  summer,  then  he  decrees 
'  the  growing  plants ;  when  he  decrees  conformity  to  his  Son, 
then  he  decrees  calling ;  when  he  decrees  calling,  then  he 
decrees  justification ;  and  when  he  decrees  justification,  then 
he  decrees  everlasting  glory.  Thus,  all  the  decrees  of  God 
are  harmonious ;  and  this  is  all  that  can  be  said  for  or  against 
^b<=ohitr>  or  conditional  decree?.     But  this  I  sav.  it  is  as  impro- 


MISCELLANEOUS  RE&AkKS.  ill 

per  10  make  one  decree  a  condition  of  another,  as  to  make  the 
other  a  condition  of  that :  but  there  is  an  harmony  between 
both. 

§  5.  As  to  such  an  absolute  contingency,  which  they  attri- 
bute to  man's  will,  calling  it  the  sovereignty  of  the  will  ;  if 
they  mean  by  this  sovereignty  of  will,  that  a  man  can  will  as 
he  wills,  it  is  perfect  nonsense,  and  the  same  as  if  they  should 
spend  abundance  of  time  and  pains,  and  be  very  hot  at  pro- 
ving, that  a  man  can  will  what  he  doth  will  ;  that  is,  that  it  is 
possible  for  that  to  be,  which  is.  But  if  they  mean,  that  there 
is  a  perfect  contingency  in  the  will  of  man,  that  is,  that  it  hap- 
pens merely  by  chance  that  a  man  wills  such  a  thing,  and  not 
another,  it  is  an  impossibility  and  contradiction,  that  a  thing 
should  be  without  any  cause  or  reason,  and  when  there  was 
every  way  as  much  cause  why  it  should  not  have  been. 

§  6.  Contingency,  as  it  is  holden  by  some,  is  at  the  same 
time  contradicted  by  themselves,  if  they  hold  foreknowledge. 
This  is  all  that  follows  from  an  absolute,  unconditional,  irre- 
versible decree,  that  it  is  impossible  but  that  the  things  decreed 
should  be.  The  same  exactly  follows  from  foreknowledge, 
that  it  is  absolutely  impossible  but  that  the  thing  certainly  fore- 
known should  precisely  come  to  pass. 

§  7.  They  say,  to  what  purpose  are  praying  and  striving,  and 
attending  on  means,  if  all  was  irreversibly  determined  by  God 
before  ?  But,  to  say  that  all  was  determined  before  these 
prayers  and  strivings,  is  a  very  wrong  way  of  speaking,  and 
begets  those  ideas  in  the  mind,  which  correspond  with  no 
realities  with  respect  to  God.  The  decrees  of  our  everlasting 
state  were  not  before  those  of  our  prayers  and  strivings ;  for 
these  are  as  much  present  with  God  from  all  eternity,  as  they 
are  the  moment  they  are  present  with  us.  They  are  present 
as  part  of  his  decrees,  or  rather  as  the  same ;  and  they  did  as 
really  exist  in  eternity  with  respect  to  God,  as  they  exist  in 
time,  and  as  much  at  one  time  as  another.  Therefore,  we  can 
no  more  fairly  argue,  that  these  will  be  in  vain,  because  God 
has  predetermined  all  things,  than  we  can  that  they  would 
be  in  vain  if  they  existed  as  soon  as  the  decree,  for  so  they  do, 
inasmuch  as  they  are  a  part  of  it. 

§  8.  When  a  distinction  is  made  between  God's  revealed 
will  and  his  secret  will,  or  his  will  of  command  and  decree, 
will  is  certainly  in  that  distinction  taken  in  two  senses.  ^His 
will  of  decree  is  not  his  will  in  the  same  sense  as  his  will  of 
command  is.  Therefore,  it  is  no  difficulty  at  all  to  suppose," 
that  the  one  may  be  otherwise  than  the  other.  His  will  in 
both  senses  is  in  his  inclination.  But  when  we  say  he  wills 
virtue,  or  loves  virtue,  or  the  happiness  of  his  creature  ;  there- 
by is  intended,  that  virtue,  or  the  creature's  happiness,  abso- 
lutely and  simply  considered,  is  agreeably  to  the  inclination  of 


412  iIISCELLAXEOUS   MKMARKS. 

his  nature.  His  will  of  decree  is  his  inclination  to  a  thing,  i, 
as  to  that  thing  absolutely  and  simply,  but  with  respect  to  the 
universality  of  things,  that  have  been,  are,  or  shall  be.  So 
God,  though  he  has  no  inclination  to  a  creature's  misery,  con- 
sidered absolutely,  yet  he  may  will  it  for  the  greater  promotion 
of  happiness  in  this  universality.  God  inclines  to  excellency, 
which  is  harmony,  but  yet  he  may  suffer  that  which  is  inhar- 
monious in  tself,  fos-  the  promotion  of  the  harmony  there  is  in 
the  universality  of  his  glorious  works.  And  thus  it  must  needs 
be,  and  no  hypothesis  whatever  will  relieve  a  man,  but  that  he 
must  own  these  two  wills  of  God. 

§  9.  It  is  a  proper  and  excellent  thing  for  infinite  glory  to 
shine  forth  ;  and,  for  the  same  reason,  it  is  proper  that  the 
shining  forth  of  God's  glory  should  be  complete  :  that  is,  that 
all  parts  of  his  glory  should  shine  forth,  that  every  beauty  should 
be  proportionably  effulgent  ;  that  the   beholder  may  have  a 
proper  notion  of  God.     It  is  not  proper,  that  one  glory  should 
be  exceedingly  manifested,  and  another  not  at  all ;  for  then  the 
effulgence  would  not  answer  the  reality.     For  the  same  reason, 
it  is  not  proper  that  one  should  be  manifested  exceedingly,  and 
another  but  very  little.     It  is  highly  proper,  that  the  effulgent 
glory  of  God  should  answer  his  real  excellency  ;  that  the  splen- 
dour should  be  answerable  to  the  real  and  essential  glory  ;  for 
the  same  reason  that  it  is  proper  and  excellent  for  God  to 
glorify  himself  at  all.     Thus  it  is  necessary,  that  God's  awful 
majesty,  his  authority  and  dreadful  greatness,  justice  and  ho- 
liness, should  be  manifested.     But  this  could    not  be,  unless 
punishment  had  been  decreed  ;  so  that   the  shining   forth   of 
God's  glory  would  be  very  imperfect,  both  because  these  parts 
of  divine  glory  would  not  shine  forth  as  the  others  do,  and  also 
the  glory  of  his  goodm  ss,  love,  and  holiness  would  be  faint 
without  them ;  nay,  they  could  scarcely  shine  forth  at  all.     If 
it  were  not  right  that  God  should  permit  and  punish  sin,  there 
could  be  no  manifestation  of  God's  holiness  in  hatred  of  sin,  or 
in  showing  any  preference,  in  his  providence,  of  godliness  be- 
fore it.     There  would  be  no  manifestation  of  God's  grace  or 
true  goodness,  if  there  was  no  sin  to  be  pardoned,  no  misery  to 
be  saved  from.     How  much  happiness  soever  he  bestowed,  his 
goodness  would  not  be  so  much  prized  and  admired,   and  the 
sense  of  it  not  so  great.     We  little  consider,  how  much  the 
sense  of  good  is  heightened  by  the  sense  of  evil,  both  moral 
and  natural.      And  as  it  is  necessary  that  there  should  be  evil, 
because  the  display  of  the  glory  of  God  could  not  but  be  im- 
perfect and  incomplete  without  it,  so  evil  is  necessary,  in  order 
to  the  highest  happiness  of  the  creature,  and  the  completeness 
of  that  communication  of  God,  for  which  he  made  the  world : 
because  the  creature's  happiness  consists  in  the  knowledge  of 
God.  and  a  sense  of  his  love.     And  if  the  knowledge  of  him  be 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  413 

vmperfect,  the  happiness  of  the  creature  must  be  proportionally 
imperfect :  and  the  happiness  of  the  creature  would  be  imper- 
fect upon  another  account  also  :  for  as  we  have  said,  the  sense 
of  good  is  comparatively  dull  and  flat,  without  the  knowledge 
of  evil. 

§  10.  I  lay  this  down,  which  1  suppose  none  will  deny,  that 
as  to  God's  own  actions,  God  decrees  them,  or  purposes  them 
beforehand.  For  none  will  be  so  absurd  as  to  say,  that  God 
acts  without  intentions,  or  witnout  designing  to  act,  or  that  he 
forbears  to  act,  without  intending  to  forbear.  And  whatsoever 
God  intends  or  purposes,  he  intends  and  purposes  from  all 
eternity  ;  as  there  are  no  new  purposes  or  intentions  in  God. 
For,  if  God  sometimes  begins  to  intend  what  he  did  not  intend, 
before,  then  two  things  will  follow  : 

1.  That  God  is  not  omniscient.  If  God  sometimes  begins  to 
design  what  he  did  not  design  before,  it  must  of  necessity  be  for 
want  of  knowledge,  or  for  want  of  knowing  things  before,  as 
he  knows  them  now ;  for  want  of  having  exactly  the  same 
views  of  things.  If  God  begins  to  intend  what  he  did  not  be- 
fore intend,  it  must  be  because  he  now  sees  reasons  to  intend 
it,  that  he  did  not  see  before  ;  or  that  he  has  something  new 
objected  to  his  understanding,  to  influence  him. 

2.  If  God  begins  to  intend  or  purpose  things  that  he  did  not 
intend  before,  then  God  is  certainly  mutable,  and  then  he  must 
in  his  own  mind  and  will  be  liable  to  succession  and  change  ; 
for,  wherever  there  are  new  things,  there  is  succession  and 
change.  Therefore,  1  shall  take  these  two  things  for  positions 
granted  and  supposed  in  this  controversy. 

§  11.  "The  wrath  of  man  shall  praise  thee,  and  the  remain- 
der of  wrath  shalt  thou  restrain."  Psalm  lxxvi.  10.  If  God 
restrains  sin  when  he  pleases  :  and  when  he  permits  it,  permits 
it  for  the  sake  of  some  good  that  it  will  be  an  occasion  of,  and 
does  actually  restrain  it  in  all  othercases  ;  it  is  evident  that  when 
he  permits  it,  it  is  for  the  sake  of  the  good  of  which  it  will  be  an 
occasion.  If  he  permits  it  for  the  sake  of  that  good,  then  he 
does  not  permit  merely  because  he  would  infringe  on  the  crea- 
ture's liberty  in  restraining  it ;  as  is  further  evident,  because 
he  does  restrain  it  when  that  good  is  not  in  view.  If  God 
wills  to  permit  a  thing  that  it  may  come  to  pass,  then  he  wills 
that  it  should  come  to  pass.* 

*  This  phrase,  "  to  will  to  permit,"  could  never  have  obtained  currency 
among  either  moral,  theological,  or  metaphysical  writers,  hail  thevduly  consi- 
dered the  subject  of  negative  causality — its  peculiar  nature,  its  relation  to  what 
is  positive,  and  its  appropriate  consequences  By  "  causality."  is  ni^ant,  an 
adequate  reason  for  a  certain  (as  opposed  to  a  mere  probable)  consequence; 
■which  causality,  it  is  maintained,  may  be  negative  as  well  as  positive,  passive  as 
well  as  active.  A  positive  and  active  causation  must  be  from  the  first  cause, 
but  not  that  whi.  h  is  negative  and  passive.  That  the  latter  is  connected  with 
consequences,  which  are  infallibly  certain,  will  be  shown  in  the  course  of  this 


114  .MISCELLANEOUS    fcEMAH 

§  12.  God  foresaw  who  would  comply  with  the  terms  of  sal- 
vation, and  who  would  not ;  and  he  could  have  forborn  to  give 
being  to  such  as  he  foresaw  would  not  comply.     Objectors 

note,  which  is  intended  to  vindicate  the  divine  character  ar.d  government  from 
undeserved  imputations. 

The  word  "permit,''1  must  either  include  an  act  of  the  will,  or  not  include  it  : 
if  the  former,  to  will  to  permit,  must  be  '•  to  will  to  tvilV  something,  or  to  will 
some  act  of  the  will.  If  it  be  said,  "hat  the  phrase  means,  a  will,  in  general,  to 
exercise  some  other  will,  in  particular  ;  it  is  replied,  that  this  does  not  constitute 
any  difference  of  will,  except  a?  one  thin^  is  sui-servient  to  another  in  the  series 
of  decrees.  But  a  little  consideration  will  show  the  impropriety  o:  applying 
the  word  in  this  manner.  The  divine  decrees  must  necessarily  be  either  direct, 
or  indirect,  as  there  is  no  medium;  and  the  former  must  be  of  those  objects 
■which  are  excellent  for  their  own  sake,  but  the  latter  must  be  made  respecting 
objects  for  the  sake  of  something  e:se  which  is  excellent.  Nothing  can  be  the 
object  of  a  direct  decree  but  what  terminates  in  God,  as  well  as  emanates  from 
him,  in  a  direct  manner,  as  goodness,  holiness,  truth,  &c.  ;  and  nothing  can  be 
an  object  of  an  indirect  decree,  (as  the  creation  of  a  material  world,  the  ap- 
pointment of  its  laws,  &c.)  but  what  terminates  in  him  in  an  indirect  manner, 
as  subservient  to  the  other.  For  "  of  him,  and  through  him,  and  to  him,  are 
all  things"  decreed  by  him.     Thus  far  most  are  agreed. 

But  the  word  "permit,"  in  reference  to  moral  evil,  cannot  mean,  in  any  con- 
sistency of  language,  or  thought,  even  an  indirect  decree,  or  will ;  for  it  would 
involve  a  decree  of  opposite  objects,  and,  thereby,  contradictory  causations. 
Go  1  decrees  the  holiness  of  his  creatures  in  order  to  their  happiness,  and  their 
happiness  for  his  own  glory.  But,  were  we  to  say,  that  he  decrees  the  crea- 
ture's comparative  defect,  for  the  sake  of  his  moral  failure,  and  the  latter  for 
the  sake  of  showing  his  own  justice,  he  must,  on  that  supposition,  decree  oppo- 
site ihin°-s,  and  thereby  put  the  stamp  of  approbation  upon  the  evil  as  well  as 
upon  the  °-ood.  To  say,  that  sin  is  willed  for  the  sake  of  good,  does  not  mend 
the  matter  ;  for  still,  on  the  supposition,  it  would  be  ivilled,  and,  consequently, 
decreed,  as  a  contrary  object.  That  an  inferior  good  should  be  willed  in  sub- 
serviency to  another  superior,  is  very  just ;  and  that  the  laws  of  nature,  which 
are  good,  should  be  the  occasion  of  harm  to  individuals,  is  not  unworthy  of  the 
holy  author  of  those  laws  ;  but  moral  evil  stands  directly  opposed  to  his  rectitude 
and  infinitely  holy  nature. 

According  to  the  doctrine  here  controverted,  God  would  be  the  fountain  of 
"•ood  and  evil  alike  ;  and  he  who  commits  a  sin,  may  as  justly  ascribe  it  to  God 
ultimately,  as  another  may  ascribe  to  him  the  goodness  of  his  deeds.  If  the 
latter  is  called  to  exercise  gratitude,  the  former  is  entitled  to  plead  exculpation. 
Nor  is  it  sufficient  to  say,  that  the  sinner  aims  at  an  end,  in  transgressing,  differ- 
ent from  that  which  God  aims  at ;  for,  on  the  hypothesis,  his  circumstances, 
without  one  exception,  are  decreed,  from  whence  the  sin  arises,  and,  indeed,  the 
very  existence  of  sin  must  ultimately  proceed  from  the  divine  will.  But  that 
the  siDntr  should  be  blamed  for  doing  what  was  decreed  to  be  done,  including 
his  defects,  (the  around  of  his  lallibihty.)  whence  proceed  his  wrong  ends  in 
sinning,  is  to  subvert  all  proper  ideas  of  justic,  right  and  wrong,  good  and  evil. 

Some  will  allow  that  the  difficulties  which  their  hypothesis  involves,  are  in- 
explicable, at  least  by  our  contracted  minds  in  the  present  state  ;  but  yet  hold, 
that  we  are  forced  to  determine  thus,  in  order  to  avoid  still  greater  difficulties. 
For,  say  they,  we  must  either  adopt  this  plan,  or  deny  God's  foreknowledge. 
But' this  is  a  hasty  and  illegitimate  inference  :  and  which  is  owing,  as  before  in- 
timated, to  the  want  of  properU  ascertaining  the  doctrine  of  negative  causality. 
If  this  be  overlooked,  embarrassments  will  be  sure  to  follow,  nor  can  the  most 
subtle  penetration  be  of  any  avail  to  effect  a  disentanglement.  This  oversight 
is  the  cause  why  many  anxious  inquirers  after  truth  have  mpt  with  a  mortifying 
disappointment,  in  endeavouring  to  reconcile  what  otherwise  is  demonstrably 
irreconcilable.  And  this  is  the  reason  why  many  have  drawn  back  with  dis- 
gust, from  a  scene,  with  which,  the  more  they  viewed   it,  the  more  they  were 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  415 

may  say,  God  cannot  always  prevent  men's  sins,  unless  he  acts 
contrary  to  the  free  nature  of  the  subject,  or  without  destroying 
men's  liberty.     But  will  they  deny,  that  an  omnipotent  and 

perplexed.  They  neglected,  or  did  not  sufficiently  perceive,  the  only  principle 
by  which  the  greatest  difficulties  in  moral  scieace  may  be  satisfactorily  explain- 
ed, and  by  ihe  aid  of  which  some  of  the  most  important  truths  of  revealed  reli- 
gion, which  appeared  lo  clash,  may  assume  a  beautiful  consistency,  and  maybe 
shown  to  be  founded  in  eternal  truth.  Faith  indeed  may  live,  and  even  triumph, 
without  a  scientific  knowledge  of  his  objects ;  but  it  may  grow  stronger,  and 
triumph  still  more  (cceteris  paribus)  in  the  front  of  daring  opposition,  or  when 
insidiously  attacked  by  the  k  opposition  of  science,  falsely  so  called,"  when  pos- 
sessed of  demonstrative  evidence  of  the  harmony  of  divine  perfections,  and  of 
truths  which  depend  on  that  harmony.  But,  before  wecome  to  state  and  illustrate 
more  particularly  the  principle  in  question,  we  must  not  lose  sight  of  the  other 
idea,  included  in  the  term  "  permit." 

If  the  phrase  "  to  will  to  permit"  cannot  mean  "  to  will  to  will"  or  "  to  will 
to  decree,'1''  an  act  of  the  will  is  not  included  in  the  term  "  permit."  Ard  this 
exclusion  of  an  act  of  will,  undoubtedly,  enters  into  its  only  justifiable  accepta- 
tion in  reference  to  the  present  subject.  To  permit,  is  not  to  kinder  what  has, 
or  appears  to  have,  a  tendency  to  take  place.  To  will  to  hinder,  to  prevent,  to 
oppose,  to  counteract,  or  to  effect  any  thing,  is  strictly  proper,  when  a  contrary 
effect  or  tendency  of  any  kind  is  implied  But  to  will  to  hinder  a  dead  man 
from  walking  is  nonsense.  When  a  person  has  an  inclination,  or  a  tendency  of 
any  kind,  and  when  it  is  in  the  power  of  another  to  hinder  its  operation,  but 
does  not  hinder,  it  i3  proper  to  say  that  he  permits  it ;  that  is,  he  does  not  will  the 
contrary.  An  exercise  of  will  is  both  useles-  and  unmeaning,  when  only  to 
permit  is  intended  ;  for  the  event  is  supposed  to  lake  place  if  not  prevented.  For 
one  man  to  permit  another  to  do  a  good  or  a  bad  action,  when  it  is  in  his  power 
to  prevent  it,  is  good  sense;  because  it  implies  an  inclination  in  the  person  per- 
mitted. But  why  is  it  improper  to  say,  that  God  permitt  a  man  to  do  his  duty? 
It  is  because  he  neither  would  nor  could  do  it  by  mere  permission  If  permission 
implied  an  act  of  will,  there  would  be  no  impropriety  in  a  language  which  yet 
all  allow  to  be  absurd,  vis.  that  God  permits  a  man  to  be  good  !  But  to  permit 
evil  is  good  sense,  and  approved  language.  Why?  Because  no  exercise  of  will, 
on  the  part  of  the  permitter,  is  required  ;  or.  because  it  is  implied  that  it  would 
take  place  if  not  prevented.  To  decree  the  continued  existence  of  the  world  in 
its  present  form  for  a  given  time,  expresses  a  clear  and  consistent  idea  ;  but  to 
say  thatGod  has  decreed  that  he  will  not  do  the  cuntrary  during  the  same  period, 
is  unmeaning  language.  When  a  declaration  is  made,  that  God  toil  not  do 
a  thing,  as  drowning  the  earth  with  another  deluge.  &c.  the  plain  meaning  is, 
that  it  expresses  the  non-txisttnee  of  an  imagined  event.  But  the  non-existence 
of  an  imagined  event,  no  more  implies  a  decree  concerning  it,  than  does  the  non- 
.  existence  of  other  imagined  worlds,  or  another  fancied  first  cause.  To  prevent 
implies  will,  in  counteracting  the  intended  effect,  but  to  permit  is  not  to  will  the 
counteraction.  Therefore,  "  to  will  to  permit'''1  is  the  same  thing  as  "  to  will  not 
to  will"  which,  both  in  meaning  and  in  language  is  alike  indefensible.  And 
when  we  say,  that  God   permits  moral  evil,  if  we  have  any  consistent  meaning 

it  must  intend,  that  he  does  not  will  <o   hinder  it — except  in  a  legislative  sense 

and  if  so,  what  possible  room  is  there  left  for  any  exercise  of  will  in  permission  ? 
Infinite  perfection  forbids  it.  Man,  indeed,  may  determine  not  to  do  a  thing; 
but  this  must  refer  either  to  a  former  intention  of  doing  that  thing,  which  now 
is  altered,  or  to  some  txpectatio.i  of  the  contrary.  But  nothing  of  this  kind  can 
belong  to  God,  who  "  is  one  rmad  " 

Can  any  sin  then  take  place  without  God's  will  and  concurrence  ?  It  is  repli- 
ed ;  if  by  "  sin"  be  mean*  the  act  of  the  sinner  in  its  concrete-  form,  the  divine  will 
and  concurrence  are  implied.  But  we  should  remember  that  in  every  act,  how- 
ever morally  evil,  there  is,  and  necessarily  must  be,  a  na'ural  good  included.  The 
natural  powers  and  energy  of  the  mind  are  of  that  quality,  proceeding  from  the 
divine  will,  and  without  wbich  there  could  be  no  moral  act  either  good  or  bad 


416  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS". 

infinitely  wise  God  could  not  possibly  have  influenced  all  man- 
kind to  continue  in  their  obedience,  as  the  elect  angels  have 
done,  without  destroying  their  liberty  ?     God  will  order  it  so, 

But  the  sinfulness  of  the  act  (which  is  often  expressed  by  the  shorter  word  sin) 
cannot  possibly  proceed  except  from  some  defect,  which  therefore  must  be  a  ne- 
gative cause,  and  which  no  more  needs  the  divine  will  for  its  production,  than 
does  mere  nihility  need  it.  The  idea  of  perfection  and  of  will,  is  positive;  but 
that  of  imperfection  and  of  permission  is  negative-  And  as  perfection  admits  of 
degrees,  considered  as  existing  in  creatures,  so  does  the  want  of  perfection.  The 
former  is  the  effect  of  divine  will,  but  the  latter  needs  no  will,  nor  can  admit 
any.  Nay,  for  a  creature  to  exist  without  any  want  of  perfection,  is  the  same 
as  a  self-sufficient  creature,  (for  then  alone  could  he  be  without  imperfection,) 
which  is  infinitely  absurd. 

We  may  further  observe,  that  if  there  were  nothing  good  in  an  act  concretive- 
ly  sinful,  no  evil  could  attach  to  such  act ;  for  what  is  moral  evil,  if  not  the  per- 
version of  that  which  is  nat'irally  good  ?  If  the  natural  powers  and  their  acts, 
abstractedly  considered,  were  not  in  themselves  good,  moral  evil  would  be  im- 
possible. And  were  there  no  negative  cause,  or  some  kind  of  defect  in  the  agent, 
all  his  acts  would  be  morally  as  well  as  physically  good,  and  that  infallibly,  as 
those  of  the  absolutely  perfect  Being.  In  th«  Deity  there  is  no  defect  of  any 
kind,  nor  any  negative  cau^e  of  any  effects  or  consequences  ;  and  therefore  no 
liability  to  moral  evil. 

But  how  can  we  conceive  of  a  negative  cause,  affording  a  demonstration  of  an 
ineffable  consequence?  Is  there  any  thing  analogous  to  it  in  the  nature  of 
things  ?  And  if  there  be,  what  importance  can  be  attached  to  it  ?  Let  us  coolly 
endeavour  to  furnish  a  reply  to   these  questions.     We  can  easily  conceive  of  a 

?nathematical  point,  and  it  is  universally  allowed  thai  it  has  no  dimensions it 

has  neither  length,  breadth,  nor  thickness — and  therefore  is  a  negative  idea. 
It  implies  a  negation  of  every  thing  that  has  positive  existence  It  is 
therefore  pure  nihility  under  a  relative  consideration.  But  though  in  itself 
it  is  nothing  positive,  yet  that  nothing,  when  it  stands  related  to  a  line  which  has 
positive  length,  becomes  a  source  of  innumerable  demonstrations.  For,  if 
we  take  into  the  account,  together  with  a  point,  a  circumference  of  equal 
radii,  we  have  the  positive  idea  of  a  circle,  composed  of  a  centre  and  cir- 
cumference. And  without  (his  relation  subsisting  between  a  relative  nothing 
and  a  positive  something,  the  idea  of  a  circle  is  not  possible  ;  and  consequently 
the  ideas  of  the  properties  of  a  circle  (which  are  innumerable)  are  absolute 
impossibilities.  .So  nearly  allied  and  so  perfectly  similar,  are  the  very  first 
principles  of  geometrical  and  metaphysical  science.  For,  as  withoui  the  nega- 
tive idea  of  a  mathematical  point,  (for  points  are  the  boundaries  of  lines,)  con- 
stituting an  adequate  reason  of  an  infallible  consequence,  rot  a  single  demonstra- 
tion in  geometry  can  be  effected  ;  so  without  the  negative  idea  of  passive  power, 
as  the  opposite  to  that  power  which  is  active  and  positive,  not  one  demonstra- 
tion properly  so  called,  can  be  effected  in  metaphysical  and  moral  science.  This 
may  appear  to  some  a  bold  assertion  ;  but  it  is  not  more  bold  than  true.  He  who 
Would  dispute  the  fact,  may  just  as  well  dispute  the  truth  of  the  very  first  defi- 
nition in  geometrical  science,  viz.  that  of  a  point.  He  may  iudeed  raise  objec- 
tions, and  plead  that  we  can  see  a  point,  therefore  it  must  have  sowie  dimen- 
sions;  or,  if  it  be  nothing,  it  can  be  no  cause,  no  adequate  reason  of  any 
thing  as  a  consequence,  &e.  but  if  he  attempts  seriously  to  vindicate  his  objec- 
tion by  argument,  he  cannot  avoid  showing  himself  perfectly  ridiculous  to  those 
who  understand  the  subject.  And  equally  ridiculous  must  he  appear  who 
would  attempt  to  disprove  the  fact  of  negative  causation  in  moral  science. 

But  how  can  we  admit  that  there  may  be  two  co-existent  causes  in  the  same 
subject,  one  positive  and  the  other  negative  ?  We  are  obliged  to  admit  it  from 
a  due  consideration  of  stubborn  facts.  For  what  fact  can  be  more  plain,  than 
that  lrom  the  same  agent  may,  and  actually  do  proceed,  effects,  virtue  and  vice, 
which  are  diametrically  opposite  to  each  other?  And  surely  such  effects  must 
proceed  from  opposite  causes.     If  therefore  virtue  proceeds  from  a  poi 


MISCELLANEOUS   REMARKS.  417 

tliat  the  saints  and  angels  in  heaven  never  will  sin  ;  and  does 
it  therefore  follow,  that  their  liberty  is  destroyed,  and  that  they 

cause,  as  all  mast  allow,  vice  must  proceed  from  a  negative  causality.  This 
evidence  is  demonstrative.  Yet,  the  inquisitive  may  ask,  is  there  any  pheno- 
menon in  the  nature  of  things  analogous  to  this  ?  Though  an  answer  to  this 
question  is  not  necessary  to  the  end  of  establishing  the  fact,  it  may  serve,  ex 
abundanli,  for  illustration.  For  this  purpose,  then,  we  may  appeal  to  a  mathe- 
matical line,  which  has  positive  length,  with  a  negation  of  breadth  ;  and  with- 
out this  negative  causality  no  geometrical  demonstration  can  be  established. 
And  the  same  may  be  said  of  a  plane  superficies,  the  boundaries  of  which  are 
lines.  Thus  a  negative  causality  enters  into  every  geometrical  demonstration, 
in  conjunction  with  what  is  positive.  But  the  reader  should  keep  in  mind  that 
these  instances  are  adduced  for  illustration,  not  professed  proofs  of  the  dectrine. 
The  latter  is  founded  on  direct  evidence  from  the  very  nature  of  God  and  that 
of  a  creature. 

That  a  comparative  defect  is  a  negative  cause,  in  the  sense  before  explained, 
is  evident,  when  we  consider  (as  before  intimated)  that  in  no  creature  can  it  be 
found  without  a  comparative  good,  conjoined  with  it ;  and  that  in  free  agents 
this  good,  which  consists  chiefly  in  the  natural  intellect  and  will,  is  capable  of 
opposite  directions,  one  conformable  to  rectitude  and  another  opposed  to  it. 
Now,  it  is  clearly  impossible  that  these  directions,  one  for  the  chief  good,  and 
the  other  against  it,  should  proceed  from  the  same  cause,  whether  good  or  bad. 
The  direction  of  the  will  towards  rectitude  cannot  be  caused  by  defect,  any  more 
than  something  positive  can  proceed  from  nihility.  Nor  can  the  directions  of 
the  wili  against  rectitude  be  caused  by  perfection  of  any  kind  or  degree.  But 
'  intellect  and  will  in  all  beings,  whether  original  or  derived,  are  perfections,  and 
therefore  cannot  be  the  cause  of  a  direction  against  perfection  ;  for  then  there 
would  be  a  cause  repugnant  to  itself,  which  is  impossible.  The  wrong  choice, 
therefore,  which  is  a  wrong  direction  of  the  will,  must  proceed  from  a  negative 
cause ;  for  in  causes  there  is  no  medium  between  positive  and  negative. 

But  though  infinite  perfection  cannot  be  the  cause  of  imperfection  of  any  kind 
or  degree,  for  reasons  which  have  been  already  adduced,  yet  perfection  affords 
occasion,  an  innocent  occasion,  for  imperfection  to  show  itself,  by  way  of  con- 
trast. Thus,  if  absolute  perfection  were  to  produce  no  creature,  no  occasion 
would  be  afforded  for  comparative  imperfection  to  show  itself;  and  without  the 
latter,  moral  evil  would  be  impossible.  The  inference,  therefore,  is  irrefraga- 
ble, that  moral  evil  originates  from  a  negative  causality,  or  that  defect  in  the 
agent,  which  is  the  want  of  ulterior  perfection.  Yet  here  it  may  be  proper  to 
add,  as  of  the  utmost  importance  to  be  taken  into  the  account,  that  though 
effects  may  proceed  from  negative  causes,  as  well  as  from  positive,  and  with 
equal  certainty,  yet  there  is  this  important  difference  ;  the  former  is  only  hypo- 
thetical, the  latter  absolute,  originally  considered.  The  first  cause  is  positive  ex- 
istence independent  of  will,  and  unconditional,  and  every  other  positive  cause 
must  emanate  from  the  first  will ;  but  a  negative  cause,  consisting  in  defect,  can- 
not possibly  take  place,  with  respect  to  causality,  but  on  cojulition,  viz.  the  con- 
dition of  a  created  nature,  and  that  of  permission  in  the  explained  sense  of  the 
word.  A  positive  cause  may  counteract  the  tendency  of  a  negative  one,  but  not 
vice  versa. 

Hence  is  derived  the  proper  notion  of  permitting  moral  evil  to  take  place  ; 
the  negative  cause  is  not  hindered  from  taking  effect,  for  reasons  infinitely  good 
and  wise.  But  to  represent  this  permission,  or  sufferance,  as  willing  or  decree- 
ing the  negative  as  well  as  the  positive  part  of  sin,  is  an  infinite  absurdity ;  for 
the  sinfulness  of  an  act  being  the  direct  opposite  to  infinite  perfection,  such  re- 
presentation makes  infinite  perfection  to  oppose  itself.  Thus  all  good,  in  every 
degree — every  quantum  of  created  nature,  from  the  greatest  to  the  least,  to- 
gether with  all  positive  and  active  causality — are  from  God.  "  He  is  light," 
knowledge,  and  purity,  "  and  with  him  there  is  no  darkness  at  all,"  no  ig- 
norance, no  want  of  holiness.  And  thus  also  all  moral  evil  proceeds  from  the 
offender,  who  is  the  subject  at  once  of  a  quantum  of  derived,  and  therefore  li- 

Vor .  VTT.  53 


418  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS. 

are  not  free,  but  forced  in  their  actions  '   does  it  ibllow,  that 
they  are  turned  into  blocks  as  the  Arminians  say  the  Calvinists1 

mited  perfection,  and  of  comparative  defect.     And  these  two  things  (perfection 
and  defect)  enter  into  the  very  notion  of  a  created  nature. 

Is  it  necessary  to  say  any  thing  more  in  confirmation  of  the  general  theorem, 
that  there  is  in  the  human  mind  a  negative  causality,  from  whence  may  flow  a 
certainty  of  consequence  ?  It  may  tend  to  the  further  satisfaction  of  the  reader, 
if  we  advert  to  another  argument  founded  on  the  nature  of  free  will.  The  term 
"  will"  designates  a  power  of  the  mind  which  is  positive  and  active  ;  but  the 
term  "  free,"  connected  with  it,  expresses  a  negative  idea.  For  it  expresses, 
when  properly  used,  the  absence  of  coercion  and  restraint,  but  in  different  re- 
spects. The  complex  idea  of"  free  will"  is  resolved  into  this  plain  proposition, 
the  will  is  free ;  thai  is,  the  will  is  not  constrained  in  one  respect,  and  is  not  re- 
strained in  another.  It  is  neither  decrctively  constrained  to  evil,  nor  decretive- 
ly  restrained  from  good.  No  other  freedom  can  be  predicated  of  the  will  as  the 
cause  of  moral  effects.  And  it  is  as  much  a  relative  nothing  as  a  mathematical 
point.  We  may  therefore  safely  affirm,  that  among  the  countless  millions  of 
moral  effects,  which  take  place,  not  only  among  men  but  also  in  the  created 
universe  of  free  agents,  there  is  not  one  but  what  is  beholden  to  a  negative  cau-> 
salily  for  its  existence,  in  connexion  with  what  is  positive.  For,  if  freedom  be 
excluded,  no  act  can  have  a  moral  quality. 

To  conclude  this  note,  which  has  already  exceeded  the  limits  at  first  intended, 
we  must  observe  once  more,  and  it  cannot  be  too  strongly  inculcated,  that  there 
is  no  case  or  circumstance  in  which  moral  evil  might  not  be  prevented  by  the  su- 
preme will,  were  it  employed  for  that  purpose.  For  as  God  is  all  sufficient,  and 
as  his  control  over  his  creatures,  for  their  good,  is  absolute;  his  power  to  effect 
a  prevention  of  moral  evil  is  undoubted.  Nor  can  there  be  any  question  that 
this  power,  in  pursuance  of  divine  decrees,  does  in  fact,  and  in  instances  which 
to  us  are  inconceivably  numerous,  counteract  the  tendencies  of  negative  causes 
to  prevent  moral  evil.  But  if  it  be  required,  why  in  any  instances  it  is  permitted 
to  take  place,  when  God  might  with  infinite  ease  prevent  it?  It  is  sufficient 
here  to  say  that  God  is  infinitely  wise,  as  well  as  powerful,  and  equitable  as  well 
as  benevolent.  But  a  further  answer  to  this  inquiry  would  lead  us  to  consider 
the  ultimate  reasons  of  moral  government,  or  why  a  moral  system  is  at  all 
established  ;  and  the  question  has  been  already  discussed  in  the  first  volume  of 
this  work,  to  which  the  reader  is  referred. 

COROLLARIES. 

J.  Negative  causality,  in  connexion  with  what  is  positive,  is  an  essential 
principle  of  moral  science.  If  either  be  excluded,  we  can  have  no  clear  and 
adequate  idea  of  any  moral  act,  much  less  a  demonstration  of  its  cause. 

2.  These  two  principles  relatively  connected,  furnish  us  with  sufficient  data, 
and  the  only  sufficient  ones,  for  a  demonstrative  solution  of  this  problem,  What 
is  the  origin  of  moral  evil? 

3.  In  these  principles  we  have  the  means  of  demonstrating  the  origin  of  all 
evil  whatever,  as  well  as  of  all  good. 

4.  We  may  further  infer,  that  Mr.  Locke  was  not  mistaken,  when  he  said, 
"!  I  am  bold  to  think,  that  morality  is  capable  of  demonstration,  as  well  as  mathe- 
matics." Essay  B.  III.  chap.  xi.  §  16.  And  again,  "  The  idea  of  a  Supreme 
Being,  infinite  in  power,  goodness,  and  wisdom,  whose  workmanship  we  are, 
and  on  whom  we  depend  ;  and  the  idea  of  ourselves,  as  understanding,  rational 
beings,  being  such  as  are  clear  in  us,  would,  1  suppose,  if  duly  considered  and 
pursued,  afford  such  foundations — as  might  place  morality  amongst  the  sciences 
capable  of  demonstration :  wherein  I  doubt  not  but  from  self-evident  propositions, 
by  necessary  consequences,  as  incontestable  as  those  in  mathematics,  the  measures 
of  right  and  wrong  might  be  made  out  to  any  one  who  will  apply  himself  with 
the  same  indifferency  and  attention  to  the  one,  as  he  does  to  the  other  of  these 
.-cieoces."     B.  IV.  chap.  iii.  §  18.     Once  more,  "This  gave  me  the  confidence 


MlSCELtiANE®US  REMARKS.  lV.^ 

uoctrines  turn  men?  God  decrees  all  the  good  that  ever  comes 
to  pass ;  and  then  there  certainly  will  come  to  pass  no  more  good, 
than  he  has  absolutely  decreed  to  cause  ;  and  there  certainly 
and  infallibly  will  no  more  believe,  no  more  be  godly,  no  more 
be  saved,  than  God  has  decreed  that  he  will  cause  to  believe, 
and  cause  to  be  godly,  and  will  save.  If  God,  from  all  eternity, 
knew  that  such  and  such  things  were  future,  then  they  were 
future ;  and  consequently  the  proposition  was  from  all  eternity 
true,  that  such  a  thing,  at  such  a  time,  would  be.  And  it  is  as 
much  impossible  that  a  thing  should  be  future,  without  some 
reason  of  its  being  future,  as  that  it  should  actually  be,  without 
some  reason  why  it  is.  It  is  as  perfectly  unreasonable  to  sup- 
pose, that  this  proposition  should  be  true,  viz.  such  a  thing 
will  be,  or  is  to  be,  without  a  reason  why  it  is  true ;  as  it  is 
that  this  proposition  should  be  true,  such  a  thing  actually  is,  or 
has  been,  without  some  reason  why  that  is  true,  or  why  that 
thing  exists.  My  meaning  is,  that  it  does  not  remain  a  ques- 
tion"; but  the  matter  is  decided,  whether  the  proposition  shall 
be  true  or  not. — The  thing,  in  its  own  nature,  is  not  necessary, 
but  only  possible  ;  and  therefore  it  is  not  of  itself  that  it  is  fu- 
Uire  ;  it  is  not  of  itself  in  a  state  of  futurition,  if  I  may  so  speak, 

to  advance  that  conjecture,  which  I  suggested,  chap.  3.  vis-  That  molality  is  ca- 
pable of  demonstration,  as  well  as  mathematics.  And  I  doubt  not  but  if  a  right 
method  were  taken  a  great  part  of  morality  might  be  made  out  with  that  clear- 
ness, that  could  leave  to  a  considering  man,  no  more  reason  to  doubt,  than  he 
could  have  to  doubt  of  the  truth  of  propositions  in  mathematics  which  have  been 
demonstrated  to  him."     B.  IV.  chap,  xii   §  8- 

5.  As  geometrical  evidence  proceeds  upon  the  supposition  of  points,  lines,  an- 
gles. &s.  and  the  province  of  the  demonstration  is  to  show  the  consequence  result- 
ing from  the  supposition;  so,  the  above  stated  principles  afford  the  means  of  de- 
monstrating moral  consequences,  on  the  supposition  of  effects  being  given  to 
show  their  necessary  causes,  or  of  causes  being  given  to  show  their  necessary 
effects.  If  the  quantum  of  moral  good,  or  of  moral  evil,  in  any  given  act,  be  sup- 
posed, the  business  of  a  demonstration  is  to  show  the  relative  proportion  it  bears 
to  its  appropriate  cause  or  causes :  Or,  on  the  other  hand,  if  the  quantum  of 
causal  influence  be  supposed,  to  show  as  a  demonstrative  consequence,  the  nature 
and  relative  proportion  of  moral  good  or  evil  in  the  act.  This  is  the  true  pro- 
vince of  moral  science,  as  contradistinguished  from  conjectural  observations  and  a 
set  of  rules.  These,  in  their  proper  place,  have  an  important  use  for  the  pur- 
pose of  moral  conduct ;  but  they  can  by  no  means  furnish  data  for  scientific 
knowledge. 

6.  There  is  one  inference  more  that  must  not  be  omitted,  viz.  that  the  true 
principles  and  demonstrative  consequences  of  moral  science  are  incomparably 
more  important  in  themselves,  and  ought  to  be  more  interesting  to  all  mankind, 
than  any  others :  because  they  lead  us  in  a  more  direct  manner  than  any  others 
to  the  knowledge  of  God  and  ourselves.  They  point  out  to  us  at  once  the  sources 
of  good  and  evil,  happiness  and  misery  ;  they  afford  motives  for  devout  affec- 
tions of  the  noblest  kind  ;  and  in  proportion  as  they  are  properly  applied,  they 
stimulate  to  the  practice  of  the  sublimest  virtues,  and  the  most  circumspect  con- 
duct. Without  a  divine  revelation,  indeed,  it  is  highly  probable,  that  the  true 
principles  and  relations  of  moral  science  could  never  have  been  discovered  by 
mankind  ;  but  that  circumstance,  while  it  has  no  tendency  to  depreciate  the 
evidence,  demands  our  gratitude  to  him  who  is  the  only  source  of"  every  good.. 
and  every  perfect  gift." — W 


12U  i      CELLANEOUS    REMARK*. 

but  only  in  a  state  of  possibility  ;  and  there  must  be  some  cause 
to  bring  it  out  of  a  state  of  mere  possibility,  into  a  state  of 
futurition.  It  cannot  be  chance  or  mere  accident :  that  is  con- 
trary to  every  rational  supposition.  For  it  is  to  be  supposed, 
that  there  is  some  reason  for  it,  and  that  something  does  decide 
it.  If  there  be  any  thing  that  comes  to  pass  by  mere  accident, 
that  comes  to  pass  of  itself  without  any  reason. 

§  13.  The  first  objection  of  the  Arminians  is,  that  the  divine 
decree  infringes  on  the  creature's  liberty.  In  answer  to  this 
objection,  we  may  observe  some  things  to  show  what  is  the 
true  notion  of  liberty,  and  the  absurdity  of  their  notion  of 
liberty.  Their  notion  is,  that  there  is  a  sovereignty  in  the  will, 
and  that  the  will  determines  itself,  so  that  its  determination  to 
choose  or  refuse  this  or  that  is  primarily  within  itself;  which 
description  of  liberty  implies  a  self-contradiction.  For  it 
supposes  the  will,  in  its  first  act,  choosing  or  refusing  to 
be  determined  by  itself ;  which  implies  that  there  is  an  ante- 
cedent act  of  the  will  to  that  first  act,  determining  that  act. 
— For,  if  the  will  determines  its  own  first  act,  then  there  must 
be  an  act  of  the  will  before  that  first  act,  (for  that  determining 
is  acting,)  which  is  a  contradiction.  There  can  be  no  fallacy  in 
this  ;  for  we  know  that  if  the  will  determines  its  own  act,  it  does 
not  determine  it  without  acting.  Therefore,  here  is  this  contra- 
diction, viz.  that  there  is  an  act  of  the  will  before  the  first  act. 
There  is  an  act  of  the  will  determining  what  it  shall  choose, 
before  the  first  act  of  choice ;  which  is  as  much  as  to  say,  that 
there  is  an  act  of  volition  before  the  first  act  of  volition.  For 
the  will's  determining  what  it  will  choose,  is  choosing,  is  willing. 
Therefore  I  inquire  what  determines  that  first  act  of  the  will. 
viz.  its  determination  of  its  own  act?  It  must  be  answered, 
according  to  their  scheme,  that  it  is  the  will  by  a  foregoing  act. 
Here,  again,  we  have  the  same  contradiction,  viz.  that  the  first 
act  of  the  will  is  determined  by  an  act  that  is  before  that  first 
act.  If  the  will  determines  itself,  or  determines  its  own  choice, 
the  meaning  of  it  must  be,  if  there  be  any  meaning  belonging 
to  it,  that  the  will  determines  how  it  will  choose  ;  and  that  it 
chooses  according  to  that  determination  how  to  choose,  or  is 
directed  in  choosing  by  its  own  determination.  But  then  I 
would  inquire,  whether  that  first  determination,  that  directs  the 
choice,  be  not  itself  an  act  or  a  volition  ;  and  if  so,  I  would  in- 
quire what  determines  that  act  ?  Is  it  another  determination 
still  prior  to  that  in  the  order  of  nature  ?  then  I  would  inquire, 
what  determines  the  first  act  or  determination  of  all  ?  If  the 
will,  in  its  act  of  willing  or  choosing,  determines  or  directs  it- 
self how  to  choose,  then  there  is  something  done  by  the  will 
prior  to  its  act  of  choosing  that  is  determined,  viz.  its  determin- 
ing or  directing  itself  how  to  choose.  This  act  determining 
or  directing,  must  be  something  besides  or  distinct  from  the 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  l'2i 

choice  determined  or  directed,  and  must  be  prior  in  order  of 
nature  to  it.  Here  are  two  acts  of  the  will,  one  the  cause  of 
the  other,  v iz.  the  act  of  the  will  directing  and  determining,  and 
the  act  or  choice  directed  or  determined.  Now,  I  inquire, 
what  determines  that  first  act  of  the  will  determining  or  direct- 
ing, to  determine  and  direct  as  it  does  ?  If  it  be  said,  the  will 
determines  itself  in  that ;  then  that  supposes  there  is  another 
act  of  the  will  prior  to  that,  directing  and  determining  that  act, 
which  is  contrary  to  the  supposition.  And  if  it  was  not,  still 
the  question  would  recur,  what  determines  that  first  determin- 
ing act  of  the  will  ? 

§  14.  If  the  will  determines  itself,  one  of  these  three  things, 
must  be  meant,  viz.  1.  That  the  very  same  act  of  the  will  de- 
termines itself.  But  this  is  as  absurd  as  to  say  that  something 
makes  itself;  and  it  supposes  it  to  be  done  before  it  is.  For  the 
act  of  determining  is  as  much  prior  to  the  thing  determined,  as 
the  act  making  is  before  the  thing  made.  Or,  2.  The  meaning 
must  be,  that  the  will  determines  its  own  act,  by  some  other 
act  that  is  prior  to  it  in  order  of  nature  ;  which  implies  that 
the  will  acts  before  its  first  act.  Or,  3.  The  meaning  must  be, 
that  the  faculty  considered  at  the  same  time  as  perfectly  with- 
out act,  determines  its  own  consequent  act ;  which  is  to  talk 
without  a  meaning  and  is  a  great  absurdity.  To  suppose  that 
the  faculty  remaining  at  the  same  time  perfectly  without  act,  can 
determine  any  thing,  is  a  plain  contradiction  ;  for  determining 
is  acting.  And  besides,  if  the  will  does  determine  itself,  that 
power  of  determining  itself  does  not  argue  any  freedom,  unless 
it  be  by  an  act  of  the  will,  or  unless  that  determination  be  it- 
self an  act  of  choice.  For  what  freedom  or  liberty  is  there  in 
the  will's  determining  itself,  without  an  act  of  choice  in  deter- 
mining, whereby  it  may  choose  which  way  it  will  determine 
itself?  So  that  those  that  suppose  the  will  has  a  power  of 
self-determination,  must  suppose  that  the  very  determination 
is  an  act  of  the  will,  or  an  act  of  choice,  or  else  it  does  not  at 
all  help  them  out  in  what  they  would,  viz.  the  liberty  of  the 
will.  But  if  that  very  determination  how  to  act,  be  itself  an 
act  of  choice,  then  the  question  returns,  what  determines  this 
act  of  choice  1 

§  15.  Also,  the  foreknowledge  of  God  contradicts  their  notion 
of  liberty.  For  if  from  all  eternity  God  foreknew  that  such  a 
thing  would  be,  then  the  event  was  infallibly  certain  before- 
hand, and  that  proposition  was  true  from  all  eternity,  that  such 
a  thing  would  be  ;  and  therefore  there  was  an  indissoluble  con- 
nexion beforehand  between  the  subject  and  predicate  of  that 
proposition.  If  the  proposition  was  true  beforehand,  the  sub- 
ject and  predicate  of  it  were  connected  beforehand.  And  there- 
fore it  follows  from  hence,  that  it  is  utterly  impossible  that  it 
should  not  prove  true,  and  that,  for  this  reason,  that  it  is  utterlv 


i'2'2  miscellaKeoi  s  eemarks. 

impossible  that  a  thing  should  be  true,  and  not  true,  at  the 
same  lime. 

§  16.  The  same  kind  of  infallible  certainty,  that  the  thing 
will  come  to  pass,  or  impossibility  but  that  it  should  come  to 
pass,  that  they  object  against,  must  necessarily  be  inferred 
another  way,  whether  we  hold  the  thing  to  be  any  way  decreed 
or  not.  For  it  has  been  shown  before,  and  I  suppose  none 
will  deny,  that  God  from  all  eternity  decrees  his  own  actions. 
Therefore  he  from  all  eternity  decrees  every  punishment  that 
he  ever  has  inflicted,  or  will  inflict.  So  that  it  is  impossible, 
by  their  own  reasoning,  but  that  the  punishment  should  come 
to  pass.  And  if  it  be  impossible  but  that  the  punishment 
should  come  to  pass,  then  it  is  equally  impossible  but  that  ihe 
sin  should  come  to  pass.  For  if  it  be  possible  that  the  sin 
should  not  come  to  pass,  and  yet  impossible  but  that  the  pu- 
nishment should  come  to  pass,  then  it  is  impossible  but  that 
God  should  punish  that  sin  which  may  never  be. 

§  17.  For  God  certainly  to  know  that  a  thing  will  be,  that 
possibly  may  be,  and  possibly  may  not  be,  implies  a  contra- 
diction. If  possibly  it  may  be  otherwise,  then  how  can  God 
know  certainly  what  it  will  be  ?  If  it  possibly  may  be  other- 
wise, then  he  knows  it  possibly  may  be  otherwise  ;  and  that 
it  is  inconsistent  with  his  certainly  knowing  that  it  will  not  be 
otherwise.  If  God  certainly  knows  it  will  be,  and  yet  it  may 
possibly  be  otherwise,  then  it  may  possibly  happen  to  be  other- 
wise than  God  certainly  knows  it  will  be.  If  so,  the:)  it  mav 
possibly  happen  that  God  may  be  mistaken  in  his  judgment, 
when  he  certainly  knows :  for  it  is  supposed,  that  it  is  possible 
that  it  should  be  otherwise  than  he  judges.  For  that  it 
should  be  otherwise  than  he  judges,  and  that  he  should  be 
mistaken,  are  the  same  thing.  How  unfair  therefore  is  it  in 
those  that  hold  the  foreknowledge  of  God,  to  insist  upon  this 
objection  from  human  liberty,  against  the  decrees,  when  their 
scheme  is  attended  with  the  same  difficulty,  exactly  in  the  same 
manner  ! 

§  18.  Their  other  objection  is,  that  God's  decree  make  God 
the  author  of  sin.  I  answer,  that  there  is  no  more  necessity  of 
supposing  God  the  author  of  sin,  on  this  scheme,  than  on  the 
other.  For  if  we  suppose,  according  to  my  doctrine,  that  God 
has  determined,  from  all  eternity,  the  number  and  persons  of 
those  that  shall  perform  the  condition  of  the  covenant  of  grace  : 
in  order  to  support  this  doctrine,  there  is  no  need  of  maintain- 
ing any  more  concerning  God's  decreeing  sin,  than  this,  viz.  that 
God  has  decreed  that  he  will  permit  all  the  sin  that  ever  comes 
to  pass,  and  that  upon  his  permitting  it,  it  will  certainly  come 
to  pass.  And  they  hold  the  same  thing.  For  they  hold,  that 
God  does  determine  beforehand  to  permit  all  the  sin  that  docs 
come  to  pass  :  and  that  he  certainly  knows,  that  if  he  does  per- 


JiLSOELLANEOUS   REMARKS  42o 

mit  it,  it  will  come  to  pass.  I  say,  they  in  their  scheme  allow 
both  these  ;  they  allow  that  God  does  permit  all  the  sin  to  come 
to  pass,  that  ever  does  come  to  pass :  and  those  that  allow  the 
foreknowledge  of  God,  do  also  allow  the  other  thing,  viz.  that 
he  knows,  concerning  all  the  sin  that  ever  does  really  come  to 
pass,  that  it  will  come  to  pass  upon  his  permitting  it.  So  that 
if  this  be  making  God  the  author  of  sin,  they  make  him  so  in 
the  very  same  way  that  they  charge  us  with  doing  it.  They  own 
that  God  does  permit  sin,  and  that  he  knows,  with  respect  to 
all  sin  that  ever  is  committed,  that  upon  his  permitting  it,  it 
will  come  to  pass  ;  and  we  hold  no  other.  God's  permission 
of  sin  they  allow ;  and  yet  it  would  be  a  sin  in  men  to  permit 
sin.  We  ought  not  to  permit,  or  suffer  it,  where  we  have  op- 
portunity to  hinder  it ;  and  we  cannot  permit  it,  without  mak- 
ing ourselves  in  some  measure  guilty.  Yet  they  allow,  that  God 
permitting  it  does  not  make  him  guilty  of  it. 

§  19.  They  say  that  we  ought  to  begin  in  religion,  with  the 
perfections  of  God,  and  make  these  a  rule  to  interpret  scripture. 
Ans.  1.  If  this  be  the  best  rule,  I  ask,  why  is  it  not  as  good  a 
rule  to  argue  from  these  perfections  of  God,  his  omniscience, 
infinite  happiness,  infinite  wisdom  and  power,  as  his  other  at- 
tributes that  they  argue  from  ?  If  it  be  not  as  good  a  rule  to 
argue  from  these  as  those,  it  must  be  because  they  are  not  so 
certain ;  or  because  it  is  not  so  certain  that  he  is  possessed  of 
these  perfections.  But  this  they  will  not  maintain  ;  for  his 
moral  perfections  are  proved  no  otherwise,  than  by  arguing 
from  his  natural  perfections ;  and  therefore,  the  latter  must  be 
equally  certain  with  the  former.  Again,  tidhj,  they  lay  it  down 
for  a  rule,  to  embrace  no  doctrine  which  they,  by  their  own 
reason,  cannot  reconcile  with  the  moral  perfections  of  God. 
But  I  would  show  the  unreasonableness  of  this  rule.  For,  if 
this  be  a  good  rule,  then  it  always  was  so.  Let  us  then  see 
what  will  follow.  We  shall  then  have  reason  to  conclude  every 
thing  to  be  really  inconsistent  with  God's  moral  perfections, 
that  we  cannot  reconcile  with  his  moral  perfections;  for  if  we 
have  not  reason  to  conclude  that  it  is  inconsistent,  then  we 
have  no  reason  to  conclude  that  it  is  not  true.  But  if  this  be 
true,  that  we  have  reason  to  conclude  every  thing  is  consistent 
with  God's  moral  perfections,  which  we  cannot  reconcile  with 
those  perfections,  then  David  had  reason  to  conclude,  that  some 
things  that  he  saw  take  place,  in  fact,  were  inconsistent  with 
God's  moral  perfections  ;  for  he  could  not  reconcile  them  with 
those  perfections,  Psalm  lxxiii.  And  Job  had  cause  to  come 
to  the  same  conclusion  concerning  some  events  in  his  day. 
If  it  be  a  good  rule,  that  we  must  conclude  that  to  be  incon- 
sistent with  the  divine  perfections,  that  we  cannot  reconcile 
with,  or,  which  is  the  same  thing,  that  we  cannot  see  how  it 
is  inconsistent  with  those  perfections,  then  it  must  be,  because 


424  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS. 

we  have  reason  to  conclude  that  it  cannot  happen  that  our 
reason  cannot  see  how  it  can  be ;  and  then  it  will  follow,  that 
we  must  reject  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  the  incarnation  of 
the  Son  of  God,  &c. 

The  scripture  itself  supposes,  that  tljere  are  some  things  in 
the  scripture  that  men  may  not  be  able  to  reconcile  with 
God's  moral  perfections.  See  Rom  ix.  19.  "  Why  doth  he 
yet  find  fault  ?  For  who  hath  resisted  his  will  ?"  And  the 
apostle  does  not  answer  the  objection,  by  showing  us  how  to 
reconcile  it  with  the  moral  perfections  of  God,  but  by  represent- 
ing the  arrogancy  of  quarrelling  with  revealed  doctrines  under 
such  a  pretence,  and  not  considering  the  infinite  distance  be- 
tween God  and  us.  "  Nay,  but  who  art  thou,  O  man,  that  re- 
plies against  God  ?"  And  God  answered  Job  after  the  same 
manner.  God  rebuked  him  for  darkening  counsel  by  words 
without  knowledge,  and  answered  him  only,  by  declaring  and 
manifesting  to  him  the  infinite  distance  between  God  and  him  ; 
so  letting  him  know,  that  it  became  him  humbly  to  submit  to 
God,  and  acknowledge  his  justice,  even  in  those  things  that 
were  difficult  to  his  reason  ;  and  that  without  solving  his  diffi- 
culties any  other  way,  than  by  making  him  sensible  of  the 
weakness  of  his  own  understanding. 

§  20.  If  there  be  no  election,  then  it  is  not  God  that  makes 
men  to  differ,  expressly  contrary  to  scripture.  Some  of  the 
ill  consequences  of  the  Arminian  doctrine  are,  that  it  robs 
God  of  the  greater  part  of  the  glory  of  his  grace,  and  takes 
away  a  principal  motive  to  love  and  praise  him,  and  exalts 
man  to  God's  room,  and  ascribes  that  glory  to  self,  which  be- 
longs to  God  alone. 

§21.  That  election  is  not  from  a  foresight  of  works,  as  de- 
pending on  die  condition  of  man's  will,  is  evident  by  2  Tim. 
i.  9.  "  Who  hath  saved  us,  and  called  us,  with  an  holy  calling, 
not  according  to  our  works,  but  according  to  his  own  purpose 
and  grace,  which  was  given  us  in  Christ  Jesus  before  the  world 
began."  Philip,  ii.  13.  "  For  it  is  God  that  worketh  in  you 
both  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  own  good  pleasure."  Rom.  ix. 
15,  16.  u  1  will  have  mercy  on  whom  I  will  have  mercy,  and 
will  have  compassion  on  whom  I  will  have  compassion. — So 
then,  it  is  not  of  him  that  willeth,  nor  of  him  that  runneth, 
but  of  God  that  showeth  mercy."  Men's  labours  and  endea- 
vours themselves  are  from  God.  1  Cor.  xv.  10.  "  But  by  the 
grace  of  God,  I  am  what  I  am  ;  and  his  grace  which  was  be- 
stowed upon  me,  was  not  in  vain :  but  I  laboured  more  abun- 
dantly than  they  all.  Yet  not  I,  but  the  grace  of  God  which 
was  with  me." 

§  22.  They  say,  as  God's  power  extends  only  to  all  things 
possible,  so  God's  knowledge  only  extends  to  all  things  know- 
able.      Ans.   Things  impossible,   or   contradictions,  arc   not 


JU1SCELLANE0U3    REMARKS.  425 

tilings  ;  but  events  that  come  to  pass,  are  things.  God's  power 
does  extend  to  al!  things,  otherwise  it  would  not  be  infinite. 
— So  neither  is  the  knowledge  of  God  infinite,  unless  God 
knows  all  things.  To  suppose  that  God  cannot  do  things 
impossible,  does  not  suppose  that  God's  power  can  be  increas- 
ed. But  to  suppose  that  God  does  not  know  men's  free 
actions,  does  suppose  that  God's  knowledge  may  be  increased. 

§  23.  If  God  absolutely  determined  that  Christ's  death 
should  have  success  in  gathering  a  church  to  him,  it  will 
follow,  that  there  was  a  number  absolutely  elected,  or  that  God 
had  determined  some  should  surely  be  saved.  If  God  deter- 
mined that  some  should  surely  be  saved,  that  implies  that  he 
had  determined  that  some  should  perform  the  conditions  of 
salvation,  and  be  saved  ;  or,  which  is  the  same  thing,  that  he 
would  cause  that  they  should  be  surely  saved.  But  this  cannot 
be,  without  fixing  on  the  persons  beforehand.  For  the  cause  is 
before  the  effect.  There  is  no  such  thing  as  God's  resolving 
absolutely  beforehand  that  he  would  save  some,  and  yet  not 
determining  who  they  should  be,  before  they  were  actually 
saved :  or  that  there  should  be  in  a  number  the  requisites  of 
salvation,  and  yet  not  determine  who,  till  they  actually  have 
the  requisites  of  salvation.  But  God  had  absolutely  determined 
that  some  should  be  saved,  yea  a  great  number  after  Christ's 
death ;  and  had  determined  it  beforehand.  Because  he  had 
absolutely  promised  it ;  Isa.  xlix.  6.  and  liii.  10.  See  in  Psalm 
Jxxii.  and  other  places  in  the  Psalms,  and  Tit.  ii  14.  God 
having  absolutely  purposed  this  before  Christ's  death,  must 
cither  have  then  determined  the  persons,  or  resolved  that  he 
would  hereafter  determine  the  persons  ;  at  least,  if  he  saw  there 
was  need  of  it,  and  saw  that  they  did  not  come  in  of  them- 
selves. But  this  latter  supposition,  if  we  allow  it,  overthrows 
the  Arminian  scheme.  It  shows,  that  such  a  predetermination, 
or  absolute  election,  is  not  inconsistent  with  God's  perfections, 
or  the  nature  of  the  gospel  constitution,  or  God's  government 
of  the  world,  and  his  promise  of  reward  to  the  believing  and 
obedient,  and  the  design  of  gospel  offers  and  commands,  as 
the  Arminians  suppose.  If  God  has  absolutely  determined  to 
save  some  certain  persons,  then,  doubtless,  he  has  in  like  man- 
ner determined  concerning  all  that  are  to  be  saved.  God's 
promising  supposes  not  only  that  the  thing  is  future,  but  that 
God  will  do  it.  If  it  be  left  to  chance,  or  man's  contingent 
will,  and  the  event  happen  right,  God  is  never  the  truer.  He 
performs  not  his  promise ;  he  takes  no  effectual  care  about  it; 
it  is  not  he  who  promised,  that  performs.  That  thing,  or  rather 
?*o-thing,  called  fortune,  orders  all. — Concerning  the  absurdity 
of  supposing  that  it  was  not  absolutely  determined  beforehand, 
what  success  there  should  be  of  Christ's  death  :  see  PolMJVs 
Spec.  Thelog.  in  Christo,  p.  165 — 171. 

Vol.  VII.  54 


■12(5  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS^ 

§  24.  It  is  pretended,  that  the  antecedent  certainty  ot  any 
sin  being  committed,  seeing  that  it  is  attended  with  necessity, 
takes  away  all  liberty,  and  makes  warnings  and  exhortations 
to  avoid  sin,  a  mere  illusion.  To  this  I  would  bring  the  in- 
stance  of  Peter.  Christ  told  him,  that  he  should  surely  deny 
him  thrice  that  night  before  the  cock  should  crow  twice.  And 
yet,  after  that,  Christ  exhorted  all  his  disciples  to  watch  and 
pray,  that  they  might  not  fall  into  temptation. — "  God's  decree 
does  not  at  all  take  off  the  use  of  our  endeavours.  For  in  the 
use  of  means,  the  very  decree  itself  is  to  receive  its  accomplish- 
ment. Let  me  refer  you  to  a  scrip yj re  story  for  the  illustra- 
tion and  proof  of  this.  When  the  apostle  Paul  was  in  imminent 
danger  of  shipwreck,  in  his  voyage  to  Rome,  he  encouraged 
the  company,  by  assuring  them,  there  should  not  be  the  loss  of 
any  man's  life,  but  only  of  the  vessel.  For,  says  he,  '  there 
stood  by  me  this  night  the  angel  of  Cod,  whose  1  am,  and 
whom  I  serve,  saying,  Fear  not,  Paul,  thou  must  be  brought 
before  Caesar  ;  and  lo,  God  hath  given  thee  all  them  that  sail 
with  thee.  Wherefore,  sirs,  be  of  good  cheer,  for  I  believe 
God,  that  it  shall  be  even  as  it  was  told  me.'  Acts  xxvii.  23, 24, 
Yet  when  the  shipmen  were  by  and  by  going  to  flee  out  of  the 
ship,  to  save  themselves  by  the  boat,  Paul  said  to  the  centurion 
and  to  the  soldiers,  Except  these  abide  in  the  ship,  ye  cannot 
be  saved  :  which  did  not  at  all  weaken  the  assurance  he  had 
just  before  given  them  from  God,  that  they  should  all  be  saved  : 
for  God,  who  had  appointed  the  end,  that  they  should  be  saved  : 
had  also  appointed  the  means,  that  they  should  be  saved  by 
the  help  of  these  shipmen.  So,  though  God  has  ordained  the 
salvation  of  those  that  shall  be  saved,  he  has  ordained  it  in  the 
way  of  faith  and  holiness,  and  a  working  out  their  own  salva- 
tion with  fear  and  trembling.11  Cooper  on  Predestination  unto 
Life,p.5S,W. 

§  25.  It  follows  from  the  infinite  perfection  of  God,  that  he 
equally  determines  within  himself  all  his  own  works  at  once. 
God  cannot  but  be  capable  of  this  by  his  knowledge  of  all 
possibilities,  and  wisdom  to  judge,  at  one  view,  which  of  them 
were  fittest  to  be  carried  into  existence  through  boundless  ages. 
And  is  it  not  the  wisdom  of  every  agent,  before  he  sets  about 
a  work  of  any  compass,  to  fix  in  his  design,  as  far  as  he  can,  all 
things  that  any  way  relate  to  it?  Now,  all  God's  works,  from 
the  beginning  of  the  creation  to  the  consummation  of  all  things, 
are  one  whole  and  entire  grand  scheme,  whose  ultimate  end 
lies  at  a  vast  distance  from  the  beginning,  and  all  the  interme- 
diate operations,  as  so  many  parts,  conspire  to  it  in  a  regular 
connexion.  How,  then,  can  it  be  consistent  with  his  most 
perfect  wisdom,  to  leave  any  of  them  to  an  after-thought,  when 
he  had  forethought  sufficient  to  provide  for  all  alike?  And. 
since  he  would  not  knowingly  suffer  any  thins  utterly  incon 


BLL'AJfEOl  S    REMARKS.  427- 

•  -u  ut  with  his  own  glory,  as  he  had  power  to  hinder  it,  he  hag. 
no  doubt,  fixed  such  bounds  and  limitations  to  all  his  crea- 
tures, that  nothing  shall  be  produced  by  any  of  them,  which 
may  not  have  a  proper  place  and  use  in  the  sum  of  events. 
He  has  settled,  also,  particular  subordinate  ends  to  individual 
events,  and  a  general  good  end  on  the  whole,  which  they  shall 
altogether  subserve.  '  Of  him,1  we  are  told,  '  and  through  him, 
andto  him,  are  all  things.1  Horn.  xi.  36.  '  The  counsel  of 
the  Lord  standeth  for  ever,  and  the  thoughts  of  his  heart  to  all 
generations.1  Psalm  xxxiii.  11.  Nothing  can  ever  arise  to 
surprise  him,  or  cast  any  difficulty  or  perplexity  in  his  way,  he 
having  already,  from  eternity,  settled  the  proper  measures  of 
conduct  in  every  case  that  shall  emerge.  How  incomprehen- 
sible and  wonderful  in  counsel,  as  well  as  excellent  in  working, 
is  God  !  and  what  reason  have  we  to  cry  out,  '  O  the  depth  of 
the  riches,  both  of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  God !  how 
unsearchable  are  his  judgments,  and  his  ways  past  finding  out !" 
Rom.  xi.  33. "     Hubuard.  Faith  and  Pract.  Sermon  6. 

§  26.  As  to  the  decrees  of  election,  see  Psalm  Ixv.  4.  "  Bless- 
ed is  the  man  whom  thou  choosest,  and  causest  to  approach 
unto  thee,  that  he  may  dwell  in  thy  courts  :  we  shall  be  satis- 
fied with  the  goodness  of  thy  house,  even  of  thy  holy  temple." 
Isaiah  xli.  9.  "  Thou,  whom  I  have  taken  from  the  ends  of 
the  earth,  and  called  thee  from  the  chief  men  thereof,  and  said 
unto  thee,  Thou  art  my  servant ;  I  have  chosen  thee,  and  not 
cast  thee  away.'1  Matth.  xx.  10.  "  So  the  last  shall  be  first, 
and  the  first  last :  for  many  be  called,  but  few  chosen.11  Chap, 
xxii.  14.  "  For  many  are  called,  but  thw  are  chosen.11  Chap, 
xxiv.  '24.  "  For  there  shall  arise  false  Christs  and  false  pro- 
phets, and  shall  show  great  signs  and  wonders  ;  insomuch  that, 
if  it  were  possible,  they  shall  deceive  the  very  elect.''''  John 
vi.  37 — 46.  "  All  that  the  Father  giveth  me,  shall  come  to 
me  ;  and  him  that  cometh  to  me,  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out,11 
<fec.  Chap.  x.  3,  4,  and  verse  11,  and  14—17,  26—30.  "  To 
him  the  porter  openeth,  and  the  sheep  hear  his  voice ;  and  he 
calleth  his  own  sheep  by  name,  and  leadeth  them  out.  And 
when  he  putteth  forth  his  own  sheep,  he  goeth  before  them, 
and  the  sheep  follow  him,  for  they  know  his  voice.  I  am  the 
good  Shepherd  ;  and  know  my  sheep,  and  am  known  of  mine. 
Therefore  doth  my  Father  love  me  ;  because  1  lay  down  my 
life,  that  I  might  take  it  again.  But  ye  believe  not,  because 
ye  are  not  my  sheep,  as  I  said  unto  you,11  (fee.  Chap.  xvii.  6 
—20.  "  1  have  manifested  thy  name  unto  the  men  thou  gavest 
me  out  of  the  world  :  thine  they  were,  and  thou  gavest  them 
me ;  and  they  have  kept  thy  word,  (fee.  Neither  pray  I  for 
these  alone;  but  for  them  also  which  shall  believe  on  me 
through  their  word.11  Acts  xviii.  10.  "  For  I  am  with  thee, 
and  no  man  shall  set  on  thee,  to  hurt  thee  :    for  I  have  much 


428  MISCELLANEOUS   REMARKS. 

people  in  this  city." — "  All  things  arc  delivered  unto  mc  ol'  my 
Father;  and  no  man  knoweth  the  Son,  but  the  Father;  neither 
knoweth  any  man  the  Father,  save  the  Son,  and  he  to  whom- 
soever the  Son  will  reveal  him.1'  John  vi.  44 — 46.  "  No  man 
can  come  to  me,  except  the  Father  which  hath  sent  me  draw 
him  :  and  I  will  raise  him  up  at  the  last  day,1'  &c.  Chap.  xvii. 
9 — 13.  "  I  pray  for  them  :  I  pray  not  for  the  world,  but  for 
them  which  thou  hast  given  me  ;  for  they  are  thine,"  &c. 
1  Thess.  v.  9.  "  For  God  hath  not  appointed  us  to  wrath,  but 
to  obtain  salvation  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." — "  What  shall 
we  say  then  ?  Is  there  unrighteousness  with  God  ?  God  forbid. 
So  then,  it  is  not  of  him  that  willeth,  nor  of  him  that  runneth, 
but  of  God  that  showeth  mercy,  &x.  Thou  wilt  say  then  unto 
me,  Why  doth  he  yet  find  fault  ?  for  who  hath  resisted  his  will 9 
Hath  not  the  potter  power  over  the  clay,  of  the  same  lump  to 
make  one  vessel  unto  honour,  and  another  to  dishonour?  &c. 
Even  us,  whom  he  hath  called,  not  of  the  Jews,  only,  but  also 
of  the  Gentiles.  Esaias,  also,  crieth  concerning  Israel,  Though 
the  number  of  the  children  of  Israel  be  as  the  sand  of  the  sea. 
a  remnant  shall  be  saved  :  And,  as  Esaias  said  before,  Except 
the  Lord  of  Sabaoth  had  left  us  a  seed,  we  had  been  as  Sodo- 
ma,  and  been  made  like  unto  Gomorrha.  As  it  is  written, 
Behold,  I  lay  in  Sion  a  stumbling-stone,  and  a  rock  of  offence  : 
and  whosoever  believeth  on  him,  shall  not  be  ashamed."  Rom. 
ix. — "  I  say  then,  Hath  God  cast  away  his  people  ?  God  for- 
bid. For  I,  also,  am  an  Israelite,  of  the  seed  of  Abraham,  of 
the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  &c.  Even  so  then  at  this  present  time 
also,  there  is  a  remnant  according  to  the  election  of  grace. 
And  if  by  grace,  then  is  it  no  more  of  works  :  otherwise  grace 
is  no  more  grace.  But  if  it  be  of  works,  then  is  it  no  more 
grace  :  otherwise,  work  is  no  more  work.  What  then  ?  Israel 
hath  not  obtained  that  which  he  seeketh  for ;  but  the  election 
hath  obtained  it,  and  the  rest  were  blinded.  For  of  him,  and 
through  him,  and  to  him,  are  all  things  :  to  whom  be  glory  for 
ever.     Amen."     Rom.  xi. 

§  27.  Concerning  the  Arminian  notion,  that  when  the  apostles 
speak  of  election,  they  only  mean  that  by  which  the  professing 
Christians  in  those  days  were  distinguished  from  others,  as  the 
nation  of  Israel  of  old  was  ;  this  is  unreasonable,  according  to 
their  own  principles.  For  if  they  were  elected,  and  that  was 
the  reason  why  they  so  far  embraced  the  gospel,  as  to  become 
Christians  rather  than  others,  then,  on  Arminian  principles,  no 
thanks  were  due  to  them  for  embracing  the  gospel.  Besides, 
their  principles  render  vain  all  endeavours  to  spread  the  gos- 
pel. For  the  gospel  will  certainly  be  spread  to  all  nations 
that  are  elected  ;  and  all  such  shall  have  the  offers  of  the  gos- 
pel, whether  they  take  any  care  of  the  matter  or  no.  Dr.  Whitby, 
to  make  out  his  scheme,  makes  the  word  election  sienifv  two 


'miscellaneous  remarks.  4*2i) 

entirely  different  things  ;  one,  election  to  a  common  faith  of 
Christianity ;  another,  a  conditional  election  to  salvation. 
But  every  one  musi  be  sensible  of  the  unreasonableness  of  such 
shifting  and  varying,  and  turning  into  all  shapes,  to  evade  the 
force  of  scripture.  It  is  evident  the  apostle  in  Rom.  ix.  has 
not  only  respect  to  God's  sovereignty  in  the  election  and  pre- 
tention of  nations  ;  because  he  illustrates  his  meaning  by  the 
instance  of  a  particular  person,  viz.  Pharaoh.  The  exercise 
of  the  sovereignty  that  he  speaks  of,  appears  by  the  express 
words  of  the  apostle  about  vessels  of  mercy,  and  vessels  of 
wrath  :  vessels  of  honour,  and  vessels  of  dishonour.  But  the 
vessels  of  mercy,  he  speaks  of  as  prepared  to  glory.  They,  it 
is  plain,  are  those  that  shall  be  saved  ;  and  the  vessels  of  wrath 
are  those  that  perish.  He  speaks  of  those  that  shall  be  saved, 
ver.  27.  "  A  remnant  shall  be  saved."  What  is  there  that  God 
doth  decree,  according  to  the  scheme  of  the  Arminians,  so  as 
to  make  it  in  any  measure  consistent  with  itself?  He  does  not 
decree  any  of  the  great  events  of  the  world  of  mankind, 
(which  are  the  principal  events,  and  those  to  which  all  others 
are  subordinated,)  because  these  depend  on  men's  free  will. 
And  if  God  does  not  decree  and  order  those  events  beforehand, 
then  what  becomes  of  the  providence  of  God  ?  and  what  room 
is  there  for  prayer,  if  there  be  no  providence?  Prayer  is  shut 
out  this  way  also.  According  to  them,  we  cannot  reason- 
ably pray  for  the  accomplishment  of  things  that  are  already 
fixed,  before  our  prayers  :  for  then  our  prayers  alter  nothing, 
and  what,  say  thev,  signifies  it  for  us  to  pray  ? 

§28.  To  Dr.  Whitby's  observation,  that  the  apostle  speaks 
of  churches,  as  though  they  were  all  elect  ;  1  answer,  He  speaks 
from  a  judgment  of  charity,  ;is  Dr.  Whitby  himself  observes, 
p.  460.  God  foreknows  the  elect,  as  God  is  said  to  know  those 
that  are  his  own  sheep  from  strangers  ;  as  Christ  is  said  not  to 
know  the  workers  of  iniquity,  that  is,  he  owns  them  not.  In 
the  same  sense,  God  is  said  to  know  the  elect  from  all  eternity  ; 
that  is,  he  knew  them  as  a  man  knows  his  own  things.  He 
acknowledged  them  from  eternity.  He  owns  them  as  his  chil- 
dren. If  God  ever  determined,  in  the  general,  that  some  of 
mankind  should  certainly  be  saved,  and  did  not  leave  it  alto- 
gether undetermined  whether  ever  so  much  as  one  soul  of  all 
mankind  should  believe  in  Christ ;  it  must  be,  that  he  determined 
that  some  particular  persons  should  certainly  believe  in  him. 
For  it  is  certain,  that  if  he  has  left  undetermined  concerning 
this  and  that,  and  the  other  person,  whether  ever  he  should 
believe  or  not,  and  so  of  every  particular  person  in  the  world  ; 
then  there  is  no  necessity  at  all,  that  this  or  that,  or  any  par- 
ticular person  in  the  world,  should  ever  be  saved  by  Christ,  for 
matter  of  any  determination  of  God's.  So  that,  though  God 
sent  his  Son  into  the  world,  yet  the  matter  was  left  altogether 


{'■}{)  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS. 

undetermined  by  God,  whether  ever  any  person  should  be  saved 
by  him  ;  and  there  was  all  this  ado  about  Christ's  birth,  death, 
resurrection,  ascension,  and  sitting  at  God's  right  hand,  when 
it  was  not  as  yet  determined  whether  he  should  ever  save  one 
soul,  or  have  any  mediatorial  kingdom  at  all. 

§  29.  It  is  most  absurd,  to  call  such  a  conditional  election  as 
they  talk  of,  bv  the  name  of  election,  seeing  there  is  a  necessa- 
ry connexion  between  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  and  eternal  life. 
Tliose  that  believe  in  Christ  must  be  saved,  according  to 
God's  inviolable  constitution  of  things.  What  nonsense  is  it, 
therefore,  to  talk  of  choosing  such  to  life  from  all  eternity 
out  of  the  rest  of  mankind  ?  A  predestination  of  such  to  life, 
is  altogether  useless  and  needless.  By  faith  in  one  that  has 
satisfied  for  sin,  the  soul  necessarily  becomes  free  from  sin. 
By  faith  in  one  that  has  bought  eternal  life  for  them,  they 
have,  of  unavoidable  consequence,  a  right  to  eternal  life. 
Now,  what  sense  is  it  to  say,  that  God  from  all  eternity, 
of  his  free  grace,  chose  out  those  that  he  foresaw  would 
have  no  guilt  of  sin,  that  they  should  not  be  punished 
for  their  guilt,  as  others  were,  when  it  is  a  contradiction  to 
suppose  that  they  can  be  punished  for  their  guilt,  when  they 
have  none  ?  for  who  can  lay  any  thing  to  their  charge,  when  it 
is  Christ  that  has  died  ?  And  what  do  they  mean  by  an  election^ . 
of  men  to  that  which  is,  in  its  own  nature,  impossible  that  tt 
should  not  be,  whether  they  are  elected  to  it  or  no  :  or  by  God's 
choosing  them  that  had  a  right  to  eternal  life,  that  they 
should  possess  it?  What  sense  is  it  to  say,  that  a  creditor 
chooses  out  those  among  his  debtors  to  be  free  from  debt,  that 
owe  him  nothing  ?  But  if  they  say,  that  election  is  only  God's 
determination,  in  the  general,  that  all  that  believe  shall  be  sav- 
ed ;  in  what  sense  can  this  be  called  election  ?  They  are  not 
persons  that  are  here  chosen,  but  mankind  is  divided  into  two 
sorts,  the  one  believing,  and  the  other  unbelieving  ;  and  God 
chooses  the  believing  sort ;  it  is  not  election  of  persons,  butof 
qualifications.  God  (say  they)  does  from  all  eternity,  choose 
to  bestow  eternal  life  upon  those  that  have  a  right  to  it,  rather 
than  upon  those  who  have  a  right  to  damnation.  Is  this  all 
the  election  we  have  an  account  of  in  God's  word  ? — Such  a 
thing  as  election  may  well  be  allowed  ;  for  that  there  is  such  a 
thing  as  sovereign  love,  is  certain  ;  that  is,  love,  not  for  any 
excellency,  but  merely  God's  good  pleasure.  For  whether  it 
is  proper  "to  say,  that  God  from  all  eternity  loved  the  elect  or  no, 
it  is  proper  to  say,  that  God  loved  men  after  the  fall,  while 
sinners  and  enemies  ;  for  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave 
his  only  begotten  Son  to  die.  This  was  not  for  any  goodness 
or  excellency,  but  merely  God's  good  pleasure.  For  he  would 
not  love  the  fallen  angels. 

§  30.  Christ  is  often  spoken  of  in  scripture  as  being,  by  way 
of  eminency,  the  Elect,  or  chosen  of  God.     Isa.  xlii.  1.     "Be- 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  431 

hold  my  servant  whom  I  uphold,  mine  Elect  in  whom  my  soul 
delighteth."  Luke  xxiii.  35.  "  ii  he  be  the  Christ,  the  chosen 
of  God."  I  Pet.  ii.  4.  "A  living  stone,  chosen  of  God,  and 
precious."  Psalm  Ixxxix.  3.  "  1  have  made  a  covenant  with 
my  Chosen  :"  ver.  19.  "I  have  exalted  one  chosen  out  of  the 
people."  H<jnce  those  persons  in  the  Old  Testament,  that 
were  the  most  remarkable  typt-s  of  Christ,  were  the  subjects 
of  a  very  remarkable  election  of  God,  by  which  they  were 
designed  to  some  peculiar  honour  of  the  prophetical,  priestly, 
or  kingly  office.  So  Moses  was  called  God's  chosen  in  that 
wherein  he  was  eminently  a  type  of  Christ,  viz.  as  a  prophet 
nnd  ruler,  and  mediator  for  his  people  ;  Psalm  cvi.  23.  "  Had 
not  Moses,  his  chosen,  stood  before  him  in  the  breach."  So 
Aaron  was  constituted  high  priest  by  a  remarkable  election  of 
God,  as  in  Numb.  xvi.  5.  and  xvii.  5.  Deut.  xxi.  5.  And  David  the 
king  was  the  subject  of  a  remarkable  election  ;  Psalm  lxxvii. 
67 — 72.  "  Moreover,  he  refused  the  tabernacle  of  Joseph,  and 
chose  not  the  tribe  of  Eohraim,  but  chose  the  tribe  of  Judah,  the 
mount  Sion,  which  he  loved,  &c.  He  chose  David  also  his 
servant,  and  took  him  from  the  sheepfolds,  from  following  the 
ewes  great  with  young  ;  he  brought  him  to  feed  Jacob  his 
people,  and  Israel  his  inheritance."  1  Sam.  xvi.  7 — 10. 
"  The  Lord  hath  not  chosen  this,  neither  hath  the  Lord  chosen 
this  :  the  Lord  hath  not  chosen  these."  Christ  is  the  chosen  oi 
God,  both  as  to  his  divine  and  human  nature.  As  to  his  di- 
vine nature,  he  was  chosen  of  God,  though  not  to  any  addition 
to  his  essential  glory  or  real  happiness,  which  is  infinite  ;  yet  to 
great  declarative  glory.  As  he  is  man,  he  is  chosen  of  God  to 
the  highest  degree  of  real  glory  and  happiness  of  all  creatures. 
As  to  both,  he  is  chosen  of  God  to  the  office  and  glory  of  the 
mediator  between  God  and  men,  and  the  head  of  all  the  elect 
creation.  His  election,  as  it  respects  his  divine  nature,  was 
for  his  worthiness  and  excellency  and  infinite  amiableness  in 
the  sight  of  God,  and  perfect  fitness  for  that  which  God  chose 
him  to  ;  and  his  worthiness  was  the  ground  of  his  election. 
But  his  election,  as  it  respects  his  human  nature,  was  free  and 
sovereign,  not  being  for  any  worthiness  ;  but  his  election  was 
the  foundation  of  his  worthiness.  God  had  determined  to 
exalt  one  of  the  creatures  so  high,  that  he  should  be  one  per- 
son with  God,  and  should  have  communion  with  God,  and 
should  have  glory  in  all  respects  answerable  ;  and  so  should  be 
the  head  of  all  other  elect  creatures,  that  they  might  be  united 
to  God,  and  glorified  in  him.  And  his  sovereignty  appears  in 
the  election  of  the  man  Jesus,  various  ways.  It  appears  in 
choosing  the  species  of  creatures  of  which  he  should  be,  viz. 
the  race  of  mankind,  and  not  the  angels,  the  superior  species. 
God's  sovereignty  also  appears  in  choosing  this  creature  of  the 
seed  of  fallen  creatures:  that  were  become  enemies  and  rebels. 


432  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

abominable,  miserable  creatures.  It  appears,  in  choosing  that 
he  should  be  of  such  a  branch  of  mankind,  in  selecting  the 
posterity  of  David,  a  mean  person  originally,  and  the  youngest 
of  the  family.  And  as  he  was  the  seed  of  the  woman,  so 
his  sovereignty  appears  in  his  being  the  seed  of  such  particu- 
lar woman  ;  as  of  Leah,  the  uncomely  wife  of  Jacob,  whom  her 
husband  had  not  chosen,  &c.  And  his  sovereignty  appears 
in  the  choice  of  that  individual  female  of  whom  Christ  was 
born. 

§31.  It  was  owing  to  this  election  of  God,  that  the  man 
Jesus  was  not  one  of  the  corrupt  race  of  mankind  ;  so  that  his 
freedom  from  sin  is  owing  to  the  free,  sovereign,  electing  love 
of  God  in  him,  as  well  as  in  the  rest  of  elect  men.  All  holi- 
ness, all  obedience  and  good  works,  and  perseverance  in  him. 
was  owing  to  the  electing  love  of  God,  as  well  as  in  his  elect 
members.  For  if  he  had  failed  ;  if  his  courage,  resolution,  and 
love,  had  been  conquered  by  his  sufferings,  he  never  could 
have  been  delivered  from  them  ;  for  then  he  would  have  failed 
in  his  obedience  to  God  ;  and  his  love  to  God  failing,  and 
being  overcome  by  sufferings,  these  sufferings  would  have 
failed  of  the  nature  of  an  acceptable  sacrifice  to  God  ;  and  the 
infinite  value  of  his  sufferings  would  have  failed,  and  so  must 
be  made  up  in  infinite  duration,  to  atone  for  his  own  deficiency. 
But  God  having  chosen  Christ,  he  could  not  fail  in  this  work, 
and  so  was  delivered  from  his  sufferings,  from  the  eternity  of 
them,  by  the  electing  love  of  God.  Justification  and  glorifica- 
tion were  fruits  of  God's  foreknowledge  and  predestination  in 
him,  as  well  as  in  his  elect  members.  So  Christ's  election  is 
the  foundation  of  ours,  as  much  as  his  justification  and  glorifi- 
cation are  the  foundation  of  ours. 

§  32.  2  Thess.  ii.  13.  "  Bui  we  are  bound  to  give  thanks  al- 
way  to  God  for  you,  brethren,  beloved  of  the  Lord,  because 
God  hath  from  the  beginning  chosen  you  to  salvation,  through 
sanctification  of  the  Spirit  and  belief  of  the  truth."  Concern- 
ing this  scripture  I  observe  the  following  things  : — 1.  The  word 
translated  chosen,  is  a  word  that  signifies  to  choose  or  pick  out 
from  many  others.  2.  That  this  choosing  is  given  as  a  reason, 
why  those  differ  from  others,  that  believe  not  the  truth,  but 
have  pleasure  in  unrighteousness,  as  an  instance  of  the  distin- 
guishing grace  of  God ;  and  therefore  the  apostle  mentions 
their  being  chosen,  their  election,  as  the  ground  of  their  sancti- 
fications  by  the  Spirit  and  belief  of  the  truth.  3.  The  apostle 
speaks  of  their  being  chosen  to  salvation,  as  a  ground  of  their 
perseverance,  or  the  reason  why  they  never  shall  fall  away,  as 
others  spoken  of  before,  whereby  they  failed  of  salvation.  See 
the  preceding  verses.  Compare  Heb.  vi.  9 — 14.  They  are 
spoken  of  as  thus  chosen  from  the  beginning. — And  that  place, 
Matt.  xx.  21,  22,  23.    "  Grant  that  these  my  two  sons  may  sit 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  433 

one  on  thy  right  hand,  and  the  other  on  thy  left,  in  thy  king- 
dom ; — -it  shall  be  given  to  them,  for  whom  it  is  prepared  of  my 
Father  ;"  affords  an  invincible  argument  for  particular  personal 
predestination. 

§  33.  There  were  many  absolute  promises  of  old,  that  salva- 
tion should  actually  be  accomplished,  and  that  it  should  be  of 
great  extent,  or  extended  to  great  multitudes  of  mankind  ;  as, 
that  "  the  seed  of  the  woman  should  bruise  the  serpent's  head.1' 
"  In  thee,  and  in  thy  seed,  shall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be 
blessed."  Psalm  ex.  "  Sit  thou  at  my  right  hand,  till  I  make 
thine  enemies  thy  footstool.  Thy  people  shall  be  willing  in 
the  day  of  thy  power  :"  and  innumerable  others.  And  if  there 
were  absolute  promises  of  this,  then  there  were  absolute  pur- 
poses of  it ;  for  that  which  is  sincerely  absolutely  promised,  is 
with  an  absolute  purpose  of  fulfilling  the  promise.  But  how 
can  it  be  devised,  that  there  should  be  an  absolute,  determinate, 
infallible,  unchangeable  purpose,  that  Christ  should  actually 
save  vast  multitudes  of  mankind  ;  and  yet  it  be  not  absolutely 
purposed  that  he  should  save  any  one  single  person,  but  that, 
with  regard  to  every  individual  soul,  this  was  left  to  be  deter- 
mined by  man's  contingent  will,  which  might  determine  for 
salvation,  or  against  it,  there  being  nothing  to  render  it  impos- 
sible, concerning  any  one,  that  his  will  would  not  finally  deter- 
mine against  it  ?  Observe,  these  prophecies  are  not  merely 
predictions,  but  are  of  the  nature  of  promises,  and  are  often 
so  called  : — "  which  he  hath  promised  by  the  mouth  of  all  his 
holy  prophets  since  the  world  began,"  &c.  God  takes  care  to 
fulfil  his  own  promises  ;  but,  according  to  this  scheme,  it  is  not 
God  that  fulfils  these  promises  ;  but  men, left  to  themselves,  to 
their  contingent  wills,  fulfil  them.  Man's  will,  which  God  does 
not  determine,  determines  itself  in  exclusion  of  God. 

§  34.  Concerning  that  grand  objection,  that  this  doctrine 
supposes  partiality  in  God,  and  is  very  dishonourable  to  him, 
being  quite  contrary  to  God's  extensive  and  universal  benevo- 
lence to  his  creatures  :  it  may  be  shown,  that  the  Arminian  no- 
tions and  principles,  in  this  matter,  lead  directly  to  Deism ; 
and  that,  on  these  principles,  it  is  utterly  impossible  to  answer 
Tindal's  objections  against  revealed  religion,  especially  in  his 
14th  chapter.  Besides,  unjustifiable  partiality  is  not  imputable 
to  a  sovereign  distribution  of  his  favours,  though  ever  so  un- 
equally, unless  it  be  done  unwisely,  and  so  as  to  infringe  the 
common  good.  God  has  regard  to  conditions  in  his  decrees, 
as  he  has  regard  to  a  wise  order  and  connexion  of  things. 
Such  is  his  wisdom  in  his  decrees  and  all  his  acts  and  opera- 
tions, that,  if  it  were  not  for  wise  connexion  that  is  regarded, 
many  things  would  not  be  decreed.  One  part  of  the  wise 
system  of  events  would  not  have  been  decreed,  unless  the  other 
parts  had  been  decreed  also, 

Vol.  VII,  55 


134  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

$35.  God,  in  the  decree  of  election,  is  justly  to  be  considered 
as  decreeing  the  creature's  eternal  happiness,  antecedently  to 
any  foresight  of  good  works,  in  a  sense  wherein  he  does  not  in 
reprobation  decree  the  creature's  eternal  misery,  antecedently 
to  any  foresight  of  sin  ;  because  the  being  of  sin  is  supposed,  in 
the  first  place,  in  order  in  the  decree  of  reprobation,  which  is, 
that  God  will  glorify  his  vindictive  justice  ;  and  the  very  notion 
of  revenging  justice,  simply  considered,  supposes  a  fault  to  be 
revenged.  But  faith  and  good  works  are  not  supposed  in  the 
first  place  in  order  to  the  decree  of  election.  The  first  things 
in  order  in  this  decree  are,  that  God  will  communicate  his 
happiness,  and  glorify  his  grace  ;  (for  these  two  seem  to  be  co- 
ordinate.) But  in  neither  of  these  are  faith  and  good  works 
supposed.  For,  when  God  decrees,  and  seeks  to  communicate 
his  own  happiness  in  the  creature's  happiness,  the  notion  of 
this,  simply  considered,  supposes  or  implies  nothing  of  faith  or 
good  works  ;  nor  does  the  notion  of  grace,  in  itself,  suppose 
any  such  thing.  It  does  not  necessarily  follow,  from  the  very 
nature  of  grace,  or  God's  communicativeness  of  his  own  hap- 
piness, that  there  must  be  faith  and  good  works. 

§  36.  What  divines  intend  by  prior  and  posterior,  in  the 
affair  of  God's  decrees,  is,  not  that  one  is  before  another  in  the 
order  of  time ;  for  all  are  from  eternity ;  but  that  we  must 
conceive  the  view  or  consideration  of  one  decree  to  be  before 
another,  inasmuch  as  God  decrees  one  thing  out  of  respect  to 
another  decree,  so  that  one  decree  must  be  conceived  of  as  in 
some  sort  to  be  the  ground  of  another ;  or  that  God  decrees 
one  because  of  another  ;  or  that  he  would  not  have  decreed 
one,  had  he  not  decreed  that  other.  Now,  there  are  two  ways 
in  which  divine  decrees  may  be  said  to  be,  in  this  sense,  prior 
one  to  another.  1.  When  one  thing  decreed,  is  the  end  of 
another,  this  must,  in  some  respect,  be  conceived  of  as  prior  to 
that  other.  The  good  to  be  obtained,  is,  in  some  respect,  prior 
in  the  consideration  of  him  who  decrees  and  disposes,  to  the 
means  of  obtaining  it.  2.  When  one  thing  decreed  is  the 
ground  on  which  the  disposer  goes,  in  seeking  such  an  end 
by  another  thing  decreed,  as  being  the  foundation  of  the  ca- 
pableness  or  fitness  that  there  is  in  that  other  thing  decreed, 
to  obtain  such  an  end.  Thus,  the  sinfulness  of  the  reprobate 
is  the  ground  on  which  God  goes  in  determining  to  glorify 
his  justice  in  the  punishment  of  his  sinfulness ;  because  his 
sinfulness  is  the  foundation  of  the  possibility  of  obtaining  that 
end  by  such  means.  His  having  sin,  is  the  foundation  of  both 
the  fitness  and  possibility  of  justice  being  glorified  in  the  pu- 
nishment of  his  sin  ;  and,  therefore,  the  consideration  of  the 
being  of  sin  in  the  subject,  must,  in  some  respect,  be  prior  in 
the  mind  of  the  disposer,  to  the  determination  to  glorify  his 
justice  in  the  punishment  of  sin.      For  the  disposer  must  first 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  435 

consider  the  capableness  and  aptness  of  such  means  for  such 
an  end,  before  he  determines  them  to  such  an  end.  Thus 
God  must  be  conceived  of,  as  first  considering  Adonibezek's 
cruelty  in  cutting  off  the  thumbs  and  great  toes  of  threescore 
and  ten  kings,  as  that  which  was  to  be,  before  he  decreed  to 
glorify  his  justice  in  punishing  that  cruelty,  by  the  cutting  off* 
his  thumbs  and  great  toes.  But  this  aptness  depends  on  the 
nature  of  that  sin  that  was  punished.  Therefore  the  disposer, 
in  fixing  on  those  means  for  this  end,  must  be  conceived  of  as 
having  that  sin  in  view.  Because  sinfulness  is  necessarily  sup- 
posed as  already  existing  in  the  decree  of  punishing  sinfulness. 
That  which  stands  in  the  place  of  the  ultimate  end,  in  a  de- 
cree, i.  e.  that  which  is  a  mere  end,  and  not  a  means  to  any 
thing  further  or  higher,  viz.  the  shining  forth  of  God's  glory, 
and  the  communication  of  his  goodness,  must,  indeed,  be  con- 
sidered as  prior,  in  the  consideration  of  the  Supreme  Disposer, 
to  every  thing,  excepting  the  mere  possibility  of  it.  But  this 
must,  in  some  respects,  be  conceived  of  as  prior  to  that,  be- 
cause possibility  is  necessarily  supposed  in  his  decree.  But,  if 
we  descend  lower  than  the  highest  end  ;  if  we  come  down  to 
other  events  decreed,  that  be  not  mere  ends,  but  means  to  ob- 
tain that  end  ;  then  we  must  necessarily  bring  in  more  things, 
as  in  some  respect  prior,  in  the  same  manner  as  mere  possi- 
bility is  in  this  highest  decree.  The  vindictive  justice  of  God 
is  not  to  be  considered  as  a  mere  or  ultimate  end,  but  as  a 
means  to  an  end.  Indeed,  God's  glorifying  his  justice,  or  ra- 
ther his  glorifying  his  holiness  and  greatness,  has  the  place  of 
a  mere  and  ultimate  end.  But  his  glorifying  his  justice  in 
punishing  sin,  (or  in  exercising  vindictive  justice,  which  is  the 
same,)  is  not  to  be  considered  as  a  mere  end,  but  a  certain  way 
or  means  of  obtaining  an  end.  Vindictive  justice  is  not  to  be 
considered  as  a  certain  distinct  attribute  to  be  glorified,  but  as 
a  certain  way  and  means  for  the  glorifying  an  attribute. 
Every  distinct  way  of  God's  glorifying  or  exercising  an  attri- 
bute, might  as  well  be  called  a  distinct  attribute  as  this.  It  is 
but  giving  a  distinct  name  to  it,  and  so  we  might  multiply  attri- 
butes without  end.  The  considering  of  the  glorifying  of  vin- 
dictive justice  as  a  mere  end,  has  led  to  great  misrepresenta- 
tions, and  undue  and  unhappy  expressions,  about  the  decree  of 
reprobation.  Hence  the  glorifying  of  God's  vindictive  justice 
on  such  particular  persons  has  been  considered  as  altogether 
prior  in  the  decree  to  their  sinfulness,  yea  to  their  very  beings. 
Whereas  it  being  only  a  means  to  an  end,  those  things  that  are 
necessarily  presupposed,  in  order  to  the  fitness  and  possibility 
of  this  means  of  obtaining  the  end,  must  be  conceived  of  as 
prior  to  it. 

§  37.  Hence  God's  decree  of  the  eternal  damnation  of  the 
reprobate,  is  not  to  be  conceived  of  as  prior  to  the  fall,  yea, 


43t)  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARK*. 

and  to  the  very  being  of  the  persons,  as  the  decree  of  the  eter* 
nal  glory  of  the  elect  is.  For  God's  glorifying  his  love,  and 
communicating  his  goodness,  stands  in  the  place  of  a  mere  or 
ultimate  end;  and  therefore  is  prior  in  the  mind  of  the  eternal 
disposer  to  the  very  being  of  the  subject,  and  to  every  thing 
but  mere  possibility.  The  goodness  of  God  gives  the  being, 
as  well  as  the  happiness  of  the  creature,  and  does  not  presup- 
pose it.  Indeed,  the  glorifying  of  God's  mercy,  as  it  presup- 
poses the  subject  to  be  miserable,  and  the  glorifying  his  grace, 
as  it  presupposes  the  subject  to  be  sinful,  unworthy  and  ill-de- 
serving, are  not  to  be  conceived  of  as  ultimate  ends,  but  only 
as  certain  ways  and  means  for  the  glorifying  the  exceeding 
abundance  and  overflowing  fulness  of  God's  goodness  and 
love  ;  therefore  these  decrees  are  not  to  be  considered  as  prior 
to  the  decree  of  the  being  of  the  subject.  And  the  decree  of 
election,  as  it  implies  a  decree^of  glorifying  God's  mercy  and 
grace,  considers  men  as  being  cursed  and  fallen  ;  because  the 
very  notion  of  such  a  decree  supposes  sin  and  misery.  Hence 
we  may  learn,  how  much  in  the  decree  of  predestination  is  to 
be  considered  as  prior  to  the  creation  and  fall  of  man,  and 
how  much  as  posterior  viz.  that  God's  decree  to  glorify  his 
love  and  communicate  his  goodness,  and  to  glorify  his  great- 
ness and  holiness,  is  to  be  considered  as  prior  to  creation  and 
the  fall  of  man.  And  because  the  glory  of  God's  love,  and  the 
communication  of  his  goodness,  necessarily  imply  the  happi- 
ness of  the  creature,  and  give  both  their  being  and  happiness  ; 
hence  the  design  to  communicate  and  glorify  his  goodness  and 
love  externally  to  a  certain  number,  is  to  be  considered  as  prior, 
in  both  those  mentioned  respects,  to  their  being  and  fall.  For 
such  a  design,  in  the  notion  of  it,  presupposes  neither.  But  no- 
thing in  the  decree  of  reprobation  is  to  be  looked  upon  as  an- 
tecedent to  man's  being  and  fall. 

§  38.  The  decrees  of  God  must  be  conceived  of  in  the 
same  order,  and  as  antecedent  to,  and  consequent  on  one 
another,  in  the  same  manner  as  God's  act  in  the  execution  of 
those  decrees.  They  depend  on  one  another,  and  are  grounded 
on  one  another,  in  the  same  manner  as  the  decrees  that  these 
are  the  execution  of,  and  in  no  other.  For,  the  decrees  of 
God  are  no  other  than  his  eternal  doing  what  is  done,  acted,  or 
executed  by  him  in  time.  God's  acts  themselves,  in  executing, 
can  be  conceived  of  no  [otherwise,  than  as  decrees  for  a  pre- 
sent effect.  They  are  acts  of  God's  will.  God  brings  things 
to  pass  only  by  acts  of  his  will.  He  speaks,  and  it  is  done. 
His  will  says,  let  it  be,  and  it  is.  And  this  act  of  his  will  that 
now  is,  cannot  be  looked  upon  as  really  different  from  that  act 
of  will  that  was  in  him  before,  and  from  eternity,  in  decreeing 
that  this  thing  should  be  at  this  time.  It  differs  only  relatively. 
Here  is  no  new  act  of  the  will  in  God,  but  only  the  same  acts 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS.  43? 

of  will,  which  before,  because  the  time  was  not  come,  respect- 
ed future  time ;  and  so  were  called  decrees.  But  now  the 
time  being  come,  they  respect  present  time,  and  so  are  not 
called  by  us  decrees,  but  acts  executing  decrees.  Yet  they 
are  evidently  the  same  acts  in  God.  Therefore  those  acts,  in 
executing,  must  certainly  be  conceived  of  the  same  order,  and 
with  the  same  dependence,  as  the  decrees  themselves.  It  may 
be  in  some  measure  illustrated  by  this : — The  decree  of  God, 
or  the  will  of  God  decreeing  events,  may  be  represented  as  a 
straight  line  of  infinite  length,  that  runs  through  all  past  eternity 
and  terminates  in  the  event.  The  last  point  in  the  line,  is  the 
act  of  God's  will  in  bringing  the  event  to  pass,  and  does  not  at 
all  differ  from  all  the  other  points  throughout  the  infinite  length 
of  the  line,  in  any  other  respect  but  this,  that  this  last  point  is 
next  to  the  event.  This  line  may  be  represented  as  in  motion, 
but  yet  always  kept  parallel  to  itself.  The  higher  end  of  the 
line,  by  its  motion,  describes  events  in  the  order  in  which  they 
come  to  pass  ;  or  at  least  represents  God's  acts  in  bringing  the 
events  to  pass,  in  their  order  and  mutual  dependence  and 
consequence.  By  the  motion  of  all  the  other  points  of  the 
line,  before  the  event  or  end  of  the  line,  in  the  whole  infinite 
length  of  it,  are  represented  the  decrees  in  their  order  ;  which, 
because  the  line  in  all  its  motions  is  kept  parallel  to  itself,  is 
exactly  the  same  with  the  order  of  the  motions  of  the  last  point. 
For  the  motion  of  every  point  of  the  whole  line,  is,  in  all  re- 
spects, just  like  the  motion  of  that  last  point  wherein  the  line 
terminates  in  the  event ;  and  the  different  parts  of  the  motion  of 
every  point,  are  in  every  respect  precisely  in  the  same  order. 
And  the  maxim,  that  what  is  first  in  intention,  is  last  in  execu- 
tion, does  not  in  the  least  concern  this  matter.  For,  by  last  in 
execution,  is  meant  only  last  in  order  of  time,  without  any  re- 
spect to  the  priority  or  posteriority  that  we  are  speaking  of;  and 
it  does  not  at  all  hinder,  but  that  in  God's  acts,  in  executing  his 
decrees,  one  act  is  the  ground  or  reason  of  another  act,  in  the 
same  manner  precisely  as  the  decree  that  related  to  it  was  the 
ground  or  reason  of  the  other  decree.  The  absolute  indepen- 
dence of  God,  no  more  argues  against  some  of  God's  decrees 
being  grounded  on  decrees  of  some  other  things  that  should  first 
come  to  pass,  than  it  does  against  some  of  God's  acts  in  time, 
being  grounded  on  some  other  antecedent  acts  of  his.  It  is 
just  the  same  with  God's  acts  in  executing,  as  has  been  said 
already  of  his  decreeing.  In  one  respect,  the  end  that  is  after- 
ward to  be  accomplished,  is  the  ground  of  God's  acting  ;  in 
another  respect,  something  that  is  already  accomplished,  is  the 
ground  of  his  acting,  as  it  is  the  ground  of  the  fitness  or  capa- 
bleness  of  the  act  to  obtain  the  end.  There  is  nothing  but  the 
ultimate  end  of  all  things,  viz.  God's  glory,  and  the  communis 


138  -     ELLAXEOUS   REMARK-. 

cation  of  his  goodness,  that  is  prior  to  all  first  acts  in  creating 
the  world,  in  one  respect,  and  mere  possibility  in  another. 
But,  with  respect  to  after  acts,  other  ends  are  prior  in  one  re- 
spect, and  other  preceding  acts  are  prior  in  another,  just  as  I 
have  shown  it  to  be  with  respect  to  God's  decrees. 

§  39.  Now,  this  being  established,  it  may  help  more  clearly 
to  illustrate,  and  fully  to  evidence,  what  we  have  insisted  on 
concerning  the  order  of  the  decrees,  and  that  God's  decrees  of 
some  things  that  are  accomplished  first  in  order  of  time,  are 
also  prior  in  the  order,  so  as  to  be  the  proper  ground  and 
reason  of  other  decrees.  For,  let  us  see  how  it  is  in  God's  acts 
in  executing  his  decrees.  Will  any  deny  that  God's  act  in  re- 
warding righteousness,  is  grounded  on  a  foregoing  act  of  his  in 
giving  righteousness  ?  and  that  he  rewards  righteousness  in 
such  a  person,  because  he  hath  given  righteousness  to  such  a 
person ;  and  that  because  this  latter  act  necessarily  supposes 
the  former  act  foregoing  ?  So,  in  like  manner,  God's  decree,  in 
determining  to  reward  righteousness,  is  grounded  on  an  ante- 
cedent decree  to  give  righteousness:  because  the  former  decree 
necessarilv  supposes  the  latter  decree,  and  implies  it  in  the 
ven  notion  of  it.  So,  who  will  deny,  but  that  God's  act  in 
punishing  sin,  is  grounded  on  God's  permitting  sin,  or  suffering 
it  to  be,  because  the  former  necessarily  supposes  the  latter,  and 
therefore  that  the  actual  permission  of  sin  is  prior,  in  the  order  of 
nature,  to  the  punishment  of  it  ? 

§  40.  It  may  be  objected  to  this,  that  if  so,  the  decree  of 
bestowing  salvation  on  an  elect  soul,  is  founded  on  the  decree 
of  bestowing  faith  on  him  ;  for  God  actually  bestows  salvation 
in  some  respect,  because  he  has  bestowed  faith ;  and  this 
would  be  to  make  the  decree  of  election  succedaneous  to  the 
decree  of  giving  faith.  To  this  1  answer,  that  both  God's  act, 
and  also  his  decree  of  bestowing  salvation  on  such  a  fallen 
creature,  is  in  some  respects,  grounded  on  God's  act  and  de- 
cree of  giving  faith,  but  in  nowise  as  the  decree  or  act  of  eternal 
punishing  is  grounded  on  sin,  because  punishment  necessarily 
presupposes  sin  ;  so  that  it  could  not  be  without  it.  But  the 
decreeing  and  giving  the  happiness  of  the  elect,  is  not  so  found- 
ed on  faith.  The  case  is  very  different.  Indeed,  the  salvation 
of  an  elect  soul  is,  in  this  respect,  grounded  on  the  decree  of 
giving  faith,  as  God's  decree  of  bestowing  happiness  on  the 
elect  is  in  this  particular  way.  But  the  decree  of  bestowing 
happiness  in  general,  which  we  conceive  of  as  antecedent  to 
this  act,  presupposes  no  such  thing  ;  nor  does  just  so  much 
without  any  more  in  execution  presuppose  faith,  or  indeed 
the  righteousness  of  Christ,  or  any  act  or  suffering  of  a  media- 
tor, or  even  the  fall  of  man.  And  the  decree  of  God's  commu- 
nicating his  goodness  to  such  a  subject,  does  not  so  much  as 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARK?.  439 

presuppose  the  being  of  the  subject ;  because  it  gives  being. 
But  there  is  no  decree  of  evil  to  such  a  subject,  which  can  be 
convinced  of  as  antecedent  to  a  decree  of  punishment. 

§  41.  The  objection  to  the  divine  decrees  will  be,  that  ac- 
cording to  this  doctrine,  God  may  do  evil,  that  good  may  come 
of  it.  Ans.  I  do  not  argue,  that  God  may  commit  evil,  that 
good  may  come  of  it ;  but  that  he  may  permit  that  it  may  come 
to  pass,  that  good  may  come  of  it.  It  is  in  itself  absolutely 
evil,  for  any  being  to  commit  evil,  that  good  may  come  of  it ; 
and  the  only  reason  why  it  would  not  be  lawful  for  a  creature 
to  permit  evil  to  come  to  pass,  and  that  it  would  not  be  wise, 
or  good  and  virtuous  in  him  so  to  do,  is,  that  he  has  not  perfect 
wisdom  and  sufficiency,  so  as  to  render  it  fit  that  such  an  affair 
should  be  trusted  with  him.  In  so  doing,  he  goes  beyond  his 
line ;  he  goes  out  of  his  providence  ;  he  meddles  with  things  too 
high  for  him.  It  is  every  one's  duty  to  do  things  fit  for  him  in 
his  sphere,  and  commensurate  to  his  power.  God  never  in- 
trusted this  providence  in  the  hands  of  creatures  of  finite  under- 
standings ;  nor  is  it  proper  that  he  should. 

If  a  prince  were  of  perfect  and  all-comprehensive  wisdom 
and  foresight,  and  he  should  see  that  an  act  of  treason  would  be 
for  the  great  advancement  of  the  welfare  of  his  kingdom,  it 
might  be  wise  and  virtuous  in  him  to  permit  that  such  act  of 
treason  should  come  to  pass  ;  yea,  it  would  be  foolish  and  wrong 
if  he  did  not.  It  would  be  prudent  and  wise  in  him  not  to 
restrain  the  traitor,  but  to  let  him  alone  to  go  on  in  the  way 
lie  chose.  And  yet  he  might  hate  the  treason  at  the  same  time, 
and  he  might  properly,  also,  give  forth  laws  at  the  same  time, 
forbidding  it  upon  pain  of  death,  and  might  hold  these  laws  in 
force  against  this  traitor. 

§  42.  The  Arminians  themselves  allow,  that  God  permits  sin  ; 
and  that  if  he  permits  it,  it  will  come  to  pass.  But  it  is  de- 
monstrably true,  that  if  God  sees  that  good  will  come  of  it,  and 
more  good  than  otherwise,  so  that  when  the  whole  series  of 
events  is  viewed  by  God,  and  all  things  are  balanced — the  sum 
of  good  with  the  evil  being  more  than  without  it,  all  being 
subtracted  that  need  be  subtracted,  and  added  that  is  to  be 
added — the  sum  total  of  good  is  greater  than  the  sum  in  any 
other  case,  then  it  will  follow,  that  God,  if  he  be  a  wise  and 
holy  being,  must  permit  it. — For  if  this  sum  total  be  really  the 
best,  how  can  it  be  otherwise  than  that  it  should  be  chosen 
by  an  infinitely  wise  and  good  being  whose  holiness  and  good- 
ness consists  in  always  choosing  what  is  best  ?  Which  does  it 
argue  most,  wisdom  or  folly,  a  good  disposition  or  an  evil  one, 
when  two  things  are  set  before  a  being,  the  one  better  and  the 
other  worse,  to  choose  the  worse,  and  refuse  the  better  1 

§  43.  To  conclude  this  discourse :  I  wish  the  reader  to  con- 
sider the  unreasonableness  of  rejecting  plain  revelations,  be- 


440  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

cause  they  are  puzzling  to  our  reason.  So  that  thougli  the 
doctrine  of  the  decrees  be  mysterious,  and  attended  with  diffi- 
culties, yet  the  opposite  doctrine  is  in  itself  more  mysterious, 
and  attended  with  greater  difficulties,  and  with  contradictions 
to  reason  more  evident,  to  one  who  thoroughly  considers 
things  ;  so  that,  even  if  the  scripture  had  made  no  revelation 
of  it,  we  should  have  had  reason  to  believe  it.  But  since  the 
scripture  is  so  abundant  in  declaring  it,  the  unreasonableness  of 
rejecting  it  appears  the  more  glaring. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


CONCERNING    EFFICACIOUS    GRACE. 

§  1.  It  is  manifest  that  the  scripture  supposes,  that  if  ever 
men  are  turned  from  sin,  God  must  undertake  it,  and  he  must 
be  the  doer  of  it ;  that  it  is  his  doing  that  must  determine  the 
matter  ;  that  all  that  others  can  do,  will  avail  nothing,  without 
his  agency.  This  is  manifest  by  such  texts  as  these,  Jer. 
xxxi.  18,  19.  "  Turn  thou  me,  and  I  shall  be  turned  ;  Thou 
art  the  Lord  my  God.  Surely  after  that  I  was  turned,  I 
repented  ;  and  after  that  I  was  instructed,  I  smote  upon  my 
thigh,11  &c.  Lam.  v.  21.  "  Turn  thou  us  unto  thee,  O  Lord, 
and  we  shall  be  turned.11  Psalm  lxxx.  3.  "  Turn  us  again,  O 
God,  and  cause  thy  face  to  shine,  and  we  shall  be  saved.'1  The 
same  in  verse  7  and  19  :  Jer.  xvii.  14.  "  Heal  me,  and  I  shall 
be  healed  :  save  me,  and  I  shall  be  saved  ;  for  Thou  art  my 
praise.11 

§  2.  According  to  Dr.  Whitby's  notion  of  the  assistance  of 
the  Spirit,  the  Spirit  of  God  does  nothing  in  the  hearts  or  minds 
of  men  beyond  the  power  of  the  devil ;  nothing  but  what  the  de- 
vil can  do  :  and  nothing  showing  any  greater  power  in  any  re- 
spect than  the  devil  shows  and  exercises  in  his  temptations.  For 
he  supposes,  that  all  that  the  Spirit  of  God  does,  is  to  bring  moral 
motives  and  inducements  to  mind,  and  set  them  before  the 
understanding,  &c.  It  is  possible  that  God  may  infuse  grace, 
in  some  instances,  into  the  minds  of  such  persons  as  are  stri- 
ving to  obtain  it  in  the  other  way,  though  they  may  not  ob- 
serve it,  and  may  not  know  that  it  is  not  obtained  by  gradual 
acquisition.  But  if  a  man  has  indeed  sought  it  only  in  that 
way,  and  with  as  much  dependence  on  himself,  and  with  as 
much  neglect  of  God,  in  his  endeavours  and  prayers  as  such  a 
doctrine  naturally  leads  to,  it  is  not  very  likely  that  he  should 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  ill 

obtain  saving  grace  by  the  efficacious  mighty  power  of  God. 
It  is  most  likely  that  God  should  bestow  this  gift,  in  a  way  of 
earnest  attention  to  divine  truth,  and  the  use  of  the  means  of 
grace,  with  reflection  on  one's  own  sinfulness,  and  in  a  way  of 
being  more  and  more  convinced  of  sinfulness  and  total  cor- 
ruption, and  need  of  the  divine  power  to  restore  the  heart,  to 
infuse  goodness,  and  of  becoming  more  and  more  sensible  of 
one's  own  impotence,  and  inability  to  obtain  goodness  by  his 
own  strength.  And  if  a  man  has  obtained  no  other  virtue,  than 
what  seems  to  have  been  wholly  in  that  gradual  and  insensi- 
ble way  that  might  be  expected  from  use  and  custom,  in  the 
exercise  of  his  own  strength,  he  has  reason  to  think,  however 
bright  his  attainments  may  seem  to  be,  that  he  has  no  saving- 
virtue. — Great  part  of  the  gospel  is  denied  by  those  who  deny 
pure  efficacious  grace.  They  deny  that  wherein  actual  salva- 
tion and  the  application  of  redemption  mainly  consists ;  and 
how  unlikely  are  such  to  be  successful  in  their  endeavours  after 
actual  salvation. 

§  3.  Concerning  the  supposition  advanced  by  Bishop  Butler, 
and  by  Turnbull  in  his  Christian  Philosophy,  that  all  that  God 
does,  even  miracles  themselves,  are  wrought  according  to  gene- 
ral laws,  such  as  are  called  the  laws  of  nature,  though  unknown 
to  us ;  and  the  supposition  of  Turnbull,  that  all  may  be  done 
by  angels  acting  by  general  laws  ;  I  observe,  this  seems  to  be 
unreasonable.  If  angels  effect  these  works,  acting  only  by  o-e- 
neral  laws,  then  they  must  do  them  without  any  immediate, 
special  interposition  at  all,  even  without  the  smallest  intima- 
tion of  the  divine  mind,  what  to  do,  or  upon  what  occasion 
God  would  have  any  thing  to  be  done.  And  what  will  this  doc- 
trine bring  inspiration  to,  which  is  one  kind  of  miracle  ?  Ac- 
cording to  this,  all  significations  of  the  divine  mind,  even  to  the 
prophets  and  apostles,  must  be  according  to  general  laws,  with- 
out any  special  interposition  at  all  of  the  divine  agency. 

§  4.  Acts  xii.  23.  God  was  so  angry  with  Herod  for  not  giving 
him  the  glory  of  his  eloquence,  that  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
smote  him  immediately,  and  he  died  a  miserable  death  ;  he  was 
eaten  of  worms,  and  gave  up  the  ghost.  But  if  it  be  very  sin- 
ful for  man  to  take  to  himself  the  glory  of  such  a  qualification 
as  eloquence,  how  much  more  a  man's  taking  to  himself  the 
glory  of  divine  grace,  God's  own  image,  and  that  which  is  in- 
finitely God's  most  excellent,  precious  and  glorious  gift,  and 
man's  highest  honour,  excellency  and  happiness,  whereby  he 
is  partaker  of  the  divine  nature,  and  becomes  a  godlike  crea- 
ture ?  If  God  was  so  jealous  for  the  glory  of  so  small  a  gift,  how 
much  more  for  so  high  an  endowment,  this  being  that  alone,  of 
all  other  things,  by  which  man  becomes  like  God  ?  If  not  gi- 
ving God  the  glory  of  that  which  is  least  honourable,  provokes 
God's  jealousy  ;  much  more  must  not  giving  God  the  elorv  of 

Vol,  VII.  56  *     ' 


442  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

that  which  is  infinitely  the  most  honourable  !  It  is  allowed, 
the  apostle  insists  upon  it,  that  the  primitive  Christians  should 
be  sensible  that  the  glory  of  their  gifts  belonged  to  God,  and 
that  they  made  not  themselves  to  differ.  But  how  small  a  mat- 
ter is  this,  if  they  make  themselves  to  differ  in  that,  which  the 
apostle  says  is  so  much  more  excellent  than  all  gifts  ?  How 
much  more  careful  has  God  shown  himself,  that  men  should 
not  be  more  proud  of  their  virtue,  than  of  any  other  gift  ?  see 
Deut.  ix.  4.  Luke  xviii.  9.  and  innumerable  other  places.  And 
the  apostle  plainly  teaches  us  to  ascribe  to  God  the  glory,  not 
only  of  our  redemption,  but  of  our  wisdom,  righteousness  and 
sanctification  ;  1  Cor.  i.  29,  30,  31.  Again,  the  apostle  plainly 
directs,  that  all  that  glory  in  their  virtue,  should  glory  in  the 
Lord,  2  Cor.  x.  17.  It  is  glorying  in  virtue  and  virtuous  deeds 
he  is  there  speaking  of;  and  it  is  plain,  that  the  apostle  uses 
the  expression  of  glorying  in  the  Lord,  in  such  a  sense,  as  to 
imply  ascribing  the  glory  of  our  virtue  to  God.  The  doctrine 
of  men's  being  the  determining  causes  of  their  own  virtue, 
teaches  them  not  to  do  so  much  as  even  the  proud  Pharisee 
did,  who  thanked  God  for  making  him  to  differ  from  other 
men  in  virtue,  Luke  xvii.  See  Gen.  xli.  15,  16  ;  Job  xi.  12  ; 
Dan.  ii.  25. 

§  5.  The  Arminian  doctrine,  and  the  doctrine  of  our  new 
philosophers,  concerning  the  habits  of  virtue  being  only  by 
custom,  discipline,  and  gradual  culture,  joined  with  the  other 
doctrine,  that  the  obtaining  of  these  habits  in  those  that  have 
time  for  it  is  in  every  man's  power,  according  to  their  doctrine 
of  the  freedom  of  will,  tends  exceedingly  to  cherish  presump- 
tion in  sinners,  while  in  health  and  vigour,  and  tends  to  their 
utter  despair,  in  sensible  approaches  of  death  by  sickness  or 
old  age. 

§  6.  The  questions  relating  to  efficacious  grace,  controverted 
between  us  and  the  Arminians,  are  two  :  1.  Whether  the  grace 
of  God,  in  giving  us  saving  virtue,  be  determining  and  deci- 
sive. 2.  Whether  saving  virtue  be  decisively  given  by  a  super- 
natural and  sovereign  operation  of  the  spirit  ©f  God:  or,  whether 
it  be  only  by  such  a  divine  influence  or  assistance,  as  is  im- 
parted in  the  course  of  common  providence,  either  according 
to  established  laws  of  nature,  or  established  laws  of  God's  uni- 
versal providence  towards  mankind  :  i.  e.  either,  1.  Assistance 
which  is  given  in  all  natural  actions,  wherein  men  do  merelv 
exercise  and  improve  the  principles  and  laws  of  nature,  and 
come  to  such  attainments  as  are  connected  with  such  exerci- 
ses by  the  mere  laws  of  nature.  For  there  is  an  assistance  in 
all  such  natural  actions ;  because  it  is  by  a  divine  influence 
that  the  laws  of  nature  are  upheld  ;  and  a  constant  concurrence 
of  divine  power  is  necessary  in  order  to  our  living,  moving,  or 
having  a  beinsr.     This  we  mav  <nall  a  natural  assistance.     Or. 


MISCELLANEOUS   REMARKS.  443 

'2.  That  assistance  which,  though  it  be  something  besides  the 
upholding  of  the  laws  of  nature,  (which  take  place  in  all  affairs 
of  life,)  is  yet,  by  a  divine  universal  constitution  in  this  parti- 
cular affair  of  religion,  so  connected  with  those  voluntary  exer- 
cises which  result  from  this  mere  natural  assistance,  that  by 
this  constitution  it  indiscriminately  extends  to  all  mankind, 
and  is  certainly  connected  with  such  exercises  and  improve- 
ments as  those  just  mentioned,  by  a  certain  established  known 
rule,  as  much  as  any  of  the  laws  of  nature.  This  kind  of  as- 
sistance, though  many  Arminians  call  it  a  supernatural  assist- 
ance, differs  little  or  nothing  from  that  natural  assistance  that 
is  established  by  a  law  of  nature.  The  law  so  established,  is 
only  a  particular  law  of  nature;  as  some  of  the  laws  of  nature  are 
more  general  others  more  particular:  But  this  establishment, 
which  they  suppose  to  be  by  divine  promise,  differs  nothing  at  all 
from  many  other  particular  laws  of  nature,  except  only  in  this 
circumstance  of  the  established  constitutions  being  revealed  in 
the  word  of  God,  while  others  are  left  to  be  discovered  only  by 
experience. 

The  Calvinists  suppose  otherwise  ;  they  suppose  that  divine 
influence  and  operation,  by  which  saving  virtue  is  obtained, 
is  entirely  different  from,  and  above  common  assistance,  or 
that  which  is  given  in  a  course  of  ordinary  providence,  accord- 
ing to  universally  established  laws  of  nature.  They  suppose 
a  principle  of  saving  virtue  is  immediately  imparted  and  im- 
planted by  that  operation,  which  is  sovereign  and  efficacious 
in  this  respect,  that  its  effect  proceeds  not  from  any  establish- 
ed laws  of  nature.  I  mention  this  as  an  entirely  different, 
question  from  the  other,  viz.  Whether  the  grace  of  God,  by 
which  we  obtain  saving  virtue,  is  determining  or  decisive. 
For  that  it  may  be,  if  it  be  given  wholly  in  a  course  of  nature,  or 
by  such  an  operation  as  is  limited  and  regulated  perfectly  ac- 
cording to  established  invariable  laws.  For  none  will  dispute 
that  many  things  are  brought  to  pass  by  God  in  this  manner, 
that  are  decisively  ordered  by  him,  and  are  brought  to  pass  by 
his  determining  providence. 

§  7.  The  controversy,  as  it  relates  to  efficacious  grace  in  this 
sense,  includes  in  it  these  four  questions. 

1.  Whether  saving  virtue  differs  from  common  virtue,  or  such 
virtue  as  those  have  that  are  not  in  a  state  of  salvation,  in 
nature   and    kind,  or   only  in  degree  and  circumstances  ? 

2.  Whether  a  holy  disposition  of  heart,  as  an  internal  govern- 
ing principle  of  life  and  practice,  be  immediately  implanted  or 
infused  in  the  soul,  or  only  be  contracted  by  repeated  acts, 
and  obtained   by  human  culture  and  improvement? 

3.  Whether  conversion,  or  the  change  of  a  person  from  being 
a  vicious  or  wicked  man,  to  a  truly  virtuous  character,  be  in- 
stantaneous or  gradual  ? 


Jil  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

4.  Whether  the  divine  assistance  or  influence,  by  which  men 
obtain  true  and  saving  virtue,  be  sovereign  and  arbitrary,  or, 
whether  God,  in  giving  this  assistance  and  its  effects,  limits 
himself  to  certain  exact  and  stated  rules  revealed  in  his  word, 
and  established  by  his  promises  ? 

§  8.  Eph.  i.  19,  20.  "  What  is  the  exceeding  greatness  of 
his  power  to  us-ward,  according  to  the  working  of  his  mighty 
power,"  or  the  effectual  working,  as  the  word  signifies.— 
These  words,  according  to  the  effectual  working  of  his  power, 
we  shall  find  applied  to  conversion,  to  growth  in  grace,  and  to 
raising  us  up  at  last.  You  have  them  applied  to  conversion, 
Eph.  iii.  7.  "  Whereof  I  was  made  a  minister,  according  to  the 
gift  of  the  grace  of  God  given  to  me,  by  the  effectual  working 
of  his  power."  So  likewise  to  growth  in  grace,  Eph.  iv.  10. 
-1  The  whole  body  increaseth  with  the  increase  of  God,  by  the 
effectual  ivorking  in  the  measure  of  every  part."  And  to  the 
resurrection  to  glory  at  the  last  day,  Philip,  iii. 21.  "He  will 
change  our  vile  bodies,  according  to  the  effectual  icorking  of 
his  mighty  power,  whereby  he  is  able  to  subdue  all  things  to 
himself."  It  was  natural  for  the  apostle  to  put  them  in  mind 
of  the  power  of  God  manifested  in  their  conversion,  as  he 
would  strengthen  their  faith  in  his  power  to  raise  them  at  the 
last  day,  and  glorify  them  to  eternity.  Besides,  what  the 
apostle  says  in  the  continuation  of  his  discourse,  explains  his 
meaning,  and  puts  the  matter  of  his  intending  to  include  the 
power  of  God  manifested  in  their  conversion,  out  of  all  doubt : 
as,  in  the  very  next  sentence,  "  and  you  hath  he  quickened, 
who  were  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins  ;"  and  every  word  that  fol- 
lows to  the  end  of  the  second  chapter,  confirms  the  same  thing. 

§  9.  Some  pretend,  that  in  this  expression,  (Col.  ii.  13.) 
through  the  faith  of  the  operation  of  God,  there  is  no  respect 
to  God's  operation  as  the  efficient  cause  of  faith  ;  but  only  to 
the  operation  of  God  that  raised  Christ,  as  the  object  of  faith, 
which  believes  that  power  and  operation  as  it  was  manifested 
in  raising  Christ,  and  which  is  believed  to  be  sufficient  to  raise 
us  up  also.  But  that  the  apostle  means  the  operation  of  God 
in  giving  faith,  appears  by  verse  11,  which  introduces  these 
words,  where  the  apostle  says,  "  In  whom  ye  are  circumcised 
with  the  circumcision  made  without  hands,  in  putting  off  the 
body  of  the  sins  of  the  flesh,  by  the  circumcision  of  Christ." 
This  phrase,  made  without  hands,  in  scripture,  always  denotes 
God's  immediate  power,  above  the  course  of  nature,  and 
above  second  causes.  Thus,  when  he  speaks  of  heaven, 
2  Cor.  v.  1.  he  calls  it  "  an  house  not  made  with  hands ;" 
and  in  Heb.  ix.  11.  the  human  nature  of  Christ,  which  was 
framed  by  so  wonderful  and  supernatural  a  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  is  said  to  be   a  "tabernacle  made  without    hands."* 

*  Sp^  Dr.  Goodwin"?  Works,  vol.  i.  p.  298,  &?. 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  44-3 

{>  10.  It  is  a  doctrine  mightily  in  vogue,  that  God  has  pro- 
mised his  saving  grace  to  men's  sincere  endeavours  in  praying 
for  it,  and  using  proper  means  to  obtain  it ;  and  so,  that  it  is 
not  God's  mere  will  that  determines  the  matter,  whether  we 
have  saving  grace  or  not ;  but  that  the  matter  is  left  with  us, 
to  be  determined  by  the  sincerity  of  our  endeavours. 

But  there  is  vast  confusion  in  all  talk  of  this  kind,  for  want 
of  its  being  well  explained  what  is  meant  by  sincerity  of 
endeavour,  and  through  men's  deceiving  themselves  by  using 
words  without  a  meaning.  I  think  the  scripture  knows  of  but 
one  sort  of  sincerity  in  religion,  and  that  is  a  truly  pious  or 
holy  sincerity.  The  Bible  suggests  no  notion  of  any  other  sort 
of  sincere  obedience,  or  any  other  sincerity  of  endeavours,  or 
any  doings  whatsoever  in  religion,  than  doing  from  love  to 
God  and  true  love  to  our  duty.  As  to  those  who  endeavour 
and  take  pains,  (let  them  do  ever  so  much,)  but  yet  do  nothing 
freely,  or  from  any  true  love  to,  or  delight  in  God,  or  free  in- 
clination to  virtue,  but  wholly  for  by-ends,  and  from  sinister 
and  mercenary  views,  as  being  driven  and  forced  against  their 
inclination,  or  induced  by  regard  to  things  foreign  ;  I  say,  re- 
specting such  as  these,  I  find  nothing  in  scripture  that  should 
lead  us  to  call  them  honest  and  sincere  in  their  endeavours. 
I  doubt  not  but  that  the  scripture  promises  supernatural,  truly 
divine  and  saving  blessings,  to  such  a  sincerity  of  endeavour 
as  arises  from  true  love  to  our  duty.  But  then,  as  1  appre- 
hend, this  is  only  to  promise  more  saving  grace  to  him  that 
seeks  it  in  the  exercise  of  saving  grace,  agreeable  to  that  re- 
peated saying  of  our  Saviour,  "  to  him  that  hath  shall  be  given, 
and  he  shall  have  more  abundance."  Persons,  in  seeking 
grace  with  sincerity,  ask  in  faith  ;  they  seek  these  blessings  in 
the  exercise  of  a  saving  faith.  And,  I  suppose,  promises  are 
made  to  no  sincerity,  but  what  implies  this. 

§  11.  On  the  supposition  that  the  promises  of  saving  grace 
are  made  to  some  other  sincerity  of  endeavour  than  that  which 
implies  true  saving  piety  of  heart,  they  must  be  made  to  an  un- 
determined condition,  and  so  be  in  effect  no  promises  at  all. 
If  there  be  any  thing  else  worthy  to  be  called  sincerity,  in  en- 
deavouring after  holiness,  but  a  free,  pious  inclination,  or  true 
regard  and  love  to  holiness,  nothing  better  can  be  mentioned 
than  this,  viz.  endeavours  after  holiness,  from  a  real  willingness 
of  heart  to  put  forth  those  endeavours/or  the  agent's  own  sake, 
for  such  ends  as  prudence  and  self-love  would  propose  ;  such 
as,  his  own  eternal  interest,  salvation  from  everlasting  misery, 
&c.  But  the  thing  that  truly  in  this  case  denominates  the  en- 
deavour sincere,  is  the  reality  of  the  will  or  disposition  of  heart 
to  endeavour,  and  not  the  goodness  of  the  will  or  disposition. 
Now,  if  this  be  the  sincerity  of  endeavour  which  is  meant,  when 
men  talk  of  its  being  the  condition  of  peremptory  and  decisive 


440  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

promises  of  saving  grace,  then  it  never  has  yet  been  told,  and 
I  suppose,  never  will  or  can  be  told,  what  the  condition  of  the 
promise  is. 

The  thing  that  needs  to  be  determined,  in  order  to  know  this 
condition,  is,  how  great  a  degree  of  this  sort  of  sincerity  or  real 
willingness  of  heart  to  endeavour,  a  man  must  have,  to  be  en- 
titled to  the  promise.  For  there  can  be  no  question,  but  that 
the  multitudes  who  live  in  gross  wickedness,  and  are  men  of  a 
very  debauched  flagitious  behaviour,  have  some  degree  of  it ; 
and  every  man  whatsoever,  that  uses  any  endeavour  at  all  for 
his  salvation,  or  ever  performs  any  religious  duty,  to  the  end 
that  he  may  go  to  heaven,  and  not  to  hell,  has  this  sincerity. 
For  whatever  men  do  voluntarily  for  this  end,  they  do  from  a 
real  willingness  and  disposition  of  heart  to  do  it;  for  if  they 
were  not  willing  to  do  it,  they  would  not  do  it.  There  surely 
are  no  voluntary  actions  performed  without  men's  being  willing 
to  perform  them.  And  is  there  any  man  that  will  assert,  that 
God  has  absolutely  or  peremptorily  promised  his  saving  grace 
to  any  man  that  ever  stirs  hand  or  foot,  or  thinks  one  thought 
in  order  to  his  salvation  ? 

§  12.  And,  on  the  other  hand,  as  to  those  that  go  furthest  in 
their  endeavours,  still  they  fail,  in  numberless  instances,  of  ex- 
ercising this  kind  of  sincerity,  consisting  in  reality  of  will. 
For  such  are  guilty  of  innumerable  sins  ;  and  every  man  that 
commits  sin,  by  so  doing,  instead  of  being  sincerely  willing  to 
do  his  duty,  sincerely  wills  the  contrary.  For  so  far  as  any 
actions  of  his  are  his  sin,  so  far  his  will  is  in  what  he  does. 
No  action  is  imputed  to  us  any  further  than  it  is  voluntary,  and 
involves  the  real  disposition  of  the  heart.  The  man,  in  this 
painful  endeavour,  fails  continually  of  his  duty,  or  (which  is 
the  same  thing)  of  perfect  obedience.  And  so  far  as  he 
does  so,  he  fails  of  sincerity  of  endeavour.  No  man  is  any 
further  defective  in  his  obedience,  than  as  he  is  defective  in 
sincerity  ;  for  there  the  defect  lies,  viz.  in  his  will,  and  the 
disposition  of  his  heart.  If  men  were  perfect  in  these,  that 
would  be  the  same  thing  as  to  be  perfect  in  obedience,  or 
complete  in  holiness.  Nothing,  either  of  omission  or  com- 
mission, is  sin,  any  further  than  it  includes  the  real  disposition 
and  will ;  and  therefore,  no  men  are  any  further  sinful,  than 
as  they  are  sincere  in  sinning ;  and  so  far  as  they  are  sincere 
in  sinning,  so  far  they  are  deficient  of  sincerely  endeavouring 
their  duty.  Now,  therefore,  where  are  the  bounds  to  which 
men  must  come,  in  order  to  be  entitled  to  the  promise  ? 
Some  have  a  faint  sincerity  of  endeavour,  who  none  do  sup- 
pose are  entitled  to  the  promise.  And  those  that  have  most 
sincerity  of  endeavour,  do  greatly  fail  of  that  degree  of 
sincerity  that  they  ought  to  have,  or  fall  short  of  that  which 
God  requires.     And  there  are  infinite  degrees  between  these 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  447 

two  classes.  And  if  every  degree  or  strength  of  endeavour  is 
not  sufficient,  and  yet  some  certain  degree  of  it,  greatly  short 
of  that  which  God  requires,  is  sufficient,  then  let  it  be  deter- 
mined, what  that  degree  is. 

§  13.  Some  have  determined  thus,  that  if  men  sincerely  en- 
deavour to  do  what  they  can,  God  has  promised  to  help  them 
to  do  more,  &c.  But  this  question  remains  to  be  resolved, 
whether  the  condition  of  the  promise  be,  that  he  shall  sincerely 
endeavour  to  do  what  he  can,  constantly,  or  only  sometimes. 
For  there  is  no  man  that  sincerely  endeavours  to  do  his  duty  to 
the  utmost  constantly,  with  this  sort  of  sincerity  consisting  in 
reality  of  will  so  to  do.  If  he  did,  he  would  perfectly  do  his 
duty  at  all  times.  For,  as  was  observed  before,  nothing  else  is 
required  but  the  will ;  and  men  never  fail  of  their  duty,  or 
commit  sin,  but  when  their  real  will  is  to  sin.  But,  if  the 
condition  of  the  promise,  be  sincerely  doing  what  they  can 
sometimes,  then  it  should  be  declared  how  often,  or  how  great 
a  part  of  the  time  of  man's  life,  he  must  exercise  this  sincerity. 
It  is  manifest,  that  men  fail  of  their  duty  every  day,  yea,  con- 
tinually ;  and,  therefore,  that  there  is  a  continual  defect  of  sin- 
cerity of  endeavour  in  the  practice  of  duty. 

If  it  should  be  said,  that  the  condition  of  the  promise  of 
saving  grace  is,  that,  take  one  time  with  another,  and  one  duty 
with  another,  the  sincerity  of  their  will  should  be  chiefly  in 
favour  of  their  duty  ;  or,  in  other  words,  that  they  should  be 
sincere  in  endeavours  to  do  more  than  half  their  duty,  though 
they  sincerely  neglect  the  rest :  I  would  inquire,  where  they 
find  such  promises  as  these  in  the  Bible  ?  Besides,  I  think  it 
can  be  demonstrated,  that  there  is  not  a  man  on  earth,  that 
ever  comes  up  half  way  to  what  the  law  of  God  requires  of 
him ;  and,  consequently,  that  there  is  in  all  more  want  of  sin- 
cerity, than  any  actual  possession  of  it.  But,  whether  it  be  so 
or  no,  how  does  it  appear,  that  if  men  are  sincere  in  endea- 
vours, with  respect  to  more  than  half  their  duty,  God  has  pro- 
mised them  saving  mercy  and  grace,  though,  through  a  defect 
of  their  sincerity,  the  rest  be  neglected  ? 

§  14.  But  if  we  suppose  the  sincerity  to  which  divine  pro- 
mises are  made,  implies  a  true  freedom  of  the  heart  in  religious 
endeavours  and  performances,  consisting  in  love  to  God  and 
holiness,  inclining  our  hearts  to  our  duty  for  its  own  sake,  here 
is  something  determinate  and  precise ;  as  a  title  to  the  benefit 
promised,  does  not  depend  on  any  particular  degree  of  sincerity 
to  be  found  out  by  difficult  and  unsearchable  rules  of  mathe- 
matical calculation,  but  on  the  nature  of  it ;  this  sincerity 
being  a  thing  of  an  entirely  distinct  nature  and  kind  from  any 
thing  that  is  to  be  found  in  those  men  who  have  no  interest  in 
the  promises.  If  men  know  they  have  this  sincerity,  they  may 
know  the  promises  are  theirs,  though  they  may  be  sensible, 


MS  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS. 

they  have  very  much  of  a  contrary  principle  in  their  hearts,  the 
operations  of  which  are  as  real  as  of  this.  This  is  the  only 
sincerity  in  religion  that  the  scripture  makes  any  account  of. 
According  to  the  word  of  God,  then,  and  then  only,  is  there  a 
sincere  universal  obedience,  when  persons  love  all  God's  com- 
mands, and  love  all  those  things  wherein  holiness  consists,  and 
endeavour  after  obedience  to  every  divine  precept,  from  love 
and  of  free  choice.  Otherwise,  in  scripture  account,  there  is 
nothing  but  sincere  disobedience  and  rebellion,  without  any 
sincerity  of  the  contrary.  For  their  disobedience  is  of  free 
choice,  from  sincere  love  to  sin,  and  delight  in  wickedness. 
But  their  refraining  from  some  sins,  and  performing  some  ex- 
ternal duties,  is  without  the  least  degree  of  free  choice  and 
sincere  love. 

If  here  it  should  be  said,  that  men  who  have  no  piety  of 
heart  in  a  saving  degree,  yet  may  have  some  degree  of  love  to 
virtue  ;  and  it  should  be  insisted,  that  mankind  are  born  with 
a  moral  sense,  which  implies  a  natural  approbation  of,  and 
love  to  virtue  ;  and,  therefore,  men  that  have  not  the  principle 
of  love  to  God,  and  virtue,  established  to  that  degree  as  to  be 
truly  pious  men,  and  entitled  to  heaven,  yet  may  have  such 
degrees  as  to  engage  them,  with  ingenuous  sincerity,  and  free 
inclination,  to  seek  after  further  degrees  of  virtue,  and  so  with 
a  sincerity  above  that  which  has  been  mentioned,  viz.  a  real 
willingness  to  use  endeavours  from  fear  and  self-interest : — It 
may  be  replied,  if  this  be  allowed,  it  will  not  at  all  help  the 
matter.  For  still  the  same  question  returns,  viz.  what  degree 
of  this  sincerity  is  it  that  constitutes  the  precise  condition  of 
the  promise  ?  It  is  supposed,  that  all  mankind  have  this  moral 
sense ;  but  yet  it  is  not  supposed  that  all  mankind  are  entitled 
to  the  promises  of  saving  mercy.  Therefore,  the  promises 
depend,  as  above  noticed,  on  the  degree  of  sincerity,  under 
the  same  difficulties,  and  with  the  same  intricacies,  and  all  the 
forementioned  unfixedness  and  uncertainty.  And  other  things 
concerning  this  sincerity,  besides  the  degree  of  it,  are  unde- 
termined, viz.  how  constant  this  degree  of  sincerity  of  endea- 
vour must  be  ;  how  long  it  must  be  continued,  and  how  early 
it  must  be  begun.  Thus,  it  appears  that,  on  the  supposition  of 
God's  having  made  any  promises  of  saving  grace  to  the  sincere 
endeavours  of  ungodly  men,  it  will  follow,  that  such  promises 
are  made  to  an  undetermined  condition.  But  a  supposed  pro- 
mise to  an  undetermined  condition,  is  truly  no  promise  at  all. 
It  is  absurd  to  talk  of  positive  determinate  promises  made  to 
something  not  determined,  or  to  a  condition  that  is  not  fixed  in 
the  promise.  If  the  condition  be  not  decided,  there  is  nothing 
decisive  in  the  affair.  If  the  master  of  a  family  should  give 
forth  such  a  pretended  promise  as  this  to  his  servants,  "  I 
promise,  that  if  any  of  you  will  do  something,   though  1  tell 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS.  14'J 

you  not  what,  I  will  surely  give  him  an  inheritance  among  my 
children  :"  would  this  be  truly  any  promise  at  all  ? 

§  15.  Oh  the  supposition  that  the  promises  of  saving  grace 
are  made  to  some  other  sincerity  of  endeavour,  than  that  which 
implies  truly  pious  sincerity,  the  sovereign  grace  and  will  of 
God  must  determine  the  existence  of  the  condition  of  the, 
promises ;  and  that  in  which  some  are  distinguished  from 
others  ;  none  supposing  that  all  mankind,  without  exception, 
have  this  sincerity  which  is  the  condition  of  the  promises. 
Therefore,  this  sincerity  must  be  a  distinguishing  attainment. 
And  how  is  it  that  some  attain  to  it,  and  not  others?  It  must 
be  in  one  of  these  two  ways;  either  by  the  sovereign  gift  of 
God's  will,  or  by  their  endeavours.  To  say  the  former,  is  to 
give  up  the  point,  and  to  own  that  the  sovereign  grace  and 
will  of  God  determines  the  existence  of  the  condition  of  the 
promises.  But  if  it  be  said,  that  this  distinguishing  sincerity 
is  obtained  by  men's  own  endeavour,  then  I  ask,  what  sort  of 
endeavour  ?  Sincere  endeavour,  or  insincere  ?  None  will  be 
so  absurd,  as  to  say,  that  this  great  condition  of  saving  pro- 
mises is  attained  to  by  insincere  endeavours.  But  if  it  be  said, 
that  distinguishing  sincerity  of  endeavour  is  attained  to  by  dis- 
tinguishing sincere  endeavour,  this  is  to  run  round  in  a  ridicu- 
lous circle  ;  and  still  the  difficulty  remains,  and  the  question 
returns,  how  the  distinguishing  sincerity  that  first  of  all  took 
place  in  the  affair  came  to  have  existence,  otherwise  than  by 
the  determining  grace  of  God  1 

§  16.  If  we  suppose  that  distinguishing  sincerity  of  endea- 
vour, by  which  some  men  are  interested  in  the  promises  of 
saving  grace,  and  not  others,  to  be  some  certain  degree  of  love 
to  virtue,  or  any  thing  else  in  the  disposition  or  exercise  of  the 
heart,  yet  it  must  be  owned,  that  all  men  either  are  alike  by 
nature,  as  to  love  to  virtue,  or  they  are  not.  If  they  are  not, 
but  some  have  naturally  a  greater  love  to  virtue  than  others, 
and  this  determines  some,  rather  than  others,  to  the  requisite 
sincerity  of  endeavour  after  saving  grace  ;  then  God  determines 
the  affair  by  his  sovereign  will ;  for  he,  and  not  men  themselves, 
determines  all  distinguishing  qualifications  or  advantages  that 
men  are  born  with.  Or,  if  there  be  no  difference  naturally, 
but  one  man  is  born  with  the  same  love  to  virtue  as  another, 
then,  how  do  some  men  first  attain  to  more  of  this  love  to 
virtue  than  others,  and  so  possess  that  distinguishing  sincerity 
of  endeavour  which  consists  in  it  ?  To  say  it  arises  from  a 
previous  distinguishing  sincerity  of  endeavour,  attempt,  desire, 
or  will,  is  a  contradiction.  Therefore,  it  must  proceed  from 
the  determining  grace  of  God  ;  which  being  allowed,  the  great 
point  in  dispute  is  allowed. 

§  17.  The  assistance  by  which  God  assists  a  drunkard  that 
goes  to  the  tavern,  and  there  drinks  excessively,  or  by  which 

Vol.  VII.  57 


150  Mis<  ELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

he  assists  an  adulterer  or  pirate  in  their  actions,  is,  that  he  up- 
holds the  laws  of  nature,  the  laws  of  the  nature  of  the  human 
soul,  whereby  it  is  able  to  perform  such  and  such  acts  in  such 
order  and  dependence ;  and  the  laws  of  the  union  of  soul  and 
body  ;  and  moves  the  body  in  such  a  stated  manner  in  conse- 
quence of  such  acts  of  the  soul,  and  upholds  the  laws  of  mo- 
tion, and  causes  that  there  shall  be  such  and  such  effects  in 
corporeal  things,  and,  also,  of  men's  minds  in  consequence  ot 
.such  motions.  All  the  difference  is,  it  seems,  that  the  assist- 
ance which  he  grants  in  the  duties  of  religion,  is  according  to 
a  newer  establishment  than  the  other,  according  to  a  method 
established  a  little  later ;  and,  also,  that  the  method  of  assist- 
ance, in  the  one  case,  is  written  and  revealed  by  way  of  pro- 
mise, or  covenant,  and  not  in  the  other. 

J*ut  if  it  be  said,  that  though  God  has  promised  assistance, 
yet  he  has  not  promised  the  exact  degree,  as,  notwithstanding 
his  promise,  he  has  left  himself  at  liberty  to  assist  some,  much 
more  than  others,  in  consequence  of  the  very  same  endeavour  : 
I  answer,  that  this  will  prove  a  giving  up  of  their  whole  scheme, 
and  will  infallibly  bring  in  the  Calvinistical  notion  of  sovereign 
and  arbitrary  grace  ;  whereby  some,  with  the  very  same  since- 
rity of  endeavour,  with  the  same  degree  of  endeavour,  and  the 
same  use  of  means,  nay,  although  all  things  are  exactly  equal 
in  both  cases,  both  as  to  their  persons  and  behaviour ;  yet  one 
has  that  success  by  sovereign  grace  and  God's  arbitrary  plea- 
sure, that  is  not  given  to  another.     If  God  has  left  himself  no 
liberty  of  sovereign  grace  in  giving  success  to  man's  endea- 
vours, but  his  consequent  assistance  be  always  tied  to  such 
endeavours  precisely,  then  man's  success  is  just  as  much  in  his 
own  power,  and  is  in  the  same  way  the  fruit  of  his  own  doings, 
as  the  effect  and  fulfilment  of  his  endeavours  to  commit  adul- 
tery or  murder  ;   and  indeed,  much  more.      For  his  success  in 
those  endeavours  may    be  providentially  disappointed.      Al- 
though  particular  motions  follow  such  and  such  acts  of  will, 
in  such  a  state  of  body,  exactly  according  to  certain  laws  of 
nature ;   yet  a  man's  success  in  such  wickedness,  is  not  at  all 
tied  to  his  endeavours  by  any  divine  establishment,  as  the  Ar- 
minians  suppose  success  is  to  man's  endeavours  after  conver- 
sion.    For  the  Spirit  of  God,  by  assisting  in  the  alleged  man- 
ner, becomes  not  the  efficient  cause  of  those  things,  as  the 
scriptures  do  certainly  represent  him.     If  God  be  not  the  pro- 
per bestower,  author,  and  efficient  cause  of  virtue,  then  the 
greatest  benefits  flow  not  from  him ;   are  not  owing  to  his 
goodness ;    nor  have  we  him  to  thank  for  them. 

§  18.  Dr.  Whitby's  inconsistence  appears  in  that  one  while, 
when  he  is  disputing  against  the  decree  of  election,  he  main- 
tains that  the  epistles,  where  the  apostle  speaks  to  the  elect, 
written  to  the  cot  onlv  ■    because  then  it  stiiis 


»i  E :>  I ■  :  !    i  \*EOl  3    n  ESI  ARKS»  1.31 

hrs  turn,  that  the  persons  addressed  should  not  be  converted. 
.But,  afterward,  when  disputing  against  efficacious  grace,  he 
maintains,  that  where  the  apostle  says,  "  God  worketh  in  you 
both  to  will  and  to  do,"  &.c.  Philip,  ii.  13.  he  speaks  only  to 
them  that  are  converted,  p.  288.  Again,  when  it  suits  the 
doctor's  turn,  when  writing  about  perseverance,  then  all  whom 
the  apostles  write  to  are  true  saints.  As  particularly  those  the 
apostle  Peter  writes  to,  that  had  precious  faith,  p.  399.  And 
the  Galatians  addressed  in  Paul's  epistle,  p.  401,402. 

§  19.  Arminians  argue,  that  God  has  obliged  himself  to 
bestow  a  holy  and  saving  disposition,  on  certain  conditions, 
and  that  what  is  given  in  regeneration,  is  given  either  for  na- 
tural men's  asking,  or  for  the  diligent  improvement  of  common 
grace ;  because,  otherwise,  it  would  not  be  our  fault  that  we 
are  without  it,  nor  our  virtue  that  we  have  it.  But  if  this  rea- 
soning is  just,  the  holy  Qualities  obtained  by  the  regenerate, 
are  only  the  fruits  of  virtue,  not  virtues  themselves.  All  the 
virtue  lies  in  asking,  and  in  the  diligent  improvement  of  com- 
mon grace ! 

§20.  Prov.  xxi.  1.  "  The  heart  of  the  king  is  in  the  hand 
of  the  Lord,  as  the  rivers  of  water;  he  turneth  it  whithersoever 
he  will."  This  shows,  that  the  Arminian  notion  of  liberty  of 
will,  is  inconsistent  with  the  scripture  notion  of  God's  provi- 
dence and  government  of  the  world.  See,  also,  Jer.  xxxi.  18. 
"  Turn  me,  and  I  shall  be  turned."  Matt.  vii.  18.  "  A  good 
tree  cannot  bring  forth  evil  fruit ;  neither  can  a  corrupt  tree 
bring  forth  good  fruit."  Let  us  understand  this  how  we  will, 
it  destroys  the  Arminian  notion  of  liberty,  and  virtue  and  vice. 
For,  if  it  means  only  a  great  difficulty,  then  so  much  the  less 
liberty,  and,  therefore,  so  much  the  less  virtue  or  vice.  And 
the  preceding  verse  would  be  false,  which  says,  "  every  good 
tree  bringeth  forth  good  fruit,"  &.c.  Rom.  viii.  6,  7, 8, 9.  "  For 
to  be  carnally  minded,  is  death ;  but  to  be  spiritually  minded, 
is  life  and  peace  :  because  the  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against 
God  ;  for  it  is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed 
can  be.  So,  then,  they  that  are  in  the  flesh,  cannot  please 
God.  But  ye  are  not  in  the  flesh,  but  in  the  Spirit,  if  so  be 
that  the  Spirit  of  God  dwell  in  you.  Now,  if  any  man  have 
not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  his."  The  design  of  the 
apostle,  in  this  place,  overthrows  Arminian  notions  of  liberty, 
virtue,  and  vice.  It  appears,  from  scripture,  that  God  gives 
such  assistance  to  virtue  and  virtuous  acts,  as  to  be  properly  a 
determining  assistance,  so  as  to  determine  the  effect ;  which 
is  inconsistent  with  the  Arminian  notion  of  liberty.  The 
scripture  shows,  that  God's  influence  in  the  case  is  such,  that 
he  is  the  cause  of  the  effect :  he  causes  it  to  be  ;  which  shows 
that  his  influence  determine^  the  matter,  whether  it  shall  be  or 


£52  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS, 

not.     Otherwise,  innumerable  expressions  of  scripture  are  ex- 
ceedingly improper,  and  altogether  without  a  meaning. 

§21.  Dr.  Whitby's  notion  of  the  assistance  of  the  Spirit,  is 
of  the  same  sort  with  inspiration.  Whereas,  that  which  I 
suppose  is  the  true  notion,  is  entirely  different.  Consequently, 
their  notion  is  much  more  enthusiastical,  does  much  better 
agree  with,  and  much  more  expose  to  pernicious  enthusiasm, 
than  ours.  Hence  we  find,  that  the  grossest  enthusiasts  are 
generally  Arminians  in  the  doctrines  of  free  will,  &c. 

§  22.  Scripture  expressions  are  every  where  contrary  to  the 
Arminian  scheme,  according  to  all  use  of  language  in  the 
world  in  these  days.  But  then  they  have  their  refuge  here. 
They  say,  the  ancient  figures  of  speech  are  exceedingly  diverse 
from  ours ;  and  that  we,  in  this  distant '  age,  cannot  judge  at 
all  of  the  true  sense  of  expressions  used  so  long  ago,  but  by  a 
skill  in  antiquity,  and  being  versed  in  ancient  history,  and  cri- 
tically skilled  in  the  ancient  languages  ;  not  considering  that 
scriptures  were  written  for  us  in  these  ages  on  whom  the  ends 
of  the  world  are  come  ;  yea,  were  designed  chiefly  for  the  latter 
age  of  the  world,  in  which  they  shall  have  their  chief,  and, 
comparatively,  almost  all  their  effect.  They  were  written  for 
God's  people  in  those  ages,  of  whom,  at  least  ninety-nine  in 
an  hundred  must  be  supposed  incapable  of  such  knowledge, 
by  their  circumstances  and  education  ;  and  nine  hundred  and 
ninety-nine  in  a  thousand  of  God's  people,  that  hitherto  have 
been  saved  by  the  scriptures.  It  is  easy,  by  certain  methods 
of  interpretation,  to  refine  and  criticise  any  book  to  a  sense 
most  foreign  to  the  mind  of  the  author. 

§  23.  The  vast  pretences  of  Arminians  to  an  accurate  and 
clear  view  of  the  scope  and  design  of  the  sacred  penmen,  and 
a  critical  knowledge  of  the  original,  will  prove  for  ever  vain 
and  insufficient  to  help  them  against  such  clear  evidence  as 
the  scripture  exhibits  concerning  efficacious  grace.  I  desire 
it  may  be  shown,  if  it  can  be,  that  ever  any  terms  fuller  and 
stronger,  are  used  more  frequently,  or  in  greater  variety,  to 
signify  God's  being  the  author,  efficient  and  bestower  of  any 
kind  of  benefit,  than  as  to  the  bestowment  of  true  virtue  or 
goodness  of  heart,  the  giving  the  means  of  grace  and  salvation  ; 
the  giving  Christ,  and  providing  means  of  salvation  in  him? 
Yea,  1  know  of  no  one  thing  in  scripture  wherein  such  signi- 
ficant, strong  expressions  are  used,  in  so  great  variety,  or  one 
half  so  often,  as  the  bestowment  of  this  benefit  of  true  good- 
ness and  piety  of  heart.  But,  after  all,  we  must  be  faced 
down  in  it  with  vast  confidence,  that  the  scriptures  do  not  im- 
ply any  more  than  only  exhibiting  means  of  instruction,  leaving 
the  determining  and  proper  causing  of  the  effect  wholly  with 
man,  as  the  only  proper  efficient  and  determining  cause;  and 
that  the  current  of  scripture  is  all  against  us  :  and  that  it  i*  be- 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  453 

cause  we  do  not  understand  language,  and  are  bigots  and 
fools  for  imagining  any  such  thing  as  that  the  scriptures  say 
any  thing  of  that  nature ;  and  because  the  divines  on  our  side 
do  not  understand  Greek,  and  do  not  lay  the  scripture  before 
them,  nor  mind  the  scope  of  scripture,  nor  consider  the  con- 
nexion, &c.  &c.  Perhaps  it  will  be  said,  that  everyone  of 
those  scriptures,  which  are  brought  to  prove  efficacious 
grace,  may  have  another  interpretation,  found  out  by  careful 
and  critical  examination.  But,  alas!  is  that  the  way  of  the 
Most  High's  instructing  mankind,  to  use  such  a  multitude  of 
expressions  in  different  languages  and  various  different  ages, 
all  which,  in  their  natural  and  most  common  acceptation,  in 
all  languages,  nations  and  ages,  must  undoubtedly  be  under- 
stood in  a  particular  sense ;  yea,  that  the  whole  thread  and 
current  of  all  that  God  says  according  to  the  use  of  speech 
among  mankind,  tends  to  lead  to  such  an  understanding,  and 
so  unavoidably  leads  his  people  in  all  ages  into  such  an  under- 
standing ;  but  yet,  that  he  means  no  such  thing ;  intending 
only  that  the  true  meaning  should  not  be  found  out,  but  by 
the  means  of  acute  criticism,  which  might  possibly  hit  upon 
the  strange,  unusual,  and  surprising  meaning? 

§  "24.  Instead  of  persons  being  the  determining  and  efficient 
causes  of  their  own  virtue  and  piety,  after  all  the  moral  means 
God  uses  with  man  :  Let  us  suppose  some  third  person  be- 
tween God  and  the  subject  of  this  gift  of  virtue,  to  be  in  the 
very  same  manner  the  sovereignly  determining  cause  and 
efficient  of  virtue ;  that  he  had  power  to  bestow  it  on  us,  or 
cause  us  to  be  the  subjects  of  it,  just  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
Arminians  suppose  we  ourselves  have  power  to  be  the  causes 
of  our  being  the  subjects  of  virtue ;  and  that  it  depended  on 
this  third  person's  free-will,  just  in  the  same  manner  as  now 
they  suppose  our  having  virtue  depends  on  our  own  free-will ; 
and  that  God  used  moral  means  with  that  third  person  to  be- 
stow virtue  on  us,  just  in  the  same  manner  that  he  uses  moral 
means  to  persuade  us  to  cause  virtue  in  ourselves,  and  the  moral 
means  had  the  like  tendency  to  operate  on  his  will  as  on  ours ; 
but  finally,  it  was  left  entirely  to  his  free-will  to  be  the  sole 
determining  cause  whether  we  should  have  virtue,  without  any 
such  influence  on  his  will  as  in  the  least  to  insure  his  sove- 
reignty, and  arbitrary  disposal,  and  perfectly  free  self-deter- 
mination ;  and  it  should  be  left  contingent,  whether  he  would 
bestow  it  or  not ;  and,  in  these  circumstances,  this  third  person 
should  happen  to  determine  in  our  favour,  and  bestow  virtue : 
Now,  I  ask,  would  it  be  proper  to  ascribe  the  matter  so  wholly 
to  God,  in  such  strong  terms,  and  in  such  a  great  variety  ;  to 
ascribe  it  so  entirely  to  him  as  his  gift ;  to  pray  to  him  before- 
hand for  it ;  to  give  him  thanks,  to  give  him  all  the  glory,  &c? 
On  the  contrary,  would  not  this  determining  cause,  whose  ar° 


454  ellaneous  remarks. 

bitrary,  self-determined,  self-possessed  sovereign  will,  decided 
the  matter,  be  properly  looked  upon  as  the  main  cause,  vastly 
the  most  proper  cause,  the  truest  author  and  bestower  of  the 
benefit?  would  not  he  be,  as  it  were,  all  in  the  cause?  would 
not  the  glory  properly  belong  to  him,  on  whose  pleasure  the 
determination  of  the  matter  properly  depended  ? 

§  25.    By  regeneration,   being  new  creatures,   raised  from 
death  in  sin,  in  the  New  Testament,  is  now  meant  according 
to  Dr.  Taylor,  merely  persons  being  brought  into  the  state  and 
privileges  of  professing  Christians.     When  Christ  says   unto 
Nicodemus,  John  iii.  3.  'l  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  except 
a  man  be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God ;" 
he  does  not  mean  merely,  that  unless  a  man  be  brought  to  a 
participation  of  the  new  state  and  privileges  of  the  Christian 
church,  he  cannot  enter  on  the  possession  and  privileges  of  the 
Christian  church  ;  for  that  would  be  nonsense,  and  only  to  say, 
unless  a  man  be  born  again,  he  cannot  be  born  again  ;  or,  unless 
a  man  enter  into  the  new  state  of  things  as  erected  by  the  Mes- 
siah, he  cannot  enter  on  the  new  state  of  things  as  erected  by  the 
Messiah.    Nor  can  he  mean,  that  unless  a  man  be  a  professing 
Christian,  he  cannot  see  the  future  and  eternal  privileges  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  ;  for  he  supposes  many  heathens  will  see 
the  kingdom  of  God  in  that  sense.     And  how  unreasonable 
would  it  be  to  suppose  that  Christ  would  teach  this  doctrine  of 
the  necessity  of  being  instated  in  his  new-modelled  church,  as 
such  a  great,  important,  and  main  doctrine  of  his  !     See  how 
evidently  being  born  of  God  signifies  something  else  than  a  be- 
ing brought  into  the  state  of  professing  Christians  ;     1  John 
ii.  29.  "  If  ye  know  that  he  is  righteous,  ye  know  that  every  one" 
that  doth  righteousness  is  born  of  him."  Chap.  iii.  9.  "  Whoso- 
ever is  born  of  God,  doth*  not  commit  sin  ;  for  his  seed  remain- 
eth  in  him,  and  he  cannot  sin,  because  he  is  born  of  God." 
Chap.  iv.  7.  "  Every  one  that  loveth  is  born  of  God,  and  know- 
eth  God."     Chap.  v.  4.     "  Whatsoever  is  born  of  God  over- 
cometh  the  world."     Verse  18.    "  We  know  that  whosoever  is 
born  of  God,  sinneth  not ;  but  he  that  is  begotten  of  God, 
keepeth  himself,  and  that  wicked  one  toucheth  him  not." 

So  it  is  exceeding  apparent,  that  knowing  God,  and  being  of 
God,  and  in  God,  having  this  hope  in  him,  &c.  mean  something 
beside  our  Christian  profession,  and  principles  and  privileges. 
1  John  ii.  3,  &c.  "  Hereby  do  we  know  that  we  know  him,  if 
we  keep  his  commandments.  Whoso  keepeth  his  word,  in  him 
verily  is  the  love  of  God  perfected.  Hereby  know  we  that  we 
are  in  him.''  Chap.  iii.  3.  "  Every  one  that  hath  this  hope  in 
him,  purifieth  himself,  even  as  he  is  pure."  Chap.  iii.  14.  "  We 
know  that  we  have  passed  from  death  unto  life,  because  we 
love  the  brethren."  Chap.  iv.  12.  "  If  we  love  one  another, 
God  dwolleth  in  us." 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  455 

§  26.  Why  does  the  apostle  say,  concerning  apostates,  "  they 
tcere  not  of  us  :  if  they  had  been  of  us,  they  would  no  doubt 
have  continued  with  us  ;  but  they  went  out,  that  they  might  be 
made  manifest  that  they  were  not  all  of  us  :"  if  it  be,  as  Dr. 
Taylor  supposes,  that  professing  Christians  are  indeed  of  the 
society  of  Christians  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  have  all  their 
privileges,  are  truly  the  children  of  God,  members  of  Christ,  of 
the  household  of  God,  saints,  believers  that  have  obtained  like 
precious  faith,  are  all  one  body,  have  one  spirit,  one  faith,  one 
inheritance,  have  their  hearts  purified  and  sanctified,  are  all  the 
children  of  light,  are  all  of  the  household  of  God,  fellow-citizens 
with  the  saints,  have  all  fellowship  with  Christ,  &c.  ? 

§  27.  It  is  true,  the  nation  of  the  Jews  are  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment said  to  be  elected,  called,  created,  made,  formed,  redeem- 
ed, delivered,  saved,  bought,  purchased,  begotten.  But  parti- 
cular Jews  are  no  where  so  spoken  of,  at  least  with  reference 
to  the  same  thing,  viz.  their  national  redemption  when  they 
were  brought  out  of  Egypt.  &c. 

David,  in  the  book  of  Psalms,  though  he  is  so  abundant  there 
in  giving  thanks  to  God  for  his  mercies,  and  is  also  so  frequent 
in  praising  God  for  redeeming  his  people  out  of  Egypt,  and  the 
salvation  he  wrought  for  the  nation  and  Church  of  Israel  at  that 
time ;  yet  he  never  once  blesses  God,  (having  respect  to  that 
salvation,)  that  God  had  chosen  him  and  redeemed  him,  bought 
him,  regenerated  him ;  never  (having  reference  to  that  affair) 
speaks  in  the  language  of  the  apostle,  "  He  loved  me,  and  gave 
himself  for  me  ;"  though  he  often  speaks  of  the  blessedness  of 
those  men  God  had  chosen,  and  caused  to  come  nigh  unto  him, 
agreeably  to  the  language  of  the  New  Testament,  and  often 
blesses  God  for  redeeming  and  saving  him  in  particular  ;  but 
never,  in  any  of  these  things,  has  he  respect  to  those  national 
privileges  ;  nor  indeed  any  other  of  the  penmen  of  the  Psalms ; 
which  is  very  strange,  if  the  privilege  of  being  bought,  made, 
created,  &c.  as  applied  to  the  nation  of  the  Jews,  be  that  which 
the  apostle  in  the  New  Testament  applies  to  himself  in  parti- 
cular, and  which  this  and  the  other  apostles  applied  to  many 
other  particular  persons. 

§  28.  That  professing  Christians  are  said  to  be  sanctified, 
washed,  &c.  does  not  argue,  that  all  professing  Christians  are 
so  in  fact.  For  Taylor  himself  says, "  it  should  be  carefully  ob- 
served, that  it  is  very  common  in  the  sacred  writings,  to  express 
not  only  our  Christian  privileges,  but  also  the  duty  to  which 
they  oblige,  in  the  present  or  preterperfect  tense  ;  or  to  speak 
of  that  as  done,  which  only  ought  to  be  done,  and  which,  in 
fact  may  possibly  never  be  done  :  as  in  Matt.  v.  13.  "  Ye  are 
the  salt  of  the  earth,"  that  is,  ye  ought  to  be.  P^om.  ii.  4,  "  The 
goodness  of  God  leadeth  thee  to  repentance ;"  that  is  ought  to 
lead  thee :  chap.  vi.  2.  chap.  viii.  9.   Col.  jii.  3.  this  overthrows 


•1515  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

all  his  supposed  proofs,  that  those  which  he  calls  antecedent 
blessings,  do  really  belong  to  all  professing  Christians. 

§  29.  The  case  was  quite  otherwise  in  the  Christian  church 
with  regard  to  election,  redemption,  creation,  &c,  from  what 
it  was  with  the  Jews.  With  the  Jews,  election,  their  redemp- 
tion out  of  Egypt,  their  creation,  was  a  national  thing  ;  it  began 
with  them  as  a  nation,  and  descended,  as  it  were,  from  the 
nation,  to  particular  persons.  Particular  persons  were  first  of 
the  nation  and  church  of  the  Jews ;  so,  by  that  means,  had  an 
interest  in  their  election,  redemption,  &c.,  that  God  wrought 
of  old.  The  being  of  the  nation  and  church  of  Israel,  was  the 
ground  of  a  participation  in  these  privileges.  But  it  is  evi- 
dently contrariwise  in  Christians.  With  regard  to  them,  the 
election,  redemption,  creation,  regeneration,  &c.,  are  personal 
things.  They  begin  with  particular  persons,  and  ascend  to 
public  societies.  Men  are  first  redeemed,  bought,  created, 
regenerated,  and,  by  that  means,  become  members  of  the 
Christian  church ;  and  this  is  the  ground  of  their  membership. 
Paul's  regeneration,  and  Christ's  loving  him,  and  giving  him- 
self for  him,  was  the  foundation  of  his  being  of  the  Christian 
church,  that  holy  nation,  peculiar  people,  &c. ;  whereas  David 
being  one  of  the  nation  of  Israel,  is  the  proper  ground  of  his 
participation  in  Israel's  redemption  out  of  Egypt,  and  of  that 
birth  and  formation  of  the  people.  It  is  apparent  the  case 
was  thus.  It  cannot  be  otherwise.  It  is  evident  the  new  crea- 
tion, regeneration,  calling,  and  justification,  are  personal  things, 
because  they  are  by  personal  influences  ;  influences  of  God's 
Spirit  on  particular  persons,  and  personal  qualifications. 

§  30.  It  will  follow  from  Taylor's  scheme,  that  Simon,  the 
sorcerer,  had  an  interest  in  all  the  antecedent  blessings.  Yet 
the  apostle  tells  him,  he  was  at  that  time  in  the  gall  of  bitter- 
ness, and  bond  of  iniquity.  If  he  was  really  justified,  washed, 
cleansed,  sanctified ;  how  was  he  at  that  time  in  the  bond  of 
iniquity?  Justification,  forgiveness,  &c,  is  a  release  from  the 
bond  of  iniquity.  If  the  heart  be  purified  by  faith,  it  does  not 
remain  in  the  gall  of  bitterness. 

§  31.  Saving  grace  differs  from  common  grace,  in  nature 
and  kind.  To  suppose  only  a  gradual  difference,  would  not 
only  be  to  suppose,  that  some,  in  a  state  of  damnation,  are, 
within  an  infinitely  little,  as  good  as  some  in  a  state  of  salva- 
tion, (which  greatly  disagrees  with  the  Arminian  notion  of 
men's  being  saved  by  their  own  virtue  and  goodness ;)  but  this, 
taken  with  the  Arminian  notion  of  men's  falling  from  grace, 
will  naturally  lead  us  to  determine,  that  many  that  are  once  in 
a  state  of  salvation,  may  be  in  such  a  state,  and  out  of  it, 
scores  of  times  in  a  very  short  space.  For  though  a  person  is 
in  a  state  of  salvation,  he  may  be  but  just  in  it,  and  may  be 
infinitely  near  the  limits  between  a  state  of  salvation  and  dam- 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS.  457 

nation ;  and,  as  the  habits  of  grace  are,  according  to  that 
scheme,  only  contracted  and  raised  by  consideration  and  exer- 
cise, and  the  exertion  of  the  strength  of  the  mind,  and  are  lost 
when  a  man  falls  from  grace  by  the  intermission  or  cessation 
of  these,  and  by  contrary  acts  and  exercises ;  and,  as  the  habits 
and  principles  of  virtue  are  raised  and  sunk,  brought  into  being 
and  abolished  by  those  things,  and  both  their  degree  and  their 
being  wholly  depend  on  them,  the  consequence  will  naturally 
be,  that  when  a  man  is  first  raised  to  that  degree  of  a  virtuous 
disposition,  as  to  be  in  a  state  of  salvation,  and  the  degree  of 
virtue  is  almost  infinitely  near  the  dividing  line,  it  will  naturally 
be  liable  to  be  a  little  raised  or  sunk  every  hour,  according  as 
the  thoughts  and  exercises  of  the  mind  are  ;  as  the  mercury  in 
the  thermometer,  or  barometer,  is  never  perfectly  at  rest,  but  is 
always  rising  or  subsiding,  according  to  the  weight  of  the  at- 
mosphere, or  the  degree  of  heat. 

§  32.  The  dispute  about  grace  being  resistible  or  irresistible, 
is  perfect  nonsense.  For,  if  the  effect  of  grace  is  upon  the 
will,  then  it  is  nonsense  ;  except  it  be  proper  to  say,  that  a  man 
with  his  will  can  resist  his  own  will,  or  except  it  be  possible 
for  him  to  desire  to  resist  his  own  will  ;  that  is,  except  it  be 
possible  for  a  man  to  will  a  thing,  and  not  will  it,  at  the  same 
time,  and  so  far  as  he  does  will  it.  Or,  if  you  speak  of  en- 
lightening grace,  and  say  this  grace  is  upon  the  understanding, 
it  is  nothing  but  the  same  nonsense  in  other  words.  For  then 
the  sense  runs  thus,  that  a  man,  after  he  has  seen  so  plainly 
that  a  thing  is  best  for  him  that  he  wills  it,  yet  he  can,  at  the 
same  time,  nill  it.  If  you  say  he  can  will  any  thing  he  pleases, 
this  is  most  certainly  true ;  for  who  can  deny,  that  a  man  can 
will  any  thing  he  doth  already  will  ?  And  so,  with  the  same 
reason,  we  may  say,  there  is  another  will  to  please ;  to  please 
to  will ;  and  so  on  to  a  thousand.  Wherefore,  to  say  that  the 
man  could  have  willed  otherwise,  if  he  had  pleased,  is  just  all 
one  as  to  say,  that  if  he  had  willed  otherwise,  then  we  might 
be  sure  he  could  will  otherwise. 

§  33.  Those  that  deny  infusion  of  grace  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
must,  of  necessity,  deny  the  Spirit  to  do  any  thing  at  all.  By 
the  Spirit's  infusing,  let  be  meant  what  it  will,  those  who  say 
there  is  no  infusion,  contradict  themselves.  For  they  say  the 
Spirit  doth  something  in  the  soul ;  that  is,  he  causeth  some 
motion,  or  affection,  or  apprehension,  to  arise  in  the  soul,  that, 
at  the  same  time,  would  not  be  there  without  him.  Now, 
God's  Spirit  doeth  what  he  doeth ;  he  doth  as  much  as  he 
doth  ;  or  he  causeth  in  the  soul  as  much  as  he  causeth,  let  that 
be  how  little  soever.  So  much  as  is  purely  the  effect  of  his 
immediate  motion,  that  is  the  effect  of  his  immediate  motion, 
let  that  be  what  it  will ;  and  so  much  is  infused,  how  little  so- 
ever that  be.     This  is  self-evident.     For,  suppose  the  Spirit  of 

Vol.  VII.  58 


458  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS. 

God  only  to  assist  the  natural  powers,  then  there  is  something 
done  betwixt  them.  Men's  own  powers  do  something,  and 
God's  Spirit  doth  something  ;  only  they  work  together.  Now, 
that  part  which  the  Spirit  doth,  how  little  soever  it  be,  is  in- 
fused. So  that  they  who  deny  infused  habits,  own  that  part  of 
the  habit  is  infused.  For  they  say,  the  Holy  Spirit  assists  the 
man  in  acquiring  the  habit ;  so  that  it  is  acquired  rather  sooner 
than  it  would  be  otherwise.  So  that  part  of"  the  habit  is  owing 
to  the  Spirit ;  some  of  the  strength  of  the  habit  was  infused, 
and  another  part  is  owing  to  the  natural  powers  of  the  man. 
Or,  if  you  say,  that  it  is  all  owing  to  the  natural  power  assist- 
ed, how  do  you  mean  assisted  ?  To  act  more  lively  and  vigo- 
rously than  otherwise  ?  Then  that  liveliness  and  vigorousness 
must  be  infused  ;  which  is  a  habit,  and,  therefore,  an  infused 
habit.  It  is  grace,  and.,  therefore,  infused  grace.  Grace  con- 
sists very  much  in  a  principle  that  causes  vigorousness  and  ac- 
tivity in  action. 

§  34.  Concerning  what  the  Arminians  say,  that  these  are 
speculative  points  :  I  answer,  all  devotion  greatly  depends  on 
a  sense  and  acknowledgment  of  our  dependence  on  God.  But 
this  is  one  of  the  very  chief  things  belonging  to  our  dependence 
on  God  :  how  much  stress  do  the  scriptures  lay  on  our  depen- 
dence on  God  ?  All  assistance  of  the  Spirit  of  God  whatsoever, 
that  is  by  any  present  influence  or  effect  of  the  Spirit ;  any 
thing  at  all  that  a  person  converted  from  sin  to  God  is  the  sub- 
ject of,  through  any  immediate  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God 
upon  him,  or  any  thing  done  by  the  Spirit,  since  the  comple- 
ting and  confirming  the  canon  of  the  scriptures,  must  be  done 
by  a  physical  operation  either  on  the  soul  or  body.  The  Holy- 
spirit  of  God  does  something  to  promote  virtue  in  men's  hearts, 
and  to  make  them  good,  beyond  what  the  angels  can  do.  But 
the  angels  can  present  motives  ;  can  excite  ideas  of  the  words 
of  promises  and  threatenings,  &c.  and  can  persuade  in  this 
way  by  moral  means  ;  as  is  evident,  because  the  devils  in  this 
way  promote  vice. 

§  35.  There  is  no  objection  made  to  God's  producing  any 
effects,  or  causing  any  events,  by  any  immediate  interposition, 
producing  effects  arbitrarily,  or  by  the  immediate  efforts  of  his 
will,  but  what  lies  equally  against  his  ordering  it  so,  that  any 
effects  should  be  produced  by  the  immediate  interposition  of 
men's  will,  to  produce  effects  otherwise  than  the  established 
laws  of  nature  would  have  produced  without  men's  arbitrary 
interposition.  Such  arguments  as  are  founded  on  the  esta- 
blished laws  of  nature,  if  they  are  valid  against  any  interposition 
at  all,  will  prevail  against  all  interposition  of  God  or  man,  and 
against  the  interposition  of  God  ever  to  bring  the  world  to  an 
end,  or  amend  it-,  and  prove  that  all  shall  be  according  to  gene- 
ral laws.     And  they  might  as  well  argue  that  the  making  of  the 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  459 

world  too  was  by'general  laws.  If  it  be  said,  that  it  is  of  great 
importance  and  absolute  necessity,  that  God  should  at  last  in- 
terpose and  rectify  the  course  of  nature:  I  answer,  this  is  yield- 
ing the  point,  that,  in  cases  of  great  importance,  it  is  reasona- 
ble to  suppose  there  may  be  an  interposition  that  may  be  arbi- 
trary, and  not  by  general  laws. 

§  36.  The  nature  of  virtue  being  a  positive  thing,  can  pro- 
ceed from  nothing  but  God's  immediate  influence,  and  must 
take  its  rise  from  creation  or  infusion  by  God.  For  it  must  be 
either  from  that,  or  from  our  own  choice  and  production,  either 
at  once,  or  gradually,  by  diligent  culture.  But  it  cannot  begin, 
or  take  its  rise  from  the  latter,  viz,  our  choice,  or  voluntary  dili- 
gence. For  if  there  exist  nothing  at  all  of  the  nature  of  virtue 
before,  it  cannot  come  from  cultivation  ;  for  by  the  supposition 
there  is  nothing  of  the  nature  of  virtue  to  cultivate,  it  cannot 
be  by  repeated  and  multiplied  acts  of  virtuous  choice,  till  it  be- 
comes an  habit.  For  there  can  be  no  one  virtuous  choice,  un- 
less God  immediately  gives  it.  The  first  virtuous  choice,  or  a 
disposition  to  it,  must  be  immediately  given,  or  it  must  proceed 
from  a  preceding  choice.  If  the  first  virtuous  act  of  will  or 
choice  be  from  a  preceding  act  of  will  or  choice,  that  prece- 
ding act  of  choice  must  be  a  virtuous  act  of  choice,  which  is 
contrary  to  the  supposition.  For  then  there  would  be  a  pre- 
ceding act  of  choice  before  the  first  virtuous  act  of  choice. 
And  if  it  be  said  the  first  virtuous  act  of  choice  is  from  a  pre- 
ceding act  of  will,  which  is  not  virtuous,  this  is  absurd  For 
an  act  of  will  not  virtuous,  cannot  produce  another  act  of  will 
of  a  nature  entirely  above  itself,  having  something  positive  in 
it,  any  more  than  motion  can  produce  thought  or  understand- 
ing ;  or  the  collision  of  two  bodies  can  produce  thought ;  or 
stones  and  lead  can  produce  a  spirit ;  or  nothing  can  produce 
something. 

-  §  37.  As  to  man's  inability  to  convert  himself. — In  them  that 
are  totally  corrupt,  there  can  be  no  tendency  towards  their 
making  their  hearts  better,  till  they  begin  to  repent  of  the 
badness  of  their  hearts.  For  if  they  do  not  repent,  they  still 
approve  of  it ;  and  that  tends  to  maintain  their  badness  and 
confirm  it.  But  they  cannot  begin  sincerely  to  repent  of  the 
badness  of  their  hearts  till  their  hearts  begin  to  be  beUer  ;  for 
repentance  consists  in  a  change  of  the  mind  and  heart.  So 
that  it  is  not  men's  repentance  that  first  gives  rise  to  their 
having  a  better  heart ;  and  therefore  it  cannot  be  any  tendency 
in  them  to  make  their  hearts  better.  The  heart  can  have  no 
tendency  to  make  itself  better,  till  it  begins  to  have  a  better 
tendency ;  for  therein  consists  its  badness,  viz.  its  having  no 
good  tendency  or  inclination.  And  to  begin  to  have  a  good 
tendency,  or,  which  is  the  same  thing,  a  tendency  and  inclina- 
tion to  be  better,  is  the  same  thing  as  to  begin  already  to  be 


400  '  ELLANEOVS    REMARKS. 

better.  And  therefore  the  heart's  inclination  to  be  good,  can- 
not be  the  thing  that  first  gives  rise  to  its  being  made  good. 
For  its  inclination  to  be  better,  is  the  same  thing  with  its  be- 
coming better.  If  there  be  any  immediate  influence  or  ac- 
tion of  the  Spirit  of  God  at  all  on  any  created  beings,  in  any 
part  of  the  universe,  since  the  days  of  the  apostles,  it  is 
physical.  If  it  be  in  exciting  ideas  of  motives,  or  in  any 
respect  assisting  or  promoting  any  effect,  still  it  is  physical  : 
and  every  whit  as  much  so,  as  if  we  suppose  the  temper  and 
nature  of  the  heart  is  immediately  changed.  And  it  is  as  near 
akin  to  a  miracle.  If  the  latter  be  miraculous,  so  is  the 
former. 

§  38.  Who  ever  supposed,  that  the  term  irresistible  was  pro- 
perly used  with  respect  to  that  power  by  which  an  infant  is 
brought  into  being;  meaning  irresistible  by  the  infant?  Or 
who  ever  speaks  of  a  man's  waking  out  of  a  sound  sleep  irre- 
sistibly ;  meaning,  that  he  cannot  resist  awaking  ?  Or  who 
says,  that  Adam  was  formed  out  of  the  dust  of  the  earth  irre- 
sistibly? See  what  I  have  said  of  the  use  of  such  terms  as 
irresistible,  unfrusirable,  &c.  in  my  inquiry  about  liberty. — 
The  opponents  of  efficacious  grace  and  physical  operation, 
may  be  challenged  to  show  that  it  is  possible  that  any  creature 
should  become  righteous  without  a  physical  operation,  either 
a  being  created  with  the  habit  of  righteousness,  or  its  being 
immediately  infused.  See  what  I  have  written  in  my  book  of 
original  sin,  in  those  sections  wherein  I  vindicate  the  doctrine 
of  original  righteousness,  and  argue,  that  if  Adam  was  not  cre- 
ated righteous,  no  way  can  be  invented,  how  he  could  ever  be- 
come righteous. 

§  39.  Reason  shows,  that  the  first  existence  of  a  principle  of 
virtue  cannot  be  from  man  himself,  nor  in  any  created  being 
whatsoever ;  but  must  be  immediately  given  from  God  ;  or  that 
otherwise  it  never  can  be  obtained,awhatever  this  principle  be, 
whether  love  to  God,  or  love  to  men.  It  must  either  be  from 
God,  or  be  an  habit  contracted  by  repeated  acts.  But  it  is 
most  absurd  to  suppose,  that  the  first  existence  of  the  princi- 
ple of  holy  action,  should  be  preceded  by  a  course  of  holy 
actions.  Because  there  can  be  no  holy  action  without  a  princi- 
ple, or  holy  inclination.  There  can  be  no  act  done  from  love, 
that  shall  be  the  cause  of  first  introducing  the  very  existence  of 
love. 

§  40.  There  are  no  sort  of  benefits  that  are  so  much  the 
subject  of  the  promises  of  scripture,  as  the  bestowment  of  virtue, 
or  benefits  which  imply  it.  How  often  is  the  faith  of  the 
Gentiles,  or  their  coming  into  the  Christian  church,  promised  to 
Christ  in  the  Old  Testament ;  Isaiah  xlix.  6.  and  many  other 
places ;  and  he  has  promised  it  to  his  church,  chap.  xlix.  18 — 21. 
and  innumerable  other  places.     See  Rom.  xv.  V2,  13.     What 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  4(51 

a  promise  have  we,  Isaiah  lx.  21.  "  Thy  people  also  shall  be 
all  righteous,  they  shall  inherit  the  land  for  ever,  the  branch  of 
my  planting,  the  work  of  my  hand,  that  I  may  be  glorified," — 
compared  with  the  next  chapter,  3d  verse,  "  That  they  may  be 
called  the  trees  of  righteousness,  the  planting  of  the  Lord,  that 
he  might  be  glorified."  See  also  verse  8.  of  the  same  chapter. 
Likewise  chapter  lx.  17,  18.  "  I  will  make  thy  officers  peace, 
and  thy  exactors  righteousness;  violence  shall  no  more  be 
heard  in  thy  land,  wasting  nor  destruction  within  thy  border, 
but  thou  shalt  call  thy  walls  Salvation,  and  thy  gates  Praise." 
Here  it  is  promised,  that  the  rulers  shall  be  righteous  ;  and 
then,  in  the  21st  verse  following,  it  is  promised  that  the  people 
shall  be  so.  The  change  of  men  to  be  of  a  peaceable  disposi- 
tion is  promised,  as  in  places  innumerable,  so  in  Isaiah  xi.  6 — 
11.  "  The  wolf  also  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the  leo- 
pard shall  lie  down  with  the  kid,"  &c.  Isa.  lv.  5.  "  Behold  thou 
shalt  call  a  nation  that  thou  knowest  not,  and  nations  that 
knew  not  thee  shall  run  unto  thee,  because  of  the  Lord  thy  God, 
and  for  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ;  for  he  hath  glorified  thee." 
Jer.  hi.  15.  "  And  1  will  give  you  pastors  according  to  mine 
heart,  which  shall  feed  you  with  knowledge  and  understand- 
ing." This  implies  a  promise  that  there  should  be  such  pastors 
in  being,  and  that  they  should  be  faithful  to  feed  the  people 
with  knowledge  and  understanding.  Jer.  x.  23.  "  The  way  of 
man  is  not  in  himself."  Stebbing  owns,  that  on  Arminian 
principles,  conversion  depending  on  the  determination  of  free 
will,  it  is  possible,  in  its  own  nature,  that  none  should  ever  be 
converted,  (p.  235.)  Then  all  the  promises  of  virtue,  of  the  re- 
vival of  religion,  &c.  are  nothing.  Jer.  xxxi.  18.  "  Turn  thou 
me,  and  I  shall  be  turned," — compared  with  Jer.  xvii.  14. 
"  Heal  me,  O  Lord,  and  I  shall  be  healed  ;  save  me,  and  I 
shall  be  saved,  for  thou  art  my  praise."  Which  shows  the 
force  and  meaning  of  such  a  phraseology  to  be,  that  God 
alone  can  be  the  doer  of  it ;  and  that  if  he  undertakes  it,  it  will 
be  effectually  done.  Jer.  xxxi.  32 — 35.  "  Not  according  to  the 
covenant  that  I  made  with  their  fathers,  in  the  day  that  I  took 
them  by  the  hand,  to  bring  them  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt, 
(which  my  covenant  they  brake,  although  1  was  an  husband 
unto  them,  saith  the  Lord  ;)  But  this  shall  be  the  covenant  that 
I  will  make  with  the  house  of  Israel.  After  those  days,  saith 
the  Lord,  I  will  put  my  law  in  their  inward  parts,  and  write  it 
in  their  hearts,  and  I  will  be  their  God,  and  they  shall  be  my 
people.  And  they  shall  teach  no  more  every  man  his  neigh- 
bour, and  every  man  his  brother,  saying,  Know  the  Lord  :  for 
they  shall  all  know  me,  from  the  least  of  them  unto  the  great- 
est of  them,  saith  the  Lord  :  for  I  will  forgive  their  iniquity,  and 
I  will  remember  their  sin  no  more."  Jer.  xxxii.  39,  40.  "  And 
I  will  give  them  one  heart  and  one  way,  that  they  may  fear 


4(52  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS. 

me  for  ever,  for  the  good  of  them  and  their  children  after  them ; 
and  I  will  make  an  everlasting  covenant  with  them,  that  I  will 
not  turn  away  from  them,  to  do  them  good.  But  1  will  put  my 
fear  in  their  hearts,  and  they  shall  not  depart  from  me."  Jer. 
xxxiii.  8.  "And  I  will  cleanse  them  from  all  their  iniquity, 
whereby  they  have  sinned  against  me."  Ezek.  xi.  18 — 20. 
"  And  they  shall  come  thither,  and  they  shall  take  away  all  the 
detestable  things  thereof,  and  all  the  abomination  thereof 
from  thence.  And  I  will  give  them  one  heart,  and  I  will  put 
a  new  spirit  within  you  ;  and  I  will  take  the  stony  heart  out 
of  their  flesh,  and  I  will  give  them  a  heart  of  flesh  :  that 
they  may  walk  in  my  statutes,  and  keep  mine  ordinances, 
and  do  them ;  and  they  shall  be  my  people,  and  I  will  be  their 
God." 

Ezek.  xxxvi.  25 — 33.  "  Then  will  I  sprinkle  clean  water 
upon  you,  and  ye  shall  be  clean :  from  all  your  filthiness,  and 
from  all  your  idols,  will  I  cleanse  you.  A  new  heart  also  will 
I  give  unto  you,  and  a  new  spirit  will  I  put  within  you ;  and  I 
will  take  away  the  stony  heart  out  of  your  flesh,  and  I  will  give 
you  a  heart  of  flesh ;  and  I  will  put  my  Spirit  within  you,  and 
cause  you  to  walk  in  my  statutes ;  and  ye  shall  keep  my  judg- 
ments, and  do  them.  And  ye  shall  dwell  in  the  land  which  I 
gave  your  fathers ;  and  ye  shall  be  my  people,  and  1  will  be 
your  God  :  and  I  will  also  save  you  from  all  your  uncleannesses  ; 
and  I  will  call  for  the  corn,  and  will  increase  it,  and  lay  no 
famine  upon  you.  And  I  will  multiply  the  fruit  of  the  tree, 
and  the  increase  of  the  field,  and  ye  shall  receive  no  more  re- 
proach of  famine  among  the  heathen.  Then  shall  ye  remember 
your  own  evil  ways,  and  your  doings  that  were  not  good,  and 
shall  loathe  yourselves  in  your  own  sight,  for  your  iniquities, 
and  for  your  abominations.  Not  for  your  sakes  do  I  this,  saith 
the  Lord  God,  be  it  known  unto  you  ;  be  ashamed  and  con- 
founded for  your  own  ways,  O  house  of  Israel.  Thus  saith  the 
Lord  God,  In  the  day  that  I  shall  have  cleansed  you  from  all 
your  iniquities,  I  will  also  cause  you  to  dwell  in  the  cities,  and 
the  wastes  shall  be  builded."  And  ver.  36.  the  whole  is  con- 
cluded with  "  I  the  Lord  have  spoken  it,  and  I  will  do  it.1' 
Zech.  xii.  10.  to  the  end :  "  And  I  will  pour  upon  the  house  of 
David,  and  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  the  spirit  of 
grace  and  of  supplications  ;  and  they  shall  look  upon  me  whom 
they  have  pierced,"  &c. 

§  41.  We  are  told,  Job  xxviii.  28.  that  "  the  fear  of  the 
Lord  is  wisdom,  and  to  depart  from  evil  is  understanding." 
The  same  is  also  abundantly  declared  in  other  places.  But  it 
is  equally  declared,  that  God  is  the  author  and  giver  of  wisdom, 
and  that  he  is  the  author  wholly  and  only  ;  which  is  denied  of 
other  things.  It  is,  also,  abundantly  declared  in  this  28th 
chapter  of  Job,  that  it  cannot  be  obtained  of  any  creature  by 


.miscellaneous"  remarks.  403 

any  means  ;  and  it  is  implied  in  the  end  of  the  chapter,  that  it 
is  God  that  gives  wisdom,  as  is  asserted  Prov.  ii.  6.  "  For  the 
Lord  giveth  wisdom  ;  out  of  his  mouth  cometh  knowledge  and 
understanding." 

§  42.  That  expression,  Rom.  i.  7.  and  1  Cor.  i.  2.  and  else- 
where, called  to  be  saints,  implies,  that  God  makes  the  distinc- 
tion. Compare  this  with  what  Christ  says,  John  x.  27 :  "  My 
sheep  hear  my  voice."  Verse  16.  "  Other  sheep  have  1,  which 
are  not  of  this  fold ;  them,  also,  must  I  bring";  and  they  shall 
hear  my  voice  ;  and  there  shall  be  one  fold  and  one  shepherd." 
1  Cor.  i.  '26,  27,  28.  to  the  end  :  "  For  ye  see  your  calling, 
brethren,  how  that  not  many  wise  men  after  the  flesh,  not  many 
mighty,  not  many  noble,  are  called  :  but  God  hash  chosen  the 
foolish  things  of,  &c.  That  no  flesh  should  glory  in  his  pre- 
sence. But  of  him  are  ye  in  Christ  Jesus,"  &c.  According 
to  the  Arminian  scheme,  it  ought  to  have  been, — J  have  plant- 
ed, and  Apollos  watered,  and  God  hathjplanted  and  watered 
more  especially.  For  we  have  done  it  only  as  his  servants. 
But  you,  yourselves,  have  given  the  increase  ;  the  fruit  has  been 
left  to  your  free  will :  Agreeably  to  what  the  Arminians  insist 
on,  in  what  they  say  upon  the  parable  of  the  vineyard  which 
God  planted  in  a  fruitful  hill,  &c,  and  looked  that  it  should 
bring  forth  grapes,  and  says,  what  could  I  have  done  more 
unto  my  vineyard  ? 

§43.  Sincerity,  itself,  is  spoken  of  as  coining  from  GocL 
Phil.  i.  10.  "  That  ye  may  approve  the  things  that  are  excel- 
lent ;  that  ye  may  be  sincere  and  without  offence  in  the  day 
of  Christ."  And  elsewhere  God  is  represented  as  "  creating 
a  clean  heart,  renewing  a  right  spirit,  giving  an  heart  of  flesh," 
&c.  The  apostle  "  gives  thanks  for  the  faith  and  love  of  the 
Colossians,  their  being  delivered  from  the  power  of  darkness, 
&c. ;  and  prays  that  they  may  be  filled  with  the  knowledge  of 
his  will  in  all  wisdom  and  might,  agreeable  to  their  knowledge, 
being  fruitful  in  every  good  work ;  and  for  their  perseverance, 
and  that  they  might  be  made  meet  for  the  reward  of  the  saints." 
Col.  i.  3,  4,  9 — 13.  This  argues  all  to  flow  from  God  as  the 
giver.  Their  first  faith,  and  their  love  that  their  faith  was  at- 
tended with,  and  their  knowledge  and  spiritual  wisdom  and 
prudence,  and  walking  worthy  of  the  Lord,  and  universal  obe- 
dience, and  doing  every  good  work,  and  increasing  their  grace, 
and  being  strengthened  in  it,  and  their  perseverance  and 
cheerfulness  in  their  obedience,  and  being  made  meet  for  then- 
reward,  all  are  from  God.  They  are  from  God  as  the  deter- 
mining cause  ;  else,  why  does  the  apostle  pray  that  God  would 
bestow  or  effect  these  things,  if  they  be  not  at  his  determina- 
tion, whether  they  shall  have  them  or  not?  He  speaks  of  God's 
glorious  power  as  manifested  in  the  bestowment  of  these 
things.     Col.  ii.  13.      "  And  you  being  dead  in  your  sins,  and 


464  MISCELLANEOUS  REMAKK.r. 

the  uncircumcision  of  your  flesh,  hath  he  quickened  together 
with  him."  1  Thess.  v.  23,  24.  "  And  the  very  God  of  peace 
sanctify  you  wholly ;  and  I  pray  God  your  whole  spirit,  and 
soul  and  body,  be  preserved  blameless  unto  the  coming  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Faithful  is  he  that  hath  called  you ;  who, 
also,  will  do  it."  2  Thess.  i.  3,  4  "  We  are  bound  to  thank 
God  always  for  you,  because  your  faith  groweth  exceedingly, 
and  the  charity  of  every  one  of  you  all  toward  each  other 
aboundeth ;  so  that  we  glory  in  you — for  your  faith  and  pa- 
tience  in  all  your  persecutions  and  tribulations.1'  Verses  II. 
12.  "  Wherefore  we  pray  always  for  you,  that  God  would 
count  you  worthy  of  this  calling,  and  fulfil  all  the  good  plea- 
sure of  his  goodness,  and  the  work  of  faith  with  power:  That 
the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  may  be  glorified  in  you, 
and  you  in  him,  according  to  the  grace  of  our  God,  and  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

§  44.  The  apostle  thanks  God  for  his  own  prayers,  and  for 
those  of  others;  2  Tim.  i.  3.  If  they  were  from  God,  then, 
doubtless,  also,  our  prayers  for  ourselves,  our  very  prayers  for 
the  Spirit,  are  from  him.  The  prophet  ascribes  persons' 
prayers  to  their  having  the  spirit  of  grace  and  supplication. 
True  acceptable  prayer  is  spoken  of,  Rom.  viii.,  as  being  the 
language  of  the  Spirit;  not  that  I  suppose  the  very  words  are 
indited,  but  the  disposition  is  given.  2  Tim.  i.  7.  "  God  hath 
not  given  us  the  spirit  of  fear,  but  of  power  and  of  love,  and 
of  a  sound  mind."  Philem.  iii.  4.  "I  thank  my  God,  making 
mention  of  thee  always  in  my  prayers,  hearing  of  thy  love  and 
faith,  which  thou  hast  toward  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  to- 
ward all  saints."  Heb.  xiii.  20,  21.  Now  the  God  of  peace, 
who  brought  again  from  the  dead  our  Lord  Jesus,  that  great 
shepherd  of  the  sheep,  through  the  blood  of  the  everlasting 
covenant,  make  you  perfect  in  every  good  work,  and  to  do  his 
will,  working  in  you  that  which  is  well  pleasing  in  his  sight, 
through  Jesus  Christ,  to  whom  be  glory  for  ever  and  ever, 
Amen."  Jam.  i.  16 — 18.  "  Do  not  err,  my  beloved  brethren  : 
Every  good  gift,  and  every  perfect  gift,  is  from  above,  and 
cometh  down  from  the  Father  of  lights,  with  whom  is  no  va- 
riableness nor  shadow  of  turning.  Of  his  own  will  begat  he 
us  by  the  word  of  truth,  that  we  should  be  a  kind  of  first-fruits 
of  his  creatures."  The  scope  of  the  apostle,  and  the  connex- 
ion of  his  discourse,  plainly  shows,  that  the  apostle  means  to 
assert,  that  all  moral  good  is  from  God.  In  the  preceding 
verses,  he  was  warning  those  he  wrote  to,  not  to  lay  their  sins, 
or  pride,  or  lusts,  to  the  charge  of  God;  and,  on  that  occasion, 
he  would  have  them  be  sensible,  that  every  good  gift  is  from 
God,  and  no  evil  ;  that  God  is  the  Father  of  light,  and  only  of 
light ;  and  that  no  darkness  is  from  him,  because  there  is  no 
darkness  in  him  ;  no  change  from  light  to  darkness :  no,  not 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  4t>5 

the  least  shadow.  But,  if  all  moral  good  is  from  God,  cometh 
down  from  him,  and  is  his  gift,  then  the  very  first  good  deter- 
mination of  the  will,  and  every  good  improvement  of  assist- 
ance, is  so. 

§  45.  Philip,  ii.  13.  "  It  is  God  that  worketh  in  you  both  to 
will  and  to  do  of  his  good  pleasure."  The  plain  meaning  of 
the  text  is,  that  it  is  God,  by  his  operation  and  efficiency,  who 
gives  the  will,  and,  also,  enables  us  to  put  that  will  in  execu- 
tion ;  or  that  he,  by  his  efficiency,  gives  both  the  will  and  the 
deed.  And  this  will  remain  the  indisputable  meaning  of  the 
text,  notwithstanding  criticism  on  the  word  svegyuv,  &c.  I 
question,  whether  any  word  can  be  found,  in  all  the  Greek  lan- 
guage, more  expressive  and  significant  of  an  effectual  opera- 
tion. Wherever  the  words  effectual  and  effectually  are  used 
in  our  translation  of  the  Bible,  this  is  the  word  used  in  the  ori- 
giual. 

§  46.  By  the  disposing  or  determining  cause  of  a  benefit,  I 
mean,  a  cause  that  disposes,  orders,  or  determines,  whether 
we  shall  be  actually  possessed  of  the  benefit  or  not ;  and  the 
same  cause  may  be  said  to  be  an  efficacious  or  effectual  cause. 
That  cause  only  can  be  said  to  be  an  efficacious  cause,  whose 
efficiency  determines,  reaches,  and  produces  the  effect.  A 
being  may  be  the  determiner  and  disposer  of  an  event,  and 
not  properly  an  efficient  or  efficacious  cause.  Because,  though 
he  determines  the  futurity  of  the  event,  yet  there  is  no  positive 
efficiency  or  power  of  the  cause  that  reaches  and  produces  the 
effect;  but  merely  a  withholding  of  efficiency  or  power. 

Concerning  the  giver's  being  a  disposer  or  determiner,  let 
us  consider  that  objection,  that  when  a  man  gives  to  a  beggar, 
he  does  but  offer,  and  leaves  it  with  the  determination  of  the 
beggar's  will,  whether  he  will  be  possessed  of  the  thing  offered. 
in  answer  to  this,  I  observe,  that  in  the  instance  before  us,  the 
very  thing  given  is  virtue,  and  this  consists  in  the  determination 
of  the  inclination  and  will.  Therefore  the  determination  of 
the  will  is  the  gift  of  God  ;  otherwise  virtue  is  not  his  gift,  and 
why  should  we  pray  to  God  to  give  us  such  a  determination 
of  will,  when  that  proceeds  not  from  him  but  ourselves? 

§  47.  Arminians  make  a  great  ado  about  the  phrase  irresis- 
tible grace.  But  the  grand  point  of  controversy  really  is,  what 
is  it  that  determines,  disposes  and  decides  the  matter,  whether 
there  shall  be  saving  virtue  in  the  heart  or  not ;  and  much 
more  properly,  whether  the  grace  of  God  in  the  affair  be  deter- 
mining grace,  than  whether  it  be  irresistible.  Our  case  is  in- 
deed extremely  unhappy,  if  we  have  such  a  book  to  be  our 
grand  and  only  rule,  our  light  and  directory,  that  is  so  exceed- 
ing perplexed,  dark,  paradoxical,  and  hidden,  every  where  in 
the  manner  of  expression,  as  the  scriptures  must  be,  to  make 
them  consistent  with  Arminian  opinions  ;  bv  whatever  means 

Vol.  VII.  59 


4t)t>  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

this  has  come  to  pass,  whether  through  the  distance  of  ages,. 
diversity  of  customs,  or  by  any  other  cause.  It  is  to  be  con- 
sidered  that  this  is  given  for  the  rule  of  all  ages ;  and  not  only 
of  the  most  learned  and  accurate  and  penetrating  critics,  and 
men  of  vast  inquiry  and  skill  in  antiquity,  but  for  all  sorts  of 
persons,  of  every  age  and  nation,  learned  and  unlearned.  If 
this  be  true,  how  unequal  and  unfit  is  the  provision  that  is 
made  !  How  improper  to  answer  the  end  designed  !  If  men 
will  take  subterfuge  in  pretences  of  a  vast  alteration  of  phrase, 
through  diversity  of  ages  and  nations,  what  may  not  men  hide 
themselves  from  under  such  a  pretence !  No  words  will  hold 
and  secure  them.  It  is  not  in  the  nature  of  words  to  do  it. 
At  this  rate,  language  in  its  nature  has  no  sufficiency  to  com- 
municate ideas. 

§  48.  In  efficacious  grace  we  are  not  merely  passive,  nor  yet 
does  God  do  some,  and  we  do  the  rest.  But  God  does  all,  and 
we  do  all.  God  produces  all,  and  we  act  all.  For  that  is 
what  he  produces,  viz.  our  own  acts.  God  is  the  only  proper 
author  and  fountain ;  we  only  are  the  proper  actors.  We  are, 
in  different  respects,  wholly  passive,  and  wholly  active. — In 
the  scriptures  the  same  things  are  represented  as  from  God 
and  from  us.  God  is  said  to  convert,  and  men  are  said  to 
convert  and  turn.  God  makes  a  new  heart,  and  we  are  com- 
manded to  make  us  a  new  heart.  God  circumcises  the  heart, 
and  we  are  commanded  to  circumcise  our  own  hearts ;  not 
merely  because  we  must  use  the  means  in  order  to  the  effect, 
but  the  effect  itself  is  our  act  and  our  duty.  These  things  are 
agreeable  to  that  text,  "  God  worketh  in  you  both  to  will  and 
to  do." 

§  49.  When  Christ  says,  John  x.  I'  Other  sheep  have  I  which 
are  not  of  this  fold ;"  it  is  unreasonable  to  suppose  he  meant 
all  in  the  world,  that  were  then  of  a  teachable  disposition. 
Many  of  them  would  be  dead  before  the  gospel  could  be  spread 
among  the  Gentiles  ;  and  many  of  the  Gentiles  were  doubtless 
brought  in,  that  at  that  time  were  not  of  a  teachable  disposition. 
And  unless  God's  decrees  and  efficacious  grace  made  a  differ- 
ence, it  is  unreasonable  to  suppose  any  other,  than  that  multi- 
tudes in  countries  where  the  apostles  never  preached,  were  as 
teachable  as  in  those  countries  where  they  did  go,  and  so  they 
never  were  brought  in  according  to  the  words  of  Christ, 
"Those  whom  the  Father  hath  given  me,  shall  come  unto  me." 
Christ  speaks  of  the  Father's  giving  them  as  a  thing  past ;  John 
x.  29.  rt  My  Father  which  gave  them  me."  When  Christ  speaks 
of  men  being  drawn  to  him,  he  does  not  mean  any  prepara- 
tion of  disposition  antecedent  to  their  having  the  gospel,  but  a 
being  converted  to  Christ  by  faith  in  the  gospel,  revealing 
Christ  crucified,  as  appears  by  John  xii.  32.  "  And  I,  if  I  be 
lifted  tin  from  the  enrth.  will  draw  nil  men  unto  me."    Th*"1 


i 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  467 

apostle  says,  "  without  faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  God.1' 
Therefore  it  is  impossible  that  persons  should  have,  before 
faith,  those  virtues  that  are  peculiarly  amiable  to  God,  as 
Stebbing  supposes. 

§  50.  The  apostle  James  tells  us,  that  if  we  do  not  pray  in 
faith,  we  have  no  reason  to  expect  to  receive  any  thing,  and 
particularly  not  to  receive  divine  wisdom.  And  therefore,  it  is 
unreasonable  to  suppose  with  Stebbing,  that  persons  first  pray, 
even  before  they  have  a  spirit  of  meekness,  and  teachableness, 
and  humility,  faith  or  repentance,  and  that  God  has  promised 
to  answer  these  prayers.  Christian  virtues  being  every  where 
spoken  of  as  the  special  effect  of  grace,  and  often  called  by 
the  name  of  grace,  by  reason  of  its  being  the  peculiar  fruit  of 
grace,  does  not  well  consist  with  the  Arminian  notion  of  assist- 
ance, viz.  that  God  is  obliged  to  give  us  asssistance  sufficient  for 
salvation  from  hell,  because,  forsooth,  it  is  not  just  to  damn  us 
for  the  want  of  that  which  we  have  not  sufficient  means  to 
escape:  and  then,  after  God  has  given  these  sufficient  means, 
our  improving  them  well  is  wholly  from  ourselves,  our  own 
will,  and  not  from  God  ;  and  the  thing  wherein  Christian 
virtue  consists,  is  wholly  and  entirely  ourselves. 

§  51.  I  would  ask,  how  it  is  possible  for  us  to  come  by  virtue 
at  first,  according  to  Arminian  principles  ;  or,  how  we  come  by 
our  first  virtue :  Is  it  natural  ?  Is  there  some  virtuous  disposi- 
tion with  which  we  come  into  the  world  ?  But  how  is  this  virtue  ' 
That  which  men  bring  into  the  world  is  necessary,  and  what 
men  had  no  opportunity  to  prevent,  and  it  is  not  at  all  from 
our  freewill.  How,  then,  can  there  be  any  virtue  in  it,  ac- 
cording to  their  principles  ?  Or,  is  our  first  virtue  wholly  from 
the  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  without  any  endeavour  or 
effort  of  ours,  to  be  partly  the  cause  of  it  ?  This,  to  be  sure, 
cannot  be,  by  their  principles  ;  for,  according  to  them,  that 
which  is  not  at  all  from  us,  or  that  we  are  not  the  causes  of,  is 
no  virtue  of  ours.  Is  it  wholly  from  our  endeavours,  without 
any  assistance  at  all,  of  the  Spirit  ?  This  is  contrary  to  what 
they  pretend  to  hold  ;  for,  they  assert,  that  without  divine  as- 
sistance there  can  be  no  virtue. — Stebbing,  pages  27,  28,  and 
pages  20,  21,  and  other  places.  If  they  say  it  is  partly  from 
the  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  partly  from  our  own 
endeavours,  I  would  inquire  whether  those  endeavours  that 
our  first  virtue  partly  arises  from,  be  good  endeavours,  and  at 
all  virtuous  1  If  the  answer  be  in  the  affirmative,  this  contra- 
dicts the  supposition.  For  I  am  now  inquiring  what  the  first 
virtue  is.  The  first  virtue  we  have,  certainly  does  not  arise 
from  virtuous  endeavours  preceding  that  first  virtue.  For 
that  is  to  suppose  virtue  before  the  first  virtue.  If  the  answer 
be,  that  they  are  no  good  endeavours,  they  have  nothing  at  all 
of  the  nature  of  the  exercise  of  any  good  disposition,  or  any 


IHS  MIS  CELLANEOUS   R  E  M  A  RKS. 

good  aim  and  intention,  or  any  virtuous  sincerity  ;  I  ask,  what 
tendency  can  such  efforts  of  the  mind,  as  are  wholly  empty  of 
all  goCdness,  have  to  produce  true  moral  goodness  in  the 
heart  ? 

Can  an  action,  that  in  principles  and  ends  has  no  degree  of 
moral  good,  have  a  tendency  to  beget  a  habit  of  acting  from 
good  principles  and  for  good  ends  ?  For  instance,  can  a  man's 
doing  something  purely  to  satisfy  some  sensitive  appetite  of 
his  own,  or  to  increase  his  own  worldly  profit,  have  any  kind 
of  tendency  to  beget  a  habit  of  doing  something  from  true 
disinterested  benevolence,  or  to  excite  to  any  act  from  such  a 
principle  ?  Certainly  an  act  perfectly  void  of  benevolence,  has 
no  more  tendency  to  produce  either  an  habit  or  act  of  bene- 
volence, than  nothing  has  a  tendency  to  produce  something. 

§  52.  Stebbing  supposes  the  assistance  God  gives,  or  the 
operation  of  the  Spirit  in  order  to  faith,  is  to  give  a  good  and 
honest  heart,  prepared  to  receive  and  well  improve  the  word  ; 
as  particularly,  meekness,  humility,  teachableness,  &c.  And 
supposes  that  these  effects  of  the  Spirit  are  to  be  obtained  by 
prayer ;  but  yet  allows,  that  the  prayer  must  be  acceptably 
made,  (page  106.)  which  supposes  that  some  degree  of  virtue 
must  be  exercised  in  prayer.  And  it  may  be  presumed  that 
they  will  allow,  that  there  are  multitudes  of  men,  who  at 
present  are  so  wicked,  so  destitute  of  virtue,  that  they  have  not 
virtue  enough  for  acceptable  prayer  to  God.  They  have  not 
now  so  much  respect  to  God  or  their  own  souls,  as  to  incline 
them  to  pray  at  all.  Now,  I  would  inquire,  how  these  men 
shall  come  by  virtue,  in  order  to  acceptably  praying  to  God  ? 
Or  how  is  it  within  their  reach  by  virtue  of  God's  promises  ? 
Or  how  can  they  come  by  it,  save  by  God's  sovereign  arbitrary 
grace  ?  Shall  they  pray  to  God  for  it,  and  so  obtain  it  ?  But 
this  is  contrary  to  the  supposition.  For  it  is  supposed,  that 
they  now  have  not  virtue  enough  to  pray  acceptably,  and  this 
is  the  very  thing  inquired,  how  they  come  by  the  virtue  neces- 
sary in  order  to  their  making  acceptable  prayer  ?  Or  shall 
they  work  the  virtue  in  themselves  wholly  without  God's 
assistance  ?  But  this  is  contrary  to  what  they  pretend,  viz.  that 
all^virtue  is  from  God,  or  by  the  grace  and  assistance  of  God, 
which  they  allow  to  be  evident  by  that  scripture,  "without 
me  ye  can  do  nothing.'1''  Or,  is  God  obliged  to  give  it,  or  to 
assist  them  to  obtain  it,  without  their  praying  for  it,  or  having 
virtue  enough  to  ask  it  of  him  ?  That  they  do  not  pretend. 
For  they  suppose  the  condition  of  our  obtaining  the  heavenly 
Spirit  is  our  seeking,  asking,  &c.  ;  and  besides,  if  God  gives  it 
without  their  first  seeking  it,  that  will  make  God  the  first  de- 
termining efficient,  yea,  the  mere  and  sole  author  of  it,  with- 
out their  doing  any  thing  toward  it,  without  their  so  much  as 
seeking  or  asking  for  it ;  which  would  be  entirely  to  overthrow 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS.  469 

their  whole  scheme,  and  would  by  their  principles,  make  this 
virtue  no  virtue  at  all,  because  not  at  all  owing  to  them, or  any 
endeavours  of  theirs. 

§  53.  If  they  reply,  they  must  in  the  first  place  consider : 
they  are  capable  of  consideration  ;  and  if  they  would  consider 
as  they  ought  and  may,  they  would  doubtless  pray  to  God,  and 
ask  his  help ;  and  every  man  naturally  has  some  virtue  in  him, 
which  proper  consideration  would  put  into  exercise  so  far  as  to 
cause  him  to  pray  in  some  measure  acceptably,  without  any 
new  gift  from  God  : — I  answer,  this  is  inconsistent  with  many 
of  their  principles.  It  is  so,  that  men  should  naturally  have 
some  virtue  in  them.  For  what  is  natural  is  necessary  :  is  not 
from  themselves  and  their  own  endeavours  and  free  acts ; 
but  prevents  them  all,  and  therefore  cannot  be  their  virtue. 
If  they  say,  consideration  will  not  stir  up  any  virtue  that  is 
naturally  in  them,  to  cause  them  to  pray  virtuously  ;  but  God 
has  obliged  himself  to  give  virtue  enough  to  enable  them  to 
pray  and  seek  acceptably,  if  they  will  consider  :  I  answer, 
this  is  more  than  they  pretend.  If  they  say,  serious  conside- 
ration itself  is  some  degree  of  seeking  their  own  good,  and 
there  is  an  implicit  prayer  in  it  to  the  supreme  Being  to  guide 
them  into  the  way  to  their  happiness  :  I  answer,  if  it  be  suppo- 
sed that  there  is  an  implicit  prayer  in  their  consideration,  still 
they  allow  that  prayer  must  be  in  some  measure  acceptable 
prayer,  in  order  to  its  being  entitled  to  an  answer;  and  conse- 
quently must  have  some  degree  of  virtuous  respect  to  God,  &c. ; 
and  if  so,  then  the  same  question  returns  with  all  the  afore- 
mentioned difficulties  over  again,  viz.  How  came  the  profane, 
thoughtless,  vain,  inconsiderate  person  by  this  new  virtue,  this 
new  respect  to  God,  that  he  ever  exercises  in  this  serious  con- 
sideration and  implicit  prayer  ? 

If  they  say,  there  is  no  necessity  of  supposing  any  implicit 
prayer  in  the  first  consideration  ;  and  yet,  if  the  wicked,  pro- 
fane, careless  person,  makes  a  good  improvement  of  what  grace 
he  has,  in  proper  consideration,  or  otherwise,  God  has  obliged 
himself  to  give  him  more,  in  that  general  promise,  "  to  him 
that  hath  shall  be  given,  and  he  shall  have  more  abundance :" 
Then  I  answer,  here  is  new  virtue  in  his  making  a  good 
improvement  of  what  common  assistance  he  has,  which  before 
he  neglected,  and  made  no  good  improvement  of.  This  is 
contrary  to  what  they  pretend.  Or  is  God  obliged  to  give  new 
assistance  in  order  to  this  new  virtue  by  any  promise  ?  If  he 
be,  what  is  the  condition  of  the  promise  ?  It  is  absurd  to 
say,  making  a  good  improvement  of  what  assistance  they  have  ; 
for  that  is  the  thing  we  are  inquring  after,  viz.  How  comes  he 
by  that  new  virtue,  making  a  good  improvement  of  what  he 
has,  when  before  he  had  not  virtue  enough  to  make  such  an 


Vti)  MISCELLANEOUS   REMARKS, 

improvement?  Of  whatever  kind  this  assistance  is,  whether  it 
be  some  afflictive  dispensation  of  Providence,  or  some  other 
outward  dispensation  or  inward  influence,  the  difficulty  is  the 
same.  How  becomes  God  obliged  to  give  this  assistance  ;  and 
what  is  the  conditon  of  the  promise  ? 

The  answer  must  be,  that  this  new  virtue  is  without  any 
new  assistance  given,  and  is  from  God  no  otherwise  than  as 
the  former  neglected  assistance  or  grace  subserves  it.  But  the 
question  is,  whence  comes  the  virtue  of  not  neglecting,  but 
improving  that  former  assistance  1  Is  it  proper  to  say  that  a 
man  is  assisted  to  improve  assistance  by  the  assistance  im- 
proved ?  Suppose  a  number  of  men  were  in  the  water  in 
danger  of  drowning,  and  a  friend  on  shore  throws  out  a  cord 
amongst  them,  but  all  of  them  for  a  while  neglect  it ;  at  length 
one  of  them  takes  hold  of  it,  and  makes  improvement  of  it ; 
and  any  should  inquire,  how  that  man  came  by  the  prudence 
and  virtue  of  improving  the  cord,  when  others  did  not,  and  he 
before  had  neglected  it ;  would  it  be  a  proper  answer  to  say, 
that  he  that  threw  out  the  rope,  assisted  him  wisely  to  improve 
the  rope,  by  throwing  out  the  rope  to  him  ?  This  would  be  an 
absurd  answer..  The  question  is  not,  how  he  came  by  his  op- 
portanity,  but  how  he  came  by  the  disposition  of  improvement. 
His  friend  on  shore  gave  him  the  opportunity,  and  this  is  all. 
The  man's  virtue  in  improving  it  was  not  at  all  from  him. 
Would  it  not  be  exceedingly  impertinent,  in  such  a  case,  to 
set  forth  from  time  to  time,  how  this  man's  discretion,  and 
virtue  and  prudence,  was  the  gift  of  his  friend  on  the  shore, 
his  mere  gift,  the  fruit  of  his  purpose  and  mere  good  pleasure, 
and  of  his  power  ;  and  yet  that  it  was  of  his  own  will  ?  Man's 
virtue,  according  to  Arminian  principles,  must  consist  wholly 
and  entirely  in  improving  assistance  :  For  in  that  only  consists 
the  exercise  of  their  freewill  in  the  affair,  and  not  in  their 
having  the  assistance,  although  their  virtue  must  be  by  their 
principles  entirely  from  themselves,  and  God  has  no  hand  in 
it.  From  the  latter  part  of  the  above  discourse,  it  appears 
that,  according  to  Arminian  principles,  men's  virtue  is  al- 
together of  themselves,  and  God  has  no  hand  at  all  in  it. 

§  54.  When  I  say  that  the  acts  and  influences  of  the  Spirit 
determine  the  effects,  it  is  not  meant  that  man  has  nothing  to 
do  to  determine  in  the  affair.  The  soul  of  man  undoubtedly 
in  every  instance,  does  voluntarily  determine  with  respect  to 
his  own  consequent  actions.  But  this  voluntary  determination 
of  the  soul  of  man,  is  the  effect  determined.  This  determining 
act  of  the  soul  is  not  denied,  but  supposed,  as  it  is  the  effect 
we  are  speaking  of,  that  the  influence  of  God's  Spirit  deter- 
mines. The  scripture  speaks  of  this  as  the  reason  that  good 
men  have  virtue,  that  God  hath  given  it  to  them  ;  and  the  rea- 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  471 

son  why  bad  men  have  it  not,  that  God  hath  not  given  it  to 
them.  These  two  together  clearly  prove  that  God  is  the  de- 
termining or  disposing  cause  of  virtue  or  goodness  in  men. 

§  55.  In  many  particulars  their  scheme  contradicts  common 
sense.  It  is  contrary  to  common  sense,  that  a  being  should 
continually  meet  with  millions  of  millions  of  real  proper  dis- 
appointments and  crosses  to  his  proper  desires,  and  not  con- 
tinually lead  a  distressed  and  unhappy  life.  It  is  contrary  to 
common  sense,  that  God  should  know  that  an  event  will  cer- 
tainly come  to  pass,  whose  non-existence  he  at  the  same  time 
knows  is  not  impossible.  It  is  contrary  to  common  sense 
that  a  thing  should  be  the  cause  of  itself ;  and  that  a  thing  not 
necessary  in  its  own  nature  should  come  to  pass  without  any 
cause  :  That  the  more  indifferent  a  man  is  in  any  moral  ac- 
tion, the  more  virtuous  he  is,  &c. 

§  56.  They  say,  their  scheme  gives  almost  all  the  glory  to 
God.  That  matter,  I  suppose,  may  easily  be  determined,  and 
it  may  be  made  to  appear  beyond  all  contest,  how  much  they 
do  ascribe  to  the  man,  and  how  much  they  do  not.  By  them, 
salvation  is  so  far  from  God,  he  gives  opportunity  to  obtain 
salvation  ;  it  is  God  that  gives  the  offer  and  makes  the  pro- 
mise :  but  the  obtaining  the  thing  promised  is  of  men.  The 
being  of  the  promise  is  of  God ;  but  their  interest  in  it  is  wholly 
of  themselves,  of  their  own  freewill.  And  furthermore,  it  is  to 
be  observed,  that  even  God's  making  the  offer,  and  giving  the 
opportunity  to  obtain  salvation,  at  least  that  which  consists  in 
salvation  from  eternal  misery,  is  not  of  God,  so  as  to  be  owing 
to  any  proper  grace  or  goodness  of  his.  For  they  suppose  he 
was  obliged  to  make  the  offer,  and  it  would  have  been  a  re- 
proach to  his  justice,  if  he  had  not  given  an  opportunity  to  ob- 
tain salvation.  For  they  hold  it  is  unjust  for  God  to  make  men 
miserable  for  Adam's  sin  ;  and  that  it  is  unjust  to  punish  them 
for  a  sin  that  they  cannot  avoid  ;  and  that,  therefore,  it  is  unjust 
for  God  not  to  preserve  or  save  all  men  that  do  what  they  can,  or 
use  their  sincere  endeavours  to  do  their  duty;  and  therefore,  it 
certainly  follows,  that  it  is  unjust  in  God  not  to  give  all  oppor- 
tunity to  be  saved  or  preserved  from  misery  :  and  consequently 
it  is  no  fruit  at  all  of  any  grace  or  kindness  in  him  to  give  such 
opportunity,  or  to  make  the  offer  of  it.  So  that  the  fruit  of 
God's  kindness  in  man's  salvation,  is  the  positive  happiness 
that  belongs  to  salvation.  For  it  is  evident  that  a  man's 
making  himself  to  differ  with  regard  to  any  great  spiritual 
benefit,  and  his  not  receiving  it  from  another  but  from  him- 
self, is  ground  of  a  man's  boasting  and  glorying  in  himself, 
with  respect  to  that  benefit.  "  Who  maketh  thee  to  differ  ? 
why  boastest  thou,  as  though  thou  hadstnot  received  it  ?" 

§  57.  It  is  evident,  that  it  is  God's  design  to  exclude  man's 
boasting  in  the  affair  of  his  salvation.    Now  let  us  consider 


i?2  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

what  does  give  ground  for  boasting  in  the  apostle's  account, 
and  what  it  is  that  in  his  account  excludes  boasting,  or  cuts  oft' 
occasion  for  it.  It  is  evident  by  what  the  apostle  says,  1  Cor.  i. 
latter  end,  that  the  entireness  and  universality  of  our  depen- 
dence on  God,  is  that  which  cuts  off  occasion  of  boasting  ;  as, 
our  receiving  our  wisdom,  our  holiness,  and  redemption  through 
Christ,  and  not  through  ourselves;  that  Christ  is  made  to  us 
wisdom,  justification,  holiness  and  redemption ;  and  not  only 
so,  but  that  it  is  of  God  that  we  have  any  part  in  Christ ;  of 
him  are  ye  in  Christ  Jesus  :  nay,  further,  that  it  is  from  God 
we  receive  those  benefits  of  wisdom,  holiness,  &,c.  through 
the  Saviour.  The  import  of  all  these  things,  if  we  may  trust 
to  Scripture  representations,  is,  that  God  has  contrived  to  ex- 
clude our  glorying  ;  that  we  should  be  wholly  and  every  way 
dependent  on  God,  for  the  moral  and  natural  good  that  belongs 
to  salvation;  and  that  we  have  all  from  the  hand  of  God,  by 
his  power  and  grace.  And  certainly  this  is  wholly  inconsistent 
with  the  idea  that  our  holiness  is  wholly  from  ourselves ;  and, 
that  we  are  interested  in  the  benefits  of  Christ  rather  than 
others,  is  wholly  of  our  own  decision.  And  that  such  an 
universal  dependence  is  what  takes  away  occasion  of  taking 
glory  to  ourselves,  and  is  a  proper  ground  of  an  ascription  of 
all  the  glory  of  the  things  belonging  to  man's  salvation  to  God, 
is  manifest  from  Rom.  xi.  35,  36.  "  Or  who  hath  first  given 
unto  him,  and  it  shall  be  recompensed  to  him  again  ?  For 
of  him,  and  to  him,  and  through  him,  are  all  things  ;  to  whom 
be  glory  for  ever  and  ever,  Amen." 

§  58.  Again,  in  the  apostle's  account,  a  benefit  being  of 
our  works,  gives  occasion  for  boasting,  and  therefore  God  has 
contrived  that  our  salvation  shall  not  be  of  our  works,  but  of 
mere  grace  ;  Rom.  iii.  27.  Eph.  ii.  9.  And  that  neither  the 
salvation,  nor  the  condition  of  it,  shall  be  of  our  works,  but  that, 
with  regard  to  all,  we  are  God's  ivorkmanship,  his  creation, 
antecedently  to  our  works  ;  and  his  grace  and  power  in  pro- 
ducing this'  workmanship,  and  his  determination  or  purpose 
with  regard  to  them,  are  all  prior  to  our  works,  and  the  cause 
of  them.  See  also  Rom.  xi.  4 — 6.  And  it  is  evident  that 
man's  having  virtue  from  himself,  and  not  receiving  it  from 
another,  and  making  himself  to  differ  with  regard  to  great 
spiritual  benefits,  does  give  ground  for  boasting,  by  the  words 
of  the  apostle  in  Rom.  iii.  27.  And  this  is  allowed  by  all  as 
to  spiritual  gifts.  And  if  so  in  them,  more  so  in  greater 
things  ;  more  so  in  that  which  in  itself  is  a  thousand  times 
more  excellent,  and  of  ten  thousand  times  greater  importance 
and  benefit. 

By  the  Arminian  scheme,  that  which  is  the  most  excellent 
thing,  viz.  virtue  and  holiness,  which  the  apostle  sets  forth  as 
being  infinitely  the  most  honourable,  and  will  bring  the  sub- 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS  473 

jects  of  it  to  the  greatest  and  highest  honour,  that  which  is 
the  highest  dignity  of  man's  nature  of  all  things  that  belong  to 
man's  salvation  ;  in  comparison  of  which,  all  things  belonging 
to  that  salvation  are  nothing  ;  that  which  does  more  than  any 
thing  else  constitute  the  difference  between  them  and  others, 
as  more  excellent,  more  worthy,  more  honourable  and  happy ; 
this  is  from  themselves  !  With  regard  to  this,  they  have  not 
received  it  of  another.  With  regard  to  this  great  thing, 
they,  and  they  only,  make  themselves  to  differ  from  others ; 
and  this  difference  proceeds  not  at  all  from  the  power  or 
grace  of  God. 

§  59.  Virtue  is  not  only  the  most  honourable  attainment,  but 
it  is  that  which  men,  on  the  supposition  of  their  being  possess- 
ed of  it,  are  more  apt  to  glory  in,  than  in  any  thing  else  what- 
soever. For  what  are  men  so  apt  to  glory  in  as  their  own 
supposed  excellency,  as  in  their  supposed  virtue  ?  And  what 
sort  of  glorying  is  that,  which,  it  is  evident  in  fact,  the  Scrip- 
tures do  chiefly  guard  against  ?  It  is  glorying  in  their  own 
righteousness,  their  own  holiness,  their  own  good  works.  It  is 
manifest,  that  in  the  apostle's  account,  it  is  a  proper  considera- 
tion to  prevent  our  boasting,  that  our  distinction  from  others  is 
not  of  ourselves,  not  only  in  being  distinguished  by  better  gifts 
and  better  principles,  but  in  our  being  made  partakers  of  the 
great  privileges  of  Christians,  such  as  being  ingrafted  into 
Christ,  and  partaking  of  the  fatness  of  that  olive  tree.  Rom. 
xi.  17, 18.  "  And  if  some  of  the  branches  be  broken  off,  and 
thou  being  a  wild  olive  tree,  wert  grafted  in  amongst  them, 
and  with  them  partakest  of  the  root  and  fatness  of  the  olive 
tree  ;  boast  not  against  the  branches." 

Here  it  is  manifest,  that  the  distinction  between  some  and 
others,  is  the  thing  insisted  on ;  and  the  apostle,  verse  22,  calls 
upon  them  to  consider  this  great  distinction,  and  to  ascribe  it 
only  to  the  distinguishing  goodness  of  God.  "  Behold,  there- 
fore, the  goodness  and  severity  of  God ;  on  them  which  fell, 
severity;  but  toward  thee,  goodness."  And  its  being  owing  not 
to  them,  but  to  God  and  his  distinguishing  goodness,  is  the 
thing  the  apostle  urges  as  a  reason  why  they  should  not  boast, 
but  magnify  God's  grace  or  distinguishing  goodness.  And 
if  it  be  a  good  reason,  and  the  scheme  of  our  salvation  be 
every  way  so  contrived  (as  the  apostle  elsewhere  signifies)  that 
all  occasion  of  boasting  should  be  precluded,  and  all  reasons 
given  to  ascribe  all  to  God's  grace ;  then  it  is  doubtless  so  or- 
dered, that  the  greatest  privileges,  excellency,  honour  and  hap- 
piness of  Christians,  should  be  that  wherein  they  do  not  dis- 
tinguish themselves,  but  the  difference  is  owing  to  God's  dis- 
tinguishing goodness. — Yet,  Stebbing  strongly  asserts,  God  is 
not  the  author  of  that  difference  that  is  between  some  and 
others,  that  some  are  good,  and  others  bad  !     The  Arminians 

Vol.  VII.  W 


MlbCkLLAiNi'.OlO     RE.vi  iRh 


differ  among  themselves.  Dr.  Whitby  supposes  that  what  God 
does,  is  only  proposing  moral  motives ;  but  that  in  attending, 
adverting,  and  considering,  we  exercise  our  liberty.  But  Steb- 
bing  supposes,  that  the  attention  and  consideration  is  itself 
owing  to  the  Spirit  of  God;  (page  217.)  and  then  changes  the 
question  (pages  '223,  224.)  he  was  considering,  who  has  the 
chief  glory  of  our  conversion,  or  of  our  virtue?  and  endeavours 
to  prove  the  affirmative  of  another  question,  viz.  whether  God 
is  the  author  of  that  pardon  and  salvation,  of  which  conversion 
and  virtue  are  the  condition  ?  He  supposes,  that  one  thing 
wherein  the  assistance  of  the  Spirit  consists,  is  the  giving  of  a 
meek,  teachable,  disinterested  temper  of  mind,  to  prepare  men 
for  faith  in  Christ ;  (pages  217,  259.)  and  that  herein  consists 
the  drawing  of  the  Father,  John  vi.  44.  viz.  in  giving  such  a 
temper  of  mind — this  he  calls  the  preventing  grace  of  God,  that 
goes  before  conversion.  He  often  speaks  of  a  part  that  we  do. 
and  a  part  that  God  does.  And  he  speaks  of  this  as  that  part 
Which  God  does.  Therefore  this,  in  distinction  from  the  part 
which  we  do,  (for  so  he  speaks  of  it,)  is  wholly  done  by  God. 
And  consequently,  here  is  virtue  wholly  from  God,  and  not  at 
all  from  the  exercise  of  our  own  freewill  :  which  is  inconsistent 
with  hi?  own,  and  all  other  Arminian  principles, 

§  60.  The  Arminian  scheme  naturally, and  bv  necessary  con- 
sequence, leads  men  to  take  all  the  glory  of  all  spiritual  good 
(which  is  immensely  the  chief,  most  important  and  excellent 
thing  in  the  whole  creation)  to  ourselve.;  as  much  as  if  we, 
with  regard  to  those  effects,  were  the  supreme,  the  self-existent 
and  independent,  and  absolutely  sove  eign  disposers.  We 
leave  the  glory  of  only  the  meaner  part  of  creation  to  G  d,and 
take  to  ourselves  all  the  glory  of  that  which  is  properly  the  life, 
beauty,  and  glory  of  the  creation,  and  without  which  it  is  all 
worse  than  nothing.  So  that  there  is  nothing  left  for  the  great 
First  and  Last ;  no  glory  for  either  the  Father,  Son,  or  Hoi) 
Ghost  in  the  affair.  This  is  not  carrying  things  too  far,  but  is 
a  consequence  truly  and  certainly  to  be  ascribed  to  their  scheme 
of  things.  He  may  be  said  to  be  the  giver  of  money  that  often 
it  to  us,  without  being  the  proper  determiner  of  our  acceptance. 
But  it  is  in  the  acceptance  of  offers,  and  the  proper  improve- 
ment of  opportunities,  wherein  consists  virtue.  He  may  be 
said  to  be  the  giver  of  money  or  goods,  that  does  not  determine 
ihe  wise  choice  ;  but  if  the  wise  and  good  choice  itself  be  said 
lobe  the  thing  given,  it  supposes  that  the  giver  determines  the 
existence  of  such  a  wise  choice.  But  now,  this  is  the  thing  of 
which  God  is  represented  as  the  giver,  when  he  is  spoken  of  as 
the  giver  of  virtue,  holiness,  &c. ;  for  virtue  and  holiness  (as  all 
our  opponents  in  these  controversies  allow  and  maintain)  is  the 
thing  wherein  a  wise  and  good  choice  consists. 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  173 

§  61.  It  is  the  common  way  of  the  Arminians,  in  their  dis- 
courses and  doctrines,  which  they  pretend  are  so  much  more 
consistent  with  reason  and  common  sense,  than  the  doctrines 
of  the  Calvinists,  to  give  no  account  at  all,  and  make  no  proper 
answer  to  tne  inquiries  made ;  and  they  do  as  Mr.  Locke  says 
of  the  Indian  philosopher,  who,  when  asked  what  the  world 
stood  upon,  answered,  it  stood  upon  an  elephant;  and,  when 
asked,  what  the  elephant  stood  upon,  lie  replied,  on  a  broad- 
backed  turtle,  &c.  None  of  their  accounts  will  bear  to  be 
traced ;  the  first  link  of  the  chain,  and  the  fountain  of  the 
whole  stream,  must  not  be  inquired  after.  If  it  be,  it  brings 
all  to  a  gross  absurdity,  and  self-contradiction.  And  yet,  when 
they  have  done,  they  look  upon  others  as  stupid  bigots,  and 
void  of  common  sense,  or  at  least  going  directly  counter  to 
common  sense,  and  worthy  of  contempt  and  indignation,  be- 
cause they  will  not  agree  with  them.  I  suppose  it  will  not  be 
denied,  by  any  party  of  Christians,  that  the  happiness  of  the 
saints  in  the  other  world,  consists  much  in  perfect  holiness  and 
the  exalted  exercises  of  it ;  that  the  souls  of  the  saints  shall 
enter  upon  it  at  once  at  death  ;  or,  (if  any  deny  that,)  at  least 
at  the  resurrection  ;  that  the  saint  is  made  perfectly  holy  as 
soon  as  ever  he  enters  into  heaven.  I  suppose  none  will  say, 
that  perfection  is  obtained  by  repeated  acts  of  holiness  ;  but, 
all  will  grant,  that  it  is  wrought  in  the  saint  immediately  by 
the  power  of  God  ;  and  yet  that  it  is  virtue  notwithstanding. 
And  why  are  not  the  beginnings  of  holiness  wrought  in  the 
same  manner?  Why  should  not  the  beginnings  of  an  holy 
nature  be  wrought  immediately  by  God  in  a  soul  that  is 
wholly  of  a  contrary  nature,  as  well  as  holiness  be  perfected 
in  a  soul  that  has  already  a  prevailing  holiness?  And  if  it  be 
so,  why  is  not  the  beginning,  thus  wrought,  as  much  virtue  as 
the  perfection  thus  wrought? 

§  62.  Saving  grace  differs  not  only  in  degree,  but  in  nature 
and  kind,  from  common  grace,  or  any  thing  that  is  ever  found 
in  natural  men.  This  seems  evident,  because  conversion  is  a 
work  that  is  done  at  once,  and  not  gradually.  If  saving  grace 
differed  only  in  degree  from  what  went  before,  then  the  making 
a  man  a  good  man,  would  be  a  gradual  work;  it  would  be  the 
increasing  of  the  grace  that  he  has,  till  it  comes  to  such  a  de- 
gree as  to  be  saving,  at  least  it  would  be  frequently  so.  But, 
that  the  conversion  of  the  heart  is  not  a  work  thus  gradually 
wrought,  but  at  once,  appears  by  Christ's  converting  the  soul 
being  represented  as  his  calling  of  it  ;  Rom.  viii.  28,  29,  30. 
"  And  we  know  that  all  things  work  together  for  good  to  them 
that  love  God,  to  them  who  are  the  called  according  to  his 
purpose.  For,  whom  he  did  foreknow,  he  also  did  predesti- 
nate to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  his  Son :  that  he  might 
be  the  first-born  among  manv  brethren.      Moreover,  whom  he 


170  MISCEMiANEOVS    REMARK.-. 

did  predestinate,  them  he  also  called;  and  whom  he  called, 
them  he  also  justified  ;  and  whom  he  justified,  them  he  also 
glorified."  Heb.  ix.  15.  "  That  they  which  are  called,  might 
receive  the  promise  of  the  eternal  inheritance.11  1  Thess.  v. 
23,  24.  "  And  the  very  God  of  peace  sanctify  you  wholly : 
and  I  pray  God,  your  whole  spirit,  soul  and  body,  be  preserved 
blameless  unto  the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Faithful 
is  he  that  calleth  you,  who  also  will  do  it.11  Nothing  else  can 
be  meant  in  these  places,  by  calling,  but  what  Christ  does  in  a 
sinner's  saving  conversion  ;  by  which  it  seems  evident,  that  this 
is  done  at  once,  and  not  gradually.  Hereby  Christ  shows  his 
great  power.  He  does  but  speak  the  powerful  word,  and  it  is 
done.  He  does  but  call,  and  the  heart  of  the  sinner  immedi- 
ately cometh,  as  was  represented  by  his  calling  his  disciples, 
and  their  immediately  following  him.  So,  when  he  called 
Peter  and  Andrew,  James  and  John,  they  were  minding  other 
things,  and  had  no  thought  of  following  Christ.  There  is 
something  immediately  put  into  their  hearts,  at  that  call, 
which  makes  them  so  immediately  act  in  a  manner  altogether 
new,  and  so  alien  from  what  they  were  before. 

§  63.  That  the  work  of  conversion  is  wrought  at  once,  is 
further  evident,  by  its  being  compared  to  a  work  of  creation. 
When  God  created  the  world,  he  did  what  he  did  immediately  ; 
he  spake,  and  it  was  done ;  he  commanded,  and  it  stood  fast. 
He  said,  Let  there  be  light,  and  there  was  light.  Also,  by  its 
being  compared  to  a  raising  from  the  dead.  Raising  from  the 
dead,  is  not  a  gradual  work,  but  it  is  done  at  once.  God  calls, 
and  the  dead  come  forth  immediately.  When  God  creates, 
he  does  not  merely  establish  and  perfect  the  things  that  were 
made  before,  but  makes  them  wholly  and  immediately.  The 
things  that  are  seen,  are  not  made  of  things  that  do  appear. 
Saving  grace  in  the  heart,  is  said  to  be  the  new  man,  a  new 
creature  ;  and  corruption  the  old  man.  If  virtue  in  the  heart 
of  a  holy  man,  be  not  different  in  its  nature  and  kind,  then  the 
man  might  possibly  have  had  the  same  seventy  years  before, 
and  from  the  beginning  of  his  life,  and  has  it  no  otherwise 
now,  but  only  in  a  greater  degree  :  and  how  then  is  he  a  new 
creature  ? 

§  64.  Again,  it  is  evident,  also,  from  its  being  compared  to  a 
resurrection.  Natural  men  are  said  to  be  dead  :  But,  when 
they  are  converted,  they  are  by  God's  mighty  and  effectual 
power  raised  from  the  dead.  Now  there  is  no  medium  be- 
tween being  dead  and  alive.  He  that  is  dead,  has  no  degree 
of  life.  He  that  has  the  least  degree  of  life  in  him,  is  alive. 
When  a  man  is  raised  from  the  dead,  life  is  not  only  in  a  greater 
degree,  but  it  is  all  new.  And  this  is  further  evident  by  that 
representation  that  is  made  of  Christ's  converting  sinners,  in 
John  v.  25.     "  Verily,  verily,  1  say  unto  you,  the  hour  is  coming, 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  477 

and  now  is,  when  the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of 
God  ;  and  they  that  hear  shall  live."  This  shows  conversion 
to  be  an  immediate  and  instantaneous  work,  like  to  the  change 
made  in  Lazarus,  when  Christ  called  him  from  the  grave ; 
there  went  life  with  the  call,  and  Lazarus  was  immediately 
alive.  That  before  the  call,  they  are  dead,  and,  therefore, 
wholly  destitute  of  any  life,  is  evident  by  that  expression,  "the 
dead  shall  hear  the  voice  ;"  and,  immediately  after  the  call, 
they  are  alive  ;  yea,  there  goes  life  with  the  voice,  as  is  evident, 
not  only  because  it  is  said  they  shall  live,  but,  also,  because  it 
is  said,  they  shall  hear  his  voice.  It  is  evident,  that  the  first 
moment  they  have  any  life,  is  the  moment  when  Christ  calls ; 
and,  when  Christ  calls,  or  as  soon  as  they  are  called,  they  are 
converted  ;  as  is  evident  from  what  is  said  in  the  first  argu- 
ment, wherein  it  is  shown,  that  to  be  called,  and  converted,  is 
the  same  thing. 

§  65.  A  wicked  man  has  not  that  principle  of  nature  which 
a  godly  man  has,  as  is  evident  by  1  John  iii.  9.  "  Whosoever 
is  born  of  God  doth  not  commit  sin  :  for  his  seed  remaineth 
in  him  :  and  he  cannot  sin,  because  he  is  born  of  God."  The 
natural  import  of  the  metaphor  shows,  that  by  seed,  is  meant 
a  principle  of  action  :  it  may  be  small  as  a  grain  of  mustard 
seed.  A  seed  is  a  small  thing :  it  may  be  buried  up  and  lie 
hid,  as  the  seed  sown  in  the  earth  :  it  may  seem  to  be  dead, 
as  seeds  for  a  while  do,  till  quickened  by  the  sun  and  rain. 
But  any  degree  of  such  a  principle,  or  principle  of  such  a  na- 
ture, is  what  is  called  the  seed  :  it  need  not  be  to  such  a  de- 
gree, or  have  such  a  prevalency,  in  order  to  be  called  a  seed. 
And  it  is  further  evident  that  this  seed,  or  this  inward  principle 
of  nature,  is  peculiar  to  the  saints  :  for  he  that  has  it,  cannot 
sin  ;  and  therefore  he  that  sins,  or  is  a  wicked  man,  has  it  not. 

§  66.  Natural  men,  or  those  that  are  not  savingly  con- 
verted, have  no  degree  of  that  principle  from  whence  all  gra- 
cious actings  flow,  viz.  the  Spirit  of  God  or  of  Christ ;  as  is 
evident,  because  it  is  asserted  both  ways  in  scripture,  that 
those  who  have  not  the  spirit  of  Christ  are  not  his,  Rom.  viii.  9; 
and  also,  that  those  who  have  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  are  his  ; 
1  John  iii.  24.  "  Hereby  we  know  that  he  abideth  in  us,  by  the 
Spirit  which  he  hath  given  us."  And  the  Spirit  of  God  is 
called  the  earnest  of  the  future  inheritance,  2  Cor.  i.  22.  and 
v.  5  ;  Eph.  i.  14.  Yea,  that  a  natural  man  has  nothing  of  the 
Spirit  in  him,  no  part  nor  portion  in  it,  is  still  more  evident, 
because  having  of  the  Spirit  is  given  as  a  sure  sign  of  being 
in  Christ.  1  John  iv.  13.  "  Hereby  know  we  that  we  dwell  in 
him,  because  he  hath  given  us  of  his  Spirit."  By  which  it  is 
evident  that  they  have  none  of  that  holy  principle,  that  the 
godly  have.  And  if  they  have  nothing  of  the  Spirit,  they  have 
nothing  of  those  things  that  are  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  such  as 


478  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS, 

those  mentioned  in  Gal.  v.  22.  "  But  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  fe 
love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  gentleness,  goodness,  faith, 
meekness,  temperance."  These  fruits  are  here  mentioned, 
with  the  very  design  that  we  may  know  whether  we  have  the 
Spirit  or  no.  In  the  18th  verse,  the  apostle  tells  the  Gala- 
tians,  that  if  they  are  !ed  by  the  Spirit,  thev  are  not  under  the 
law ;  and  then  directly  proceeds,  first  to  mention  what  are  the 
fruits  or  works  of  the  flesh,  and  then,  what  are  the  fruns  of  the 
Spirit,  that  we  may  judge  whether  we  are  led  by  the  Spirit. 

§  61.  That  natural  ;.h;i,  on  those  that  are  not  born  again, 
have  nothing  of  that  graoe  that  is  in  godly  men,  is  evident  by 
John  iii.  6  ;  where  Christ,  speaking  of  regeneration,  says, 
"  That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh,  is  flesh  ;  and  that  which  is 
bom  of  the  Spirit,  is  spirit."  By  flesh  is  here  meant  nature, 
and  by  spirit  is  meant  grace,  as  is  evident  by  Gal.  v.  16,  17. 
Gal.  vi.  8.  1  Cor.  iii.  1.  That  is  Christ's  very  argument :  by 
this  it  is  that  Christ  in  those  words  would  show  Nicodemus 
the  necessity  of  regeneration,  that  by  the  first  birth  we  have 
nothing  but  nature,  and  can  have  nothing  else  without  being 
born  again  ;  by  which  it  is  exceeding  evident,  that  they  who 
are  not  born  again,  have  nothing  else.  And  that  natural  men 
have  not  the  Spirit  is  evident,  since  by  this  text  with  the  con- 
text, it  is  most  evident,  that  those  who  have  the  Spirit,  have  it 
by  regeneration.  It  is  born  in  them  ;  it  comes  into  them  no 
otherwise  than  by  birth,  and  that  birth  is  in  regeneration,  as  is 
most  evident  by  the  preceding  and  following  verses.  In  godly 
men  there  are  two  opposite  principles :  the  flesh  lusteth  against 
the  Spirit,  and  the  Spirit  against  the  flesh  ;  as  Gal.  v.  25.  But. 
it  is  not  so  with  natural  mev.  Rebekah  in  having  Esau  and 
Jacob  struggle  together  in  her  womb,  was  a  type  only  of  the 
true  Church. 

§  68.  Natural  men  have  nothing  of  that  nature  in  them 
which  true  Christians  have  ;  and  that  appears,  because  the 
nature  they  have  is  divine  nature.  The  saints  alone  have  it. 
Not  only  they  alone  partake  of  such  degrees  of  it,  but  they 
alone  are  partakers  of  it.  To  be  a  partaker  of  the  divine  na- 
ture is  mentioned  as  peculiar  to  the  saints,  2  Pet.  i.  4.  The 
words  in  this  verse  and  the  foregoing  run  thus :  "  According  to 
his  divine  power  hath  given  us  all  things  that  pertain  unto  life 
and  godliness,  through  the  knowledge  of  him  that  hath  called 
us  to  glory,  and  virtue  ;  whereby  arr  given  u  o  us  exceeding 
great  and  precious  promises,  that  bj  tnese  ye  might  be  par- 
takers of  the  divine  nattui  t ;  having  escaped  the  corruption 
that  is  in  the  world  turough  lust."  Divine  nature  and  lust  are 
evidently  here  spoken  of  as  two  opposite  principles  in  men. 
Those  that  are  of  the  world,  have  only  the  latter  principle. 
But  to  be  partakers  of  the  divine  nature,  is  spoken  of  as  pe- 
culiar to  them  that  are  distinguished  and  separated  from  the 


MibL-fcLLA.i\KOIjr>    RKMAKhS. 


■m 


world,  by  the  free  and  sovereign  grace  of  God  giving  them  all 
things  that  pertain  to  life  and  godliness;  by  giving  the  know- 
ledge of  Christ,  and  calling  them  to  glory  and  virtue  :  and 
giving  them  the  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises  of  the 
gospel^  and  enabling  them  to  escape  the  corruption  of  the 
world  of  wicked  men.  It  is  spoken  of  no.  only  as  peculiar 
to  the  samts,  but  as  the  highest  privilege  of  saints. 

§  69.  A  natural  man  has  no  degree  of  that  relish  and  sense 
of  spiritual  things,  or  things  of  the  Spirit*  and  of  their  divine 
truth  and  excellency,  which  a  godly  man  has  ;  as  is  evident  by 
1  Cor.  ii.  14.  «*  The  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of 
the  Spirit  of  God;  for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him;  neither 
can  he  know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually  discern  i.~ 
Here  a  natural  man  is  represented  as  perfectly  destituu.  of  any 
sense,  Deception,  or  discerning  of  those  things.  For,  by  the 
words,  he  neither  does  nor  can  know,  or  discern  them.  So 
far  from  it,  that  they  are  foolishness  unto  him.  He  is  such  a 
stranger  to  them,  that  he  knows  not  what  the  talk  of  such 
things  means ;  they  are  words  without  a  meaning  to  him  ;  he 
knows  nothing  of  the  matter,  any  more  than  a  blind  man  of 
colours.  Hence  it  will  foJow,  that  the  sense  of  religion  which 
a  natural  man  has,  is  not  only  not  to  the  same  degree^  but  is 
not  of  the  same  nature  with  what  a  godly  man  has.  Besides, 
if  a  natural  p-.rson  has  that  fruit  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  of  the 
si  me  kind  v  un  what  a  spiritual  person  has,  then  he  experien- 
ces within  himself  the  things  of  the  Spirit,  of  God.  How  then 
.ni  he  be  said  to  be  sucU  a  stranger  to  them,  and  have  no 
perception  or  discerning  of  them  ?  The  reason  why  natural 
men  have  no  knowledge  of  spiritual  things,  is,  that  Miey  have 
nothing  of  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelling  in  them.  This  is  evident 
by  the  context.  For  there  we  are  told  it  is  by  the  Spirit  these 
things  are  taught,  verse  10 — 12.  Godly  persons,  in  the  text 
we  are  upon,  are  called  spiritual,  evidently  on  this  account, 
that  they  have  the  Spirit :  and  unregenerate  men  are  called 
natural  men,  because  they  have  nothing  but  nature.  For 
natural  men  are  in  no  degree  spiritual  :  they  have  only  nature, 
and  no  Spirit.  If  they  had  any  thing  of  the  Spirit,  though  not 
in  so  great  a  degree  as  the  godlv,  yet  they  would  be  taught 
spiritual  things,  or  the  things  of  the  Spirit  in  proportion  ;  the 
Spirit,  that  -earcheth  all  things,  would  teach  them  in  some 
measure.  There  would  not  be  so  great  a  difference,  that  the 
one  could  perceive  nothing  of  them,  and  that  they  should  be 
foolishness  to  them,  while,  to  the  other,  they  appear  divinely 
and  unspeakably  wise  and  excellent,  as  they  are  spoken  of  in 
the  content,  verses  6 — 9;  a-^d  as  such,  the  apostie  speaks  here 
of  disceruitijr  them  The  reason  whj  natural  men  have  no 
knowledge  or  perception  of  spiritual  things,  is,  that  they  have 
none  of  that  anointing  spoken  of,  1  John   ii.  27.  "  But  the 


4S0  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS. 

anointing,  which  ye  have  received  of  him,  abideth  in  you,  and 
ye  need  not  that  any  man  should  teach  you  ;  but  as  the  same 
anointing  teacheth  you  of  all  things,  and  is.  truth,  and  is  no 
lie,  and  even  as  it  hath  taught  you,  ye  shall  abide  in  him." 
This  anointing  is  evidently  here  spoken  of  as  a  thing  peculiar 
to  true  saints.  Sinners  never  had  any  of  that  oil  poured  upon 
them  :  and  because  ungodly  men  have  none  of  it,  therefore 
they  have  no  discerning  of  spiritual  things.  If  they  had  any 
degree  of  it,  they  would  discern  in  some  measure.  Therefore, 
none  of  that  sense  which  natural  men  have  of  spiritual  things, 
is  of  the  same  nature  with  what  the  godly  have.  And  that 
natural  men  are  wholly  destitute  of  this  knowledge,  is  further 
evident,  because  conversion  is  represented  in  scripture  by 
opening  the  eyes  of  the  blind.  But  this  would  be  very  impro- 
perly so  represented,  if  a  man  might  have  some  sight,  though 
not  so  clear  and  full,  for  scores  of  years  before  his  conversion. 

§  70.  That  unbelievers  have  no  degree  of  that  grace  that  the 
saints  have,  is  evident,  because  they  have  no  communion  with 
Christ.  If  unbelievers  partook  of  any  of  that  spirit,  those  holy 
inclinations,  affections  and  actings  that  the  godly  have  from 
the  Spirit  of  Christ,  then  they  would  have  communion  with 
Christ.  The  communion  of  saints  with  Christ,  certainly  con- 
sists in  receiving  of  his  fulness,  and  partaking  of  his  grace, 
John  i.  16.  "  Of  his  fulness  have  all  we  received,  and  grace 
for  grace.11  And  the  partaking  of  that  spirit  which  God  gives 
not  by  measure  unto  him,  the  partaking  of  Christ's  holiness  and 
grace,  his  nature,  inclinations,  tendencies,  affections,  love,  de- 
sires, must  be  a  part  of  communion  with  him.  Yea,  a  believer's 
communion  with  God  and  Christ,  does  mainly  consist  in  par- 
taking of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  is  evident  by  2  Cor.  xiii.  14.  But 
that  unbelievers  have  no  communion  or  fellowship  with  Christ, 
appears, 

1.  Because  they  are  not  united  to  Christ ;  they  are  not  in 
Christ.  Those  that  are  not  in  Christ,  or  are  not  united  to  him, 
can  have  no  degree  of  communion  with  him  :  for  union  with 
Christ,  is  the  foundation  of  all  communion  with  him.  The 
union  of  the  members  with  the  head,  is  the  foundation  of  all 
their  communion  or  partaking  with  the  head  ;  and  so  the  union 
of  the  branch  with  the  vine,  is  the  foundation  of  all  the  com- 
munion it  has  with  the  vine,  of  partaking  in  any  degree  of  its 
sap  or  life,. or  influence.  So  the  union  of  the  wife  to  the  hus- 
band, is  the  foundation  of  her  communion  in  his  goods. —  But 
no  natural  man  is  united  to  Christ  ;  because  all  that  are  in 
Christ  shall  be  saved  ;  1  Cor.  xv.  2k2.  "  As  in  Adam  all  die,  so 
in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive ;"  i.  e.  all  that  are  in  Christ ; 
for  this  speaks  only  of  the  glorious  resurrection  and  eternal  life. 
Phil.  iii.  8,  9.  "Yea,  doubtless,  I  count  all  things  but  loss, 
for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus,  my  Lord  ; 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS,  481 

tor  whom  I  have  suffered  the  loss  of  all  things,  and  do  count 
them  but  dung,  that  I  may  win  Christ,  and  be  found  in  himy 
not  having  on  my  own  righteousness,"  &c.  2  Cor.  v.  17. 
;t  Now,  if  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature  ;  old 
things  are  passed  away,  behold  all  things  are  become  new." 
1  John  ii.  5.  "  Hereby  know  we  that  we  are  in  him.'"  Chap, 
iii.  24.  "  And  he  that  keepeth  his  commandments,  dwelleth 
in  him,  and  he  in  him ;  and  hereby  we  know  that  he  abideth  in 
us"  &c.  and  iv.  13.  "  Hereby  know  we  that  we  dwell  in  himt 
and  he  in  us." 

2.  The  scripture  more  directly  teaches,  that  only  true  saints 
have  communion  with  Christ ;  1  John  i.  3—7.  "  That  which 
we  have  seen  and  heard  declare  we  unto  you,  that  ye  also  may 
have  fellowship  with  us  ;  and  truly  our  fellowship  is  with  the 
Father,  and  with  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.  If  we  say  we  have  fel- 
lowship with  him,  and  walk  in  darkness,  we  lie,  and  do  not  the 
truth.  But  if  we  walk  in  the  light,  as  he  is  in  the  light,  we 
have  fellowship  one  with  another;  and  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ, 
his  Son,  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin."  And  1  Cor.  i.  8,  9.  "  Who 
shall  also  confirm  you  unto  the  end,  that  ye  may  be  blameless 
in  the  day  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  God  is  faithful,  by  whom 
ye  were  called  unto  the  fellowship  of  his  Son,  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord."  By  this  it  appears,  that  those  who  have  fellowship  with 
Christ,  are  those  that  cannot  fall  away,  whom  God's  faithful- 
ness is  bound  to  confirm  to  the  end,  that  they  may  be  blameless 
in  the  day  of  Jesus  Christ. 

§  71.  Ezekiel's  vision  of  the  dry  bones  is  an  illustrative  con- 
firmation, that  however  natural  men  may  be  the  subjects  of 
great  and  wonderful  influences  and  operations  of  God's  great 
power  and  Spirit ;  yet  they  do  not  properly  partake  at  all  of  the 
Spirit  before  conversion.  In  all  that  is  wrought  in  them,  in 
every  respect  fitting  and  preparing  them  for  grace,  so  that 
nothing  shall  be  wanting  but  divine  life  ;  yet  as  long  as  they 
are  without  this,  they  have  nothing  of  the  Spirit.  Which  con- 
firms the  distinctions  I  have  elsewhere  made,  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  influencing  the  minds  of  natural  men  under  common  illu- 
minations and  convictions,  and  yet  not  communicating  himself 
in  his  own  proper  nature  to  them,  before  conversion  ;  and  that 
saving  grace  differs  from  common  grace,  not  only  hi  degree, 
but  also  in  nature  and  kind.  It  is  said,  Rev.  iii.  8.  of  the  church 
at  Philadelphia,  which  is  commended  above  all  other  churches, 
Thou  hast  a  little  strength;  certainly  implying  that  ungodly 
men  have  none  at  all. 

§  72.  That  those  that  prove  apostates,  never  had  the  same 
kind  of  faith  with  true  saints,  is  confirmed  by  what  Christ  said 
of  Judas,  before  his  apostacy,  John  vi.  64.  "  But  there  are 
=ome  of  you  who  believe  not.     For  Jesus  knew  from  the  begin- 

Vol,  VTT.  fil  e 


|SS£  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

ning  who  they  were  that  believed  not,  and  who  should  betraj 
him."  By  this  it  is  evident,  that  Judas,  who  afterward  proved 
an  apostate,  (and  is  doubtless  set  forth  as  an  example  for  all 
apostates,)  though  he  had  a  kind  of  faith  in  Christ,  yet  did  not 
believe  in  Christ  with  a  true  faith,  and  was  at  that  time,  before 
his  apostacy,  destitute  of  that  kind  of  faith  which  the  true  dis- 
ciples had  ;  and  that  he  had  all  along,  even  from  the  beginning, 
been  destitute  of  that  faith.  And  by  the  70th  and  71st  verses 
of  the  same  chapter,  it  is  evident,  that  he  was  not  only  destitute 
of  that  degree  of  goodness  that  the  rest  had,  but  totally  desti- 
tute of  Christian  piety,  and  wholly  under  the  dominion  of  wick- 
edness ;  being  in  this  respect  like  a  devil,  notwithstanding  all 
his  faith  and  temporary  regard  to  Christ.  "  Jesus  answered 
them,  Have  not  I  chosen  you  twelve,  and  one  of  you  is  a  devil  ? 
He  spake  of  Judas  Iscariot,  the  son  of  Simon.  For  he  it  was 
that  should  betray  him,  being  one  of  the  twelve." 

§  73.  Why  should  we  suppose  that  God  would  make  any 
promises  of  spiritual  and  eternal  blessings  to  that  which  has 
no  goodness  in  it?  Why  should  he  promise  that  they  shall 
obtain  conversion,  who  do  not  do  any  thing  right,  or  use  any 
proper  means  in  order  to  obtain  it  ?  For  the  proper  means  of 
obtaining  grace  is  seeking  it  truly,  with  a  love  and  appetite  to 
it,  and  desire  of  it,  and  sense  of  its  excellency  and  worthiness, 
and  a  seeking  of  it  of  God  through  Christ :  and  to  such  as  seek 
it  thus,  God  has  faithfully  promised  he  will  bestow  it. — But 
though  there  be  no  promise  to  any  seekers  of  grace,  but  gra- 
cious ones ;  yet  there  must  be  a  greater  probability  of  their 
conversion  who  seek,  though  not  after  a  gracious  manner,  and 
though  they  are  not  thoroughly  and  sufficiently  resolved  and 
sincere  in  their  seeking,  than  of  those  who  wholly  neglect  their 
salvation  :  there  is  not  so  great  an  unlikelihood  of  it.  And 
therefore,  if  persons  are  out  of  the  way  of  these  means,  there  is 
no  likelihood  of  their  receiving  grace.  Because  God  bestows 
his  grace  by  means  ;  and  so  the  more  they  are  in  the  way  of 
means,  and  the  more  they  attend  them,  the  more  are  they  in 
the  way  of  being  met  with  by  God,  and  receiving  his  grace  by 
those  means. 

§  74.  Indefinite  promises,  as  they  are  called,  seem  to  be  no 
other  than  promises  of  the  public  covenant,  or  the  promises 
made  to  a  professing  covenant  people.  God  has  promised  to 
his  visible  church  a  blessing  on  his  ordinances  :  and  with  re- 
spect to  the  public  society,  the  visible  church  to  whom  the  pro- 
mises are  made,  they  are  absolutely  promised.  But,  not  being 
limited  to  particular  persons,  to  them  they  are  no  more  than 
encouragements.  Such  promises  as  these,  children  are  interest- 
ed in  by  baptism.  God  has  promised  to  bestow  salvation  on  his 
church,  and  in  the  way  of  his  appointed  worship.     "  In  all 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  483 

plac os  where  I  record  my  name,  there  will  I  come  unto  thee, 
and  will  bless  thee."  When  God  set  his  tabernacle  amongst 
his  people,  he  annexed  a  promise  of  his  blessing. 


CHAPTER  V. 

CONCERNING  THE   PERSEVERANCE   OP  SAINTS. 

§  1.  There  is  just  the  same  reason  for  those  commands  of 
earnest  care  and  laborious  endeavours  for  perseverance,  and 
fhrealenings  of  defection,  notwithstanding  its  being  certain 
that  all  that  have  true  grace  shall  persevere,  as  there  is  for  ear- 
nest endeavours  after  godliness,  and  to  make  our  calling  and 
election  sure,  notwithstanding  all  that  are  elected,  shall  un- 
doubtedly be  saved.  For  as  the  case  with  respect  to  this  is  the 
same,  decree  or  no  decree,  every  one  that  believes  shall  be 
saved,  and  he  that  believes  not  shall  be  damned.  They  that 
will  not  live  godly  lives,  find  out  for  themselves  that  thev  are 
not  elected  ;  they  that  will  live  godly  lives,  have  found  out  for 
themselves  that  they  are  elected.  So  it  is  here  :  he  that  to  his 
utmost  endeavours  to  persevere  in  ways  of  obedience,  finds  out 
that  his  obedience  and  righteousness  are  true  ;  and  he  that  does 
not,  discovers  that  his  is  false. 

§  2.  As  persons  are  commanded  and  counselled  to  repent 
and   be  converted,  though   it  is  already  determined  whether 
they  shall  be  converted  or  no  ;  after  the  same  manner,  and 
with  the  same  propriety,  persons  are  commanded  and  counsel- 
led to  persevere,  although  by  their  being  already  converted,  it 
is  certain  they  shall  persevere.     By  their  resolutely  and  stead- 
fastly persevering  through  all  difficulties,  opposition,  and  trials 
they  obtain  an  evidence  of  the  truth  and  soundness  of  their 
conversion  ;  and  by  their  unstablcness  and   backsliding,   they 
procure  an  evidence  of  their  unsoundness  and  hypocrisy.    And 
it  always  happens,  that  persons  who  have  the  most  need  of  be- 
ing cautioned  and  counselled  against  falling,  and  apostacy,  by 
reason  of  the  weakness  of  their  grace,  have  most  need  of  an 
evidence  of  the  truth  of  their  grace.     And  those  who  have  the 
least  need  of  any  evidence,  by  reason  of  the  strength  and  lively 
exercise  of  grace,  have  least  need  of  being  warned  against  fall- 
ing, they  being  least  in  danger  of  it.  And  so  the  same  persons 
when  they  are  most  in  danger  of  falling, — by  reason  of  the  lan- 
guishing of  their  graces,  their  ill-temper  and  workings  of  corrup- 
tion— have  most,  need  of  evidence  ;  and,  when  in  least  need  of 
care  and  watchfulness  not  to  fall,  by  reason  of  the  strength 
and  vigorous  actings  of  grace,  they  have  least  need  of  evidence 


434  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

So  that  there  is  as  much  need  of  persons  exercising  care  and 
diligence  to  persevere  in  order  to  their  salvation,  as  there  is  of 
their  attention  and  care  to  repent  and  be  converted.  For  our 
own  care  and  diligence  is  as  much  the  proper  and  decreed 
means  of  perseverance,  as  of  any  thing  else;  and  the  want  of 
perseverance,  is  as  much  an  evidence  of  the  want  of  true 
conversion,  as  the  want  of  conversion  is  a  sign  of  the  want 
of  election.  Labour  and  diligence  to  persevere,  is  as  rational 
a  way  to  make  sure  of  the  truth  of  grace,  as  they  are  to  make 
sure  of  the  truth  of  election.  God's  wrath  and  future  punish- 
ment are  proposed  to  all  sorts  of  men,  as  motives  to  an  univer- 
sal and  constant  obedience,  not  only  to  the  wicked,  but  also  to 
the  godly.  Indeed,  those  that  have  obtained  full  assurance  of 
their  safe  estate,  are  not  capable  of  this  motive,  and  they  have 
no  need  of  it.  But  when  persons  are  most  capable  of  the  fear 
of  hell,  through  their  want  of  assurance — and  their  uncertainty, 
whether  or  no  they  are  not  exposed  to  damnation — by  reason 
of  the  weakness  of  their  grace,  then  they  have  most  need  of 
caution. 

Coroll. — Here  we  may  observe,  that  it  is  not  the  scripture 
way  of  judging  of  the  truth  of  grace,  to  be  determined  prin- 
cipally by  the  method  and  steps  of  the  first  work,  but  by  the 
exercise  and  fruits  of  grace  in  a  holy  life. 

§  3.  Perseverance  in  faith,  is,  in  one  sense,  the  condition  of 
justification  ;  that  is,  the  promise  of  acceptance  is  made  only 
to  a  persevering  sort  of  faith  ;  and  the  proper  evidence  of  its 
being  of  that  sort,  is  actual  perseverance.  Not  but  that  a 
man  may  have  good  evidences  that  his  faith  is  of  that  sort, 
before  he  has  finished  his  perseverance,  yea,  the  first  time  that 
he  exercises  such  a  faith,  if  the  exercises  of  it  are  lively  and 
vigorous.  But  when  the  believer  has  those  vigorous  exercises 
of  faith,  by  which  he  has  clear  evidences  of  its  being  of  a  per- 
severing kind,  he  evermore  feels  most  disposition  and  resolution 
to  persevere,  and  most  of  a  spirit  of  dependence  upon  God 
and  Christ,  to  enable  him  so  to  do. 

§  4.  As  to  the  passages  of  scripture  like  that,  Ezekiel  xviii, 
24,  wherein  are  declared  the  fatal  consequences  of  turning  or 
falling  away  from  righteousness,  they  do  not  at  all  argue  but 
that  there  is  an  essential  difference,  in  the  very  nature  of  the 
righteousness  of  those  that  persevere,  and  the  righteousness  of 
those  that  fall  away  The  one  is  of  a  lasting  sort,  the  other 
not ;  and  so,  falling  away,  or  holding  out,  are  in  those  places 
respected  as  natural  fruits,  or  discoveries,  of  the  nature  of  tho 
righteous,  or  of  the  wicked.  If  a  man  that  had  a  prospect  of 
being,  ere  long,  in  calamitous  circumstances,  of  being  poor, 
and  the  object  of  general  contempt,  and  should  make  this  de- 
claration concerning  his  friend,  or  him  that  now  appeared  to  be 
such,  that  if  his  friend  would  cleave  to  him  through  all  his 


MISCELLANEOUS   REMARKS.  485 

circumstances,  he  would  receive  him  and  treat  him  ever  after 
as  his  true  friend,  but,  otherwise,  he  would  utterly  desert  him 
as  a  false  friend  ;  this  would  not  argue,  that  he  thought  there 
was  no  difference  between  the  love  of  friendship  that  was  per- 
severing, and  that  which  fails  when  it  is  tried  ;  but  only,  that 
those  difficulties  discover  the  ditference,  and  show  whose  love 
is  of  a  lasting  sort,  and  whose  not.  The  promises  in  scripture 
are  commonly  made  to  th*'  signs  of  grace  ;  though  God  knows 
whether  men  be  sincere  or  not,  without  the  signs  whereby  men 
know  it. 

§5.  God,  when  he  had  laid  out  himself  to  glorify  his  mercy 
and  grace  in  the  redemption  of  poor  fallen  men,  did  not  see 
meet,  that  those  who  are  redeemed   by  Christ,  should  be  re- 
deemed so  imperfectly,  as  still  to  have  the  work  of  perseve- 
rance left  in  their  own  hands.      They  had  been  found  already 
insufficient  for  this,  even  in  their  perfect  state,  and  are  now  ten 
times  more  liable  than  formerly  to  fall  away,  and  not  to  per- 
severe, if,  in  their  fallen,  broken  state,  with  their    imperfect 
sanctification,  the  care  of  the  matter  be  trusted  with  them. 
Man,  though  redeemed  by  Christ,  so  as  to  have  the  holy  Spirit 
of  God,  and  spiritual  life  again  restored  in  a  degree  ;  yet  is  left 
a  very  poor,  piteous  creature,   because  all  is  suspended  on  his 
perseverance  as  it  was  at  first ;  and,  the  care  of  that  affair,  is 
left  with  him  as  it  was  then  ;    and,  he  is  ten  times  more  likely 
to  fall  away  than  he  was  then,  if  we  consider  only  what  he  was 
in  himself,  to  preserve  him  from  it.      The  poor  creature  sees 
his  own  insufficiency  to  stand,   from  what  has  happened  in 
time  past ;  Ins  own  instability  has  been  his  undoing  already  ; 
and  now  he  is  vastly  more  unstable  than  before.       The  great 
thing  wherein  the  first  covenant  was  deficient,  was,  that  the 
fulfilment  of  the  righteousness  of  the  covenant,    and  man's 
perseverance,  was  entrusted  with  man  himself,  with  nothing 
better  to  secure  it,  than  his  own  strength.       And,  therefore, 
God  introduces  a  better,  which  should  be  an  everlasting  cove- 
nant, a  new  and  living  way  ;  wherein  that  which  was  wanting 
in  the  first,  should  be  supplied,  and  a  remedy  should  be  pro- 
vided against  that,    which,    under  the   first  covenant,    proved 
man's  undoing,  viz.  man's  own  weakness  and  instability  ;  by 
a  mediator  being  given,  who  is  the  same  yesterday,  to-day, 
and  for  ever ;  who  cannot  fail  ;  who  should  undertake  for  his 
people,  and  take  care  of  them.      He  is  able  to  save  to  the  ut- 
termost all  that  come  unto  God  through  him  ;    and  ever  lives 
to  make  intercession  for  them.       God  did  not  see  it  fit  that 
man  should  be  trusted  to  stand   in  his  own  strength  a  second 
time.     It  is  not  fit,  that  in  a  covenant  of  grace,  wherein  all  is 
of  mere,  free,  and  absolute  grace,  that  the  reward  of  life  should 
be  suspended  on  the  perseverance  of  man,  as  dependent  on 
the  strength  and  steadfastness  of  his  own  will.      It  is  a  cove- 


18b'  MISCELLANEOUS   REMARK?. 

nant  of  works,  and  not  a  covenant  of  grace,  that  suspends 
eternal  life  on  what  is  the  fruit  of  a  man's  own  strength.    Eter- 
nal life  was  to  have  been  of  works  in  those  two  respects,  viz. 
as  it  was  to  have  been  for  man's  own  righteousness,  and  as  it 
was  suspended  on  the  fruit  of  his  own  stiength.      For,  though 
our  first  parent  depended  on  the  grace  of  God,  the  influences 
of  his  Spirit  in  his  heart ;  yet  that  grace  was  given  him  already, 
and  dwelt  in  him  constantly,  and  without  interruption,  in  such 
a  degree  as  to  hold  him  above  any  lust  or  sinful  habit  or  prin- 
ciple.    Eternal  life  was  not  merely  suspended  on  that  grace 
that  was  given  him,  and  dwelt  in  him,  but  on  his  improvement 
of  that  grace  which  he  already  had.     For,  in  order  to  his  per- 
severance, there  was  nothing  further  promised  beyond  his  own 
stiength  ;  no  extraordinary  occasional  assistance  was  promised. 
It  was  not  promised  but  that  man  should  be  left  to  himself  as 
he  was.      But  the  new  covenant  is  of  grace,  in  a  manner  dis- 
tinguishing from  the  old,  in  both  these  respects,  that  the  reward 
of  life  is  suspended  neither  on  his  own  strength  nor  worthiness. 
It  provides  something  above  either.     But  if  eternal  life,  under 
the  new  covenant,  was  suspended  on  man's  own  perseverance, 
or  his  perseveringly  using  diligent  endeavours  to  stand  without 
the  promise  of  any  thing  further  to  ascertain  it  than  his  own 
strength,  it  would  herein  be  further  from   being  worthy  to  be 
called  a  covenant  of  grace  than   the  first  covenant ;  because 
man's  strength  is  exceedingly  less  than  it  was  then,  and  he  is 
under  far  less  advantages  to  persevere.     And,  if  he  should  ob- 
tain eternal  life,   by  perseverance  in   his  own  strength  now, 
eternal  life  would,  with  respect  to  that,  be  much  more  of  him- 
self than  it  would  have  been    by  the  first  covenant ;  because, 
perseverance  now,  would  be  a  much  greater  thing  than  under 
those  circumstances ;  and  he  has  but  an  exceeding  small  part 
of  that  grace,  dwelling  in  him,  to  assist  him,  that  he  had  then  ; 
and  that  which  he  has,  does  not  dwell  in  him  in  the  exercise 
of  it  by  such  a  constant  law  as  grace  did  then,  but  is  put  into 
exercise  by  the  spirit  of  grace,  in  a  far  more  arbitrary  and  so- 
vereign way. 

§  6.  Again,  Christ  came  into  the  world  to  do  that  in  which 
mere  men  failed.  He  came  as  a  better  surety,  and  that  in  him 
those  defects  might  be  supplied,  which  proved  to  be  in  our 
first  surety,  and  that  we  might  have  a  remedy  for  the  mischief 
that  came  by  those  defects.  But  the  defect  of  our  first  surety 
was,  that  he  did  not  persevere.  He  wanted  steadfastness  ;  and, 
therefore,  God  sent  us,  in  the  next  surety,  one  that  could  not 
fail ;  but  should  surely  persevere.  But  this  is  no  supply  of  that 
defect  to  us,  if  the  reward  of  life  be  still  suspended  on  perse- 
verance, which  has  nothing,  as  to  ourselves,  greater  to  secure 
it  still,  than  the  strength  of  mere  man  ;  and  the  perseverance 
of  our  second  surety,  is  no  remedy  against  the  like  mischief. 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  487 

which  came  by  failure  of  our  first  surety  ;  but,  on  the  contrary, 
we  are  much  more  exposed  to  the  mischief  than  before.  The 
perseverance  on  which  life  was  suspended,  depended  then  in- 
deed on  the  strength  of  mere  man  :  but  now  (on  the  supposi- 
tion) it  would  be  suspended  on  the  strength  of  fallen  man. 

In  that  our  first  surety  did  not  persevere,  we  fell  in  and  with 
him  ;  for,  doubtless,  if  he  had  stood,  we  should  have  stood  with 
him.  And,  therefore,  when  God  in  mercy  has  given  us  a  better 
surety  to  supply  the  defects  of  the  first,  a  surety  that  might 
stand  and  persevere,  and  one  that  has  actually  persevered 
through  the  greatest  imaginable  trials ;  doubtless  we  shall 
stand  and  persevere  in  him.  After  all  this,  eternal  life  will 
not  be  suspended  on  our  perseverance  by  our  own  poor,  feeble, 
broken  strength.  Our  first  surety,  if  he  had  stood,  would  have 
been  brought  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life,  as  a  seal  of  a  confirmed 
state  of  life  in  persevering  and  everlasting  holiness  and  happi- 
ness ;  and  he  would  have  eat  of  this  tree  of  life  as  a  seal  of 
persevering  confirmed  life,  not  only  for  himself,  but  as  our 
head.  As  when  he  eat  of  the  tree  of  knowledge  of  good  and 
evil,  he  tasted  as  our  head,  and  so  brought  death  on  himself, 
and  all  his  posterity  ;  so,  if  he  had  persevered,  and  had  eat  of 
the  tree  of  life,  he  would  have  tasted  of  that  as  our  head,  and 
therein  life  and  confirmed  holiness,  would  have  been  sealed  to 
him  and  all  his  posterity.  But  Christ,  the  second  Adam,  acts 
the  same  part  for  us  that  the  first  Adam  was  to  have  done,  but 
failed.  He  has  fulfilled  the  law,  and  has  been  admitted  to  the 
seals  of  confirmed  and  everlasting  life.  God,  as  a  testimony 
and  seal  of  his  acceptance  of  what  he  had  done,  as  the  condi- 
tion of  life,  raised  him  from  the  dead,  and  exalted  him  with 
his  own  right  hand,  received  him  up  into  glory,  and  gave  all 
things  into  his  hands.  Thus  the  second  Adam  has  persevered, 
not  only  for  himself,  but  for  us  ;  and  has  been  sealed  to  con- 
firmed and  persevering  and  eternal  life,  as  our  head ;  so  that 
all  those  that  are  his,  and  who  are  his  spiritual  posterity,  are 
sealed  in  him  to  persevering  life.  Here  it  will  be  in  vain  to 
object,  that  persons,  persevering  in  faith  and  holiness,  is  the 
condition  of  their  being  admitted  to  the  state  of  Christ's  pos- 
terity, or  to  a  right  in  him ;  and  that  none  are  admitted  as 
such,  till  they  have  first  persevered.  For  this  is  as  much  as  to 
say,  that  Christ  has  no  church  in  this  world ;  and  that  there 
are  none  on  this  side  the  grave  admitted  as  his  children  or 
people ;  because  they  have  not  yet  actually  persevered  to  the 
end  of  life,  which  is  the  condition  of  their  being  admitted  as 
his  children  and  people ;  which  is  contrary  to  the  whole 
scripture. 

Christ  having  finished  the  work  of  Adam  for  us,  does  more 
than  merely  to  bring  us  back  to  the  probationary  state  of  Adam, 
while  he  had  yet  his  work  to  finish,  knowing  his  eternal  life 


-188  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS. 

uncertain,  because  suspended  on  his  uncertain  perseverance; 
That  alone  is  inconsistent  with  Christ's  being  a  second  Adam. 
For  if  Christ,  succeeding  in  Adam's  room,  has  done  and  gone 
through  the  work  that  Adam  was  to  have  done,  and  did  this  as 
our  representative  or  surety,  he  has  not  thereby  set  us  only  in 
Adam's  probationary,  uncertain  state,  but  has  carried  us,  who 
are  in  him,  and  are  represented  by  him,  through  Adam's 
working  probationary  state,  unto  that  confirmed  state  that 
Adam  should  have  arrived  at,  if  he  had  gone  through  his  own 
work. 

§  7.  That  the  saints  shall  surely  persevere,  will  necessarily 
follow  from  this,  that  they  have  already  performed  the  obedi- 
ence which  is  the  righteousness  by  which  they  have  justification 
unto  life  ;  or  it  is  already  performed  for  them,  and  imputed  to 
them  :  for  that  supposes,  that  it  is  the  same  thing  in  the  sight 
of  God  as  if  they  had  performed  it,  Now,  when  the  creature 
has  once  actually  performed  and  finished  the  righteousness 
of  the  law,  he  is  immediately  sealed  and  confirmed  to  eter- 
nal life.  There  is  nothing  to  keep  him  off  from  the  tree  of 
life.  But  as  soon  as  ever  a  believer  has  Christ's  righteous- 
ness imputed  to  him,  he  has  virtually  finished  the  righteousness 
of  the  law. 

It  is  evident  the  saints  shall  persevere,  because  they  are 
already  justified.  Adam  would  not  have  been  justified  till  he 
had  fulfilled  and  done  his  work ;  and  then  his  justification 
would  have  been  a  confirmation.  It  would  have  been  an  ap» 
proving  of  him  as  having  done  his  work,  and  as  standing  en- 
titled to  his  reward.  A  servant  that  is  sent  out  about  a  work, 
is  not  justified  by  his  master  till  he  has  done  :  and  then  the 
master  views  the  work,  and  seeing  it  to  be  done  according 
to  his  order,  he  then  approves  and  justifies  him  as  having  done 
his  work,  and  being  now  entitled  to  the  promised  reward ;  and 
his  title  to  his  reward  is  no  longer  suspended  on  any  thing 
remaining.  So,  Christ  having  done  our  work  for  us,  we  are 
justified  as  soon  as  ever  we  believe  in  him,  as  being,  through 
what  he  has  accomplished  and  finished,  now  already  actually 
entitled  to  the  reward  of  life.  And  justification  carries  in  it 
not  only  remission  of  sins,  but  also  being  adjudged  to  life,  o? 
acctpted  as  entitled  by  righteousness  to  the  reward  of  life  ; 
as  is  evident,  because  believers  are  justified  by  communion 
with  Christ  in  his  justification.  But  the  justification  of  Christ 
did  most  certainly  imply  both  these  things,  viz.  his  being  now 
judged  free  of  that  guilt  which  he  had  taken  upon  him,  and 
also  his  having  now  fulfilled  all  righteousness — his  having  per- 
fectly obeyed  the  Father,  and  done  enough  to  entitle  him  to 
the  reward  of  life  as  our  head  and  surety — and  therefore  he 
then  had  eternal  life  given  him  as  our  head.  That  life  which 
was  begun  when  he  was  rni-ed  from  the  drad.  was  et^rnnl  fife 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  489 

Christ  was  then  justified  in  the  same  sense  that  Adam  would 
have  been  justified,  if  he  had  finished  his  course  of  perfect, 
obedience  ;  and  therefore  implies  in  it  confirmation  in  a  title 
to  life,  as  that  would  have  done  ;  and  thus,  all  those  that  are 
risen  with  Christ,  and  have  him  for  their  surety,  and  so  are 
justified  in  his  justification,  are  certainly  in  like  manner  con- 
firmed. And  again,  that  a  believer's  justification  implies  not 
only  a  deliverance  from  the  wrath  of  God,  but  a  title  to  glory, 
is  evident  by  Rom.  v.  12,  where  the  apostle  mentions  both 
these  as  joint  benefits  implied  in  justification :  "  Therefore, 
being  justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace  with  God  through  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  By  whom  also  we  have  access  into  this 
grace  wherein  we  stand,  and  rejoice  in  hope  of  (he  glory  of 
God."1  So,  remission  of  sins  and  inheritance  among  them  that 
are  sanctified,  are  mentioned  together,  as  what  are  jointly  ob- 
tained by  faith  in  Christ :  Acts  xxvi.  18.  "  That  they  may  re- 
ceive forgiveness  of  sins,  and  inheritance  among  them  that  are 
sanctified,  through  faith  that  is  in  me."  Both  these  are  un- 
doubtedly implied  in  that  passing  from  death  unto  life,  which 
Christ  speaks  of  as  the  fruit  of  faith,  and  which  he  opposes  to 
condemnation :  John  y.  24.  "  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  he  that 
heareth  my  word,  and  believeth  on  him  that  sent  me,  hath  ever- 
lasting life,  and  shall  not  come  into  condemnation,  but  is  pass- 
ed from  death  unto  life." 

To  suppose  that  a  right  to  life  is  suspended  on  our  own 
perseverance,  which  is  uncertain,  and  has  nothing  more  sure 
and  steadfast  to  secure  it  than  our  own  good-wills  and  resolu- 
tions, (which  way  soever  we  suppose  it  to  be  dependent  on 
the  strength  of  our  resolutions  and  wills,  either  with  assistance, 
or  in  the  improvement  of  assistance,  or  in  seeking  assistance,) 
is  exceedingly  dissonant  to  the  nature  and  design  of  the  gos- 
pel scheme.  For,  if  it  were  so,  it  would  unavoidably  deprive 
the  believer  of  the  comfort,  hope,  and  joy  of  salvation  ;  which 
would  be  very  contrary  to  God's  design  in  the  scheme  of  man's 
salvation,  which  is  to  make  the  ground  of  our  peace  and  joy 
in  all  respects  strong  and  sure  ;  or  else,  he  must  depend  much 
on  himself,  and  the  ground  of  his  joy  and  hope  must  in  a  great 
measure  be  his  own  strength,  and  the  steadfastness  of  his  own 
heart,  the  unchangeableness  of  his  own  resolutions,  &c  ;  which 
would  be  very  different  from  the  gospel  scheme. 

§  8.  It  is  one  act  of  faith  to  commit  the  soul  to  Christ's  keep- 
ing in  this  sense,  viz.  to  keep  it  from  falling.  The  believing 
soul  is  convinced  of  its  own  weakness  and  helplessness,  its  ina- 
bility to  resist  its  enemies,  its  insufficiency  to  keep  itself,  and  so 
commits  itself  to  Christ,  that  he  would  be  its  keeper.  The 
apostle  speaks  of  his  committing  his  soul  by  faith  to  Christ, 
under  great  sufferings  and  trials  of  his  perseverance ;  2  Tim. 
i,  12.  "  For  which  cause  also  I  suffer  these  things.     Neverthc- 

Vnu  VII.  6*3 


490  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS. 

less,  I  am  not  ashamed ;  for  I  know  whom  I  have  believed, 
and  am  persuaded  that  he  is  able  to  keep  that  which  I  have 
committed  to  him  against  that  day."  And  we  are  commanded 
to  commit  our  way  and  our  works  unto  the  Lord ;  Psalm 
xxxvii.  5.  Prov.  xvi.  3.  Faith  depends  on  Christ  for  al!  the 
good  we  need,  and  especially  good  of  this  kind,  which  is  of  such 
absolute  necessity  in  order  to  the  salvation  of  our  souls.  The 
sum  of  the  good  that  faith  looks  for,  is  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  looks 
for  spiritual  and  eternal  life  ;  for  perfect  holiness  in  heaven, 
and  persevering  holiness  here.  For  the  just  shall  live  by  faith. 
It  seems  to  be  because  continuance  in  faith  is  necessary  to  con- 
tinuance in  justification,  at  least  in  part,  that  the  apostle  ex- 
presses himself  as  he  does,  Rom.  i.  17.  "  For  therein  the  righte- 
ousness of  God  is  revealed  from  faith  unto  faith  ;  as  it  is  writ- 
ten, the  just  shall  live  by  faith."  For  it  is  by  faith  that  we 
first  perceive  and  know  this  righteousness,  and  do  at  first  re- 
ceive and  embrace  it;  and  being  once  interested  in  it,  we  have 
the  continuance  of  faith  in  the  future  persevering  exercises  of 
it  made  sure  to  us.  And  thus  that  is  fulfilled,  "  The  just  shall 
live  by  faith."  Agreeable  to  1  Pet.  i.  5.  "  We  are  kept  by  the 
power  of  God  through  faith  unto  salvation."  And  also  Heb.  x. 
35 — 39.  "  Cast  not  away  therefore  your  confidence,  which  hath 
great  recompense  of  reward.  For  ye  have  need  of  patience, 
that  after  ye  have  done  the  will  of  God,  ye  might  receive  the 
promise.  For  yet  a  little  while,  and  he  that  shall  come,  will 
come,  and  will  not  tarry.  Now,  the  just  shall  live  by  faith  ;  but 
if  any  man  draw  back,  my  soul  shall  have  no  pleasure  in  him. 
But  we  are  not  of  them  who  draw  back  unto  perdition,  but  of 
them  that  believe  to  the  saving  of  the  soul." 

§  9.  Perseverance  is  acknowledged  by  Calvinian  divines,  to 
be  necessary  to  salvation.  Yet  it  seems  to  me,  that  the  manner 
in  which  it  is  necessary  has  not  been  sufficiently  set  forth.  It 
is  owned  to  be  necessary  as  a  sine  qua  non  ;  and  also,  that 
though  it  is  not  that  by  which  we  first  come  to  have  a  title  to 
eternal  life,  yet  it  is  necessary  in  order  to  the  actual  possession 
of  it,  as  the  way  to  it ;  that  it  is  as  impossible  we  should  come 
to  it  without  perseverance,  as  it  is  impossible  for  a  man  to  go  to 
a  city  or  town,  without  travelling  throughout  the  road  that 
leads  to  it  But  we  are  really  saved  by  perseverance ;  so  that 
salvation  has  a  dependence  on  perseverance,  as  that  which  in- 
fluences in  the  affair,  so  as  to  render  it  congruous  that  we 
should  be  saved.  Faith  (on  our  part)  is  the  great  condition  of 
salvation  ;  it  is  that  by  which  we  are  justified  and  saved.  But 
in  this  faith,  the  perseverance  that  belongs  to  it  is  a  fundamen- 
tal ground  of  the  congruity  that  faith  gives  to  salvation.  Per- 
severance indeed  comes  into  consideration,  even  in  the  justifi- 
cation of  a  sinner,  as  one  thing  on  which  the  fitness  of  accept- 
ance to  life  depends.      For.  God  has  respect  to  perseverance. 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS.  -1J)1 

as  being  virtually  in  the  first  act.  And  it  is  looked  upon  as  if 
it  were  a  property  of  that  faith  by  which  the  sinner  is  then  justi- 
fied. God  has  respect  to  continuance  in  faith  ;  and  the  sinner 
is  justified  by  that,  as  though  it  already  were;  because  by  di- 
vine establishment  it  shall  (oilow  ;  and  so  it  is  accepted,  as  if 
it  were  a  property  contained  in  the  faith  that  is  then  seen. 
Without  this,  it  would  not  be  congruous  that  a  sinner  should 
be  justified  at  his  first  believing  ;  but  it  would  be  needful  that 
the  act  of  justification  should  be  suspended  till  the  sinner  had 
persevered  in  faith.  There  is  the  same  reason  why  it  is  neces- 
sary that  the  union  between  Christ  and  the  soul  should  remain 
in  order  to  salvation,  as  that  it  should  be  begun  ;  for  it  is.  be- 
gun, to  the  end  that  it  might  remain.  And  if  it  could  be  begun 
without  remaining,  the  beginning  would  be  in  vain.  The  soul 
is  saved  no  otherwise  than  by  union  with  Christ,  and  so  is  fitly 
looked  upon  as  his.  It  is  saved  in  him  ;  and  in  order  to  that, 
it  is  necessary  that  the  soul  now  be  in  him,  even  when  salvation 
is  actually  bestowed,  and  not  merely  that  it  should  once  have 
been  in  him  ;  and  therefore  God,  in  justifying  a  sinner,  even  in 
the  first  act  of  faith,  has  respect  to  the  congruity  between  justi- 
fication and  perseverance  of  faith.  So  that  perseverance  is  ne- 
cessary to  salvation,  not  only  as  a  sine  qua  non,  or  as  the  way 
to  possession  ;  but  it  is  necessary  even  to  the  congruity  of  justi- 
fication. 

§  10.  That  perseverance  is  thus  necessary  to  salvation,  not 
only  as  a  sine  qua  non,  but  by  reason  of  such  an  influence  and 
dependence,  seems  manifest  from  scripture ;  as  particularly 
Heb.  x.  38,  39.  "  Now  the  just  shall  live  by  faith.  But  if  any 
man  draw  back,  my  soul  shall  have  no  pleasure  in  him.  But 
we  are  not  of  them  who  draw  back  unto  perdition,  but  of  them 
that  believe  unto  the  saving  of  the  soul."  Rom.  xi.  20.  "  Well, 
because  of  unbelief  they  were  broken  off.  But  thou  standest 
by  faith.  Be  not  high-minded,  but  fear.'"  John  xv.  7.  "  If  ye 
abide  in  me,  and  my  works  abide  in  you,  ye  shall  ask  what  ye 
will,  and  it  shall  be  done  unto  you."  Heb.  iii.  14.  "  For  we 
are  made  partakers  of  Christ,  if  we  hold  the  beginning  of  our 
confidence  firm  unto  the  end."  Chap.  v.  12.  "  Be  ye  followers 
of  them,  who  through  faith  and  patience  inherit  the  promises." 
So  that  not  only  the  first  act  of  faith,  but  subsequent  acts  of 
faith,  and  perseverance  in  faith,  do  justify  the  sinner :  although 
salvation  is  in  itself  sure  and  certain  after  the  first  act.  For 
the  way  in  which  the  first  act  of  faith  justifies,  is  not  by  ma- 
king the  futurition  of  salvation  certain  in  atself ;  for  that  is  as 
certain  in  itself  by  the  divine  decree,  before  the  first  act  of 
faith,  as  afterward.  Salvation  is  in  some  sense  the  sinner's 
right,  before  he  believes.  It  was  given  him  in  Christ,  before 
the  world  was.  But  before  a  sinner  believes,  he  has  not  any 
thing  from  God  that  he  can  lay  hold  of,  so  as  to  either  chal- 


4M\i 

lenge  it,  or  on  good  grounds  hope  tor  it.  He  eai 
to  iiavc  any  right,  because  he  has  no  congruity ;  and  as  to  the 
promise  made  to  Christ,  he  has  no  hold  of  that,  because  that 
is  not  revealed  to  him.  If  God  had  declared  and  promised  to 
the  angels  that  such  a  man  should  be  saved ;  that  would  not 
give  him  any  right  of  his  own,  or  any  ground  of  challenge.  A 
promise  is  a  manifestation  of  a  person's  design  of  doing  some 
good  to  another,  to  the  end  that  he  may  depend  on  it,  and 
rest  in  it.  The  certainty  in  him  arises  from  the  manifestation  ; 
and  the  obligation  it)  justice  to  him  arises  from  the  manifesta- 
tion being  made  to  him,  to  the  effect  that  he  might  depend  on 
it.  And  therefore  subsequent  acts  of  faith  may  be  said  to 
give  a  sinner  a  title  to  salvation,  as  well  as  the  first.  For,  from 
what  has  been  said,  it  appears  that  the  congruity  arises  from 
them,  as  well  as  the  first ;  they  in  like  manner  containing  the 
nature  of  unition  to  Christ  as  mediator  :  and  they  may  have 
as  great,  nay,  a  greater,  hand  in  the  manifestation  of  the  fu- 
turition  of  salvation  to  us  for  our  dependence,  than  the  first 
act.  For  our  knowledge  of  this  may  proceed  mainly  from  af- 
ter-acts, and  from  a  course  of  acts.  The  scripture  speaks  of 
after-acts  of  faith  in  both  Abraham  and  Noah,  as  giving  a  title 
to  the  righteousness  which  is  the  matter  of  justification.  See 
Rom.  iv.  3  ;   Heb.  xi.  7. 

§11.  The  doctrine  of  perseverance  is  manifest  from  the  na- 
ture of  the  mediation  of  Christ.  For  as  Christ  is  a  mediator  to 
reconcile  God  to  man,  and  man  to  God,  and  as  he  is  a  mid- 
dle person  between  both,  and  has  the  nature  of  both,  so  he 
undertakes  for  each,  and,  in  some  respect  becomes  surety  for 
each  with  the  other.  He  undertakes  and  becomes  a  surety 
for  man  to  God.  He  engages  for  him,  that  the  law,  that  was 
given  him,  shall  be  answered  ;  and  that  justice,  with  respect 
to  him,  shall  be  satisfied,  and  the  honour  of  God's  majesty  vin- 
dicated. So  he  undertakes  and  engages  for  the  Father  with 
man,  in  order  to  his  being  reconciled  to  God,  and  induced  to 
come  to  him,  to  love  him,  and  trust  confidently  in  him,  and 
rest  quietly  in  him.  He  undertakes  for  the  Father's  acceptance 
and  favour,  John  xiv.  21.  "He  that  loveth  me  shall  be  loved 
of  my  Father."  He  undertakes  that  the  Father  shall  hear  and 
answer  their  prayers.  He  becomes  surety  to  sec  that  their 
prayers  are  answered  ;  John  xiv.  13.  "  Whatsoever  ye  shall 
ask  of  the' Father  in  my  name,  that  will  I  do.  that  the  Father 
may  be  glorified  in  the  Son."  He  undertakes  that  they  shall 
have  all  necessary  supplies  of  grace  from  the  Father ;  and  he 
engages  lor  the  continuance  of  God's  presence  with  them,  and 
the  continuance  of  his  favour,  and  of  the  supplies  of  grace 
necessary  to  uphold  and  preserve  them,  and  keep  them  from 
finally  perishing ;  John  xiv.  16.  "  And  I  will  pray  the  Father, 
and  he  shall  give  you  another  comforter,  that  he  may  abide 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  193 

>vith  you  for  ever."  And  ver.  23.  "  If  a  man  love  me,  he  will 
keep  my  words,  and  my  Father  will  love  him,  and  we  will 
come  to  him,  and  make  our  abode  with  him."  Christ  does 
not  only  declare  that  God  will  give  us  needed  grace,  but  he 
himself  undertakes  to  see  it  done.  He  promises  that  he  will 
bestow  it  from  the  Father ;  John  xv.  26.  "  But  when  the  com- 
forter is  come,  whom  I  will  send  you  from  the  Father."  It 
was  necessary  that  some  one  should  thus  undertake  for  God 
with  man,  for  the  continuance  of  his  pardoning  and  sanctifying 
grace,  in  order  to  the  sinner's  being  fully  reconciled  to  God, 
and  brought  fully  and  quietly  to  rest  in  him  as  his  God  pother- 
wise  the  sinner,  conscious  of  his  own  weakness  and  sinfulness, 
could  have  no  quiet  rest  in  God,  for  fear  of  the  union  being 
broken  between  God  and  him,  and  for  fear  of  incurring  God's 
displeasure  and  wrath,  and  so  having  God  an  enemy  for 
ever.  He  is  in  a  capacity  to  undertake  for  us,  and  be  surety 
for  us,  with  the  Father,  because  he  puts  himself  in  our  stead. 
He  also  is  in  a  capacity  to  undertake  for  the  Father,  and  be 
surety  for  him  with  us,  because  the  Father  hath  put  hirn  in  his 
stead.  He  puts  himself  in  our  stead  as  priest,  and  answers  for 
us,  and  does  and  suffers  in  that  office  what  we  should  have 
done  and  suffered  ;  and  God  puts  him  in  his  stead  as  king. — 
He  is  appointed  to  the  government  of  the  world,  as  God's  vice- 
gerent, and  so,  in  that  office,  answers  for  God  to  us,  and 
does  and  orders  and  bestows,  that  which  we  need  from  God. 
He  undertakes  for  us  in  things  that  are  expected  of  us  as  sub- 
jects, because  he  puts  himself  into  our  subjection.  He  appears 
in  the  form  of  a  servant  for  us.  So  he  undertakes  for  the  Fa- 
ther, in  that  which  is  desired  and  hoped  for  of  him  as  king  :  for 
the  Father  hath  put  him  into  his  kingdom  and  dominion,  and 
has  committed  all  authority  and  power  unto  him.  He  is  in  a 
capacity  to  undertake  for  the  Father  with  us,  because  he  can 
say,  as  in  John  xvi.  15.  "  All  things  that  the  Father  hath  are 
mine." 

§  12.  The  first  covenant  failed  of  bringing  man  to  the  glory 
of  God,  through  man's  instability,  whereby  he  failed  of  perse- 
verance. Man's  changeableness  was  the  thing  wherein  it  was 
weak.  It  was  weak  through  the  flesh*  But  God  had  made 
a  second  covenant  in  mercy  to  fallen  man,  that  in  the  way  of 
this  covenant  he  might  be  brought  to  the  glory  of  God,  which 
he  failed  of  under  the  other.  But  it  is  God's  manner,  in  things 
that  he  appoints  and  constitutes,  when  one  thing  fails  of  its 
proper  end,  he  appoints  another  to  succeed  in  the  room  of  it ; 
to  introduce  that  the  second  time,  in  which  the  weaknesses 

*  Not  properly  through  the  flesh,  but  through  that  passive  power,  that  cause 
of  liability  to  fail,  that  want  of  essential  perfection  (the  only  ground  of  infalli- 
bility) v/hich  belonged  to  *1t»  whole  man,  prior  to  any  moral  Jefecl  W 


•194  MISCELLANEOUS   REMARKS. 

and  defects  of  the  former  are  supplied,  and  which  never  shall 
fail,  but  shall  surely  reach  its  end,  and  so  shall  remain  as  that 
which  needs  no  other  to  succeed  it.  So  God  removed  the  first 
dispensation  by  Moses,  Heb.  viii.  7 — 13.  "For  if  the  first 
covenant  had  been  faultless,  then  should  no  place  have  been 
sought  for  the  second,1'  &c  So  the  priesthood  of  the  order 
of  Aaion  ceases,  because  of  the  weakness  and  insufficiency  of 
it  to  answer  the  ends  of  priesthood,  which  are,  to  reconcile 
God  to  man.  Therefore,  God  introduces  another  priesthood, 
of  the  order  of  Melchizedec,  that  is  sufficient,  and  cannot  fail, 
and  remains  for  ever.  Heb.  vii.  So  Moses,  the  first  leader  of 
Israel,  failed  of  bringing  them  into  Canaan ;  but  Joshua,  the 
second  leader,  did  not  fail.  The  kingdom  of  Saul,  the  first 
anointed  of  the  Lord,  did  not  continue  ;  but  the  kingdom  of 
the  second  anointed  remains  for  ever.  The  first  sanctuary, 
that  was  built  in  Israel,  was  a  moveable  tabernacle,  and  there- 
fore ready  to  vanish  away,  or  be  removed  finally  : — and  God 
forsook  the  tabernacle  of  Shiloh.  But  the  second  sanctuary 
was  a  firm  building,  an  immoveable  temple,  which  was  typically 
an  everlasting  sanctuary,  and  that  which  God  would  never 
forsake ;  2  Sam.  vii.  10,  11.  So  the  first  covenant,  that  God 
made  with  Adam,  failed,  because  it  was  weak  through  the 
weakness  of  human  nature,  to  whose  strength  and  stability  the 
keeping  was  entrusted.  Therefore,  God  introduces  another 
better  covenant,  committed  not  to  his  strength,  but  to  the 
strength  of  one  that  was  mighty  and  stable,  and,  therefore,  is 
a  sure  and  everlasting  covenant.  God  entrusted  the  affair  of 
man's  happiness  on  a  weak  foundation  at  first,  to  show  man 
that  the  foundation  was  weak,  and  not  to  be  trusted  to,  that  he 
might  trust  in  God  alone.  The  first  was  only  to  make  way 
for  the  second.  God  lighted  up  a  divine  light  in  man's  soul 
at  the  first ;  but  it  remained  on  such  a  foundation,  that  Satan 
found  means  to  extinguish  it ;  and,  therefore,  when  God  lights 
it  up  a  second  time,  it  is,  that  it  may  never  be  extinguished. 

§  13.  Some  things  may  yet  remain,  that  are  properly  the 
conditions  of  salvation  ;  on  which  salvation  may  be  suspended, 
that  it  may  well  excite  to  the  utmost  caution,  lest  we  should 
come  short  of  eternal  life,  and  should  perish  for  the  want  of 
them,  after  it  is  already  become  impossible  that  we  should  fail 
of  salvation.  For  the  condition  on  which  the  man,  Christ 
Jesus,  was  to  obtain  eternal  life,  was  his  doing  the  work  which 
God  had  given  him  to  do ;  his  performing  perfect  persevering 
obedience,  and  his  therein  conquering  Satan  and  the  world, 
and  all  opposition,  and  enduring  all  sufferings  that  he  met 
with.  Therefore,  Christ  used  the  utmost  diligence  to  do  this 
work,  and  used  the  utmost  caution  lest  he  should  fail  of  it ; 
and  prayed  with  strong  crying  and  tears,  and  Avrestled  with 
God  in  a  bloody  sweat,  that  he  might  not  fail,  but  might  havo 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  495 

God's  help  to  go  through.  Yet  it  was  impossible  he  should 
fail  of  eternal  life,  and  the  whole  reward  that  had  been  pro- 
mised him.  The  joy  that  was  set  before  him,  was  not  only 
certain  to  him,  but  he  had  a  proper  title  to  it  as  God's  heir,  by 
reason  of  his  relation  to  God  the  Father,  as  being  his  only  be- 
gotten Son.  It  was  impossible  that  he  should  fail  in  the  work 
to  which  he  was  appointed,  as  God  had  promised  him  sufficient 
and  effectual  grace  and  help  to  persevere,  and  already  had 
made  known  his  election  :  Psal.  ex.  7.  "  He  shali  drink  of  the 
brook  in  the  way,  therefore  shall  he  lift  up  the  head."  Isaiah 
xlii.  1.  "  Behold  my  Servant  whom  I  uphold  ;  mine  Elect,  in 
whom  my  soul  delighteth.  I  have  put  my  Spirit  upon  him. 
He  shall  bring  forth  judgment  to  the  Gentiles."  Verse  4. 
"  He  shall  not  fail,  nor  be  discouraged."  And  verse  6  :  "  I, 
the  Lord,  have  called  thee  in  righteousness :  I  will  hold  thine 
hand,  and  keep  thee."  So  it  was  in  effect  promised  in  the  re- 
velations that  were  made  to  Mary  and  Joseph,  Zechariah,  &c, 
and  so  to  himself  in  answer  to  his  prayers,  by  a  voice  from 
heaven.  "  I  have  both  glorified  it,  and  will  glorify  it  again." 
It  appears,  that  all  was  certain  beforehand,  by  God's  actually 
saving  great  numbers  beterehand,  on  the  ground  of  his  future 
perseverance  in  his  work. 

§  14.  Grace  is  that  which  God  implants  in  the  heart  against 
great  opposition  of  enemies,  great  opposition  from  the  cor- 
ruption of  the  heart,  and  from  Satan  and  the  world.  Great 
are  the  efforts  of  all  these  against  the  implantation  of  it,  and 
they  all  labour  to  the  utmost  to  keep  it  out.  Seeing,  therefore, 
that  God  manifests  his  all-conquering  power  in  giving  grace  a 
place  in  the  heart  in  spite  of  those  enemies,  he  will,  doubtless, 
maintain  it  there  against  their  united  efforts  to  root  it  out.  He 
that  has  so  gloriously  conquered  them  in  bringing  in  grace, 
will  not  at  last  suffer  himself  to  be  conquered,  by  their  expel- 
ling that  which  he  has  so  brought  in  by  his  mighty  power. — 
He  that  gloriously  subdued  those  enemies  under  his  feet,  by 
bringing  this  image  of  his  into  the  soul,  will  not  suffer  this 
image  of  his  finally  to  be  trampled  under  their  feet.  God, 
alone,  could  introduce  it.  It  was  what  he  undertook  ;  and  it 
was  wholly  his  work,  and,  doubtless,  he  will  maintain  it.  He 
Avill  not  forsake  the  work  of  his  own  hands.  Where  he  has 
begun  a  good  work,  he  will  carry  it  on  to  the  day  of  Christ. 
Grace  shall  endure  all  things,  and  shall  remain  under  all 
things;  as  the  expression  iravra  un-ofAsvsi  literally  signifies,  in 
1  Cor.  xiii.  7. 

§  15.  The  Spirit  of  God  was  given  at  first,  but  was  lost.  God 
gives  it  a  second  time,  never  to  be  utterly  lost.  The  Spirit  is 
now  given  in  another  manner  than  it  was  then.  Then  indeed 
it  was  communicated,  and  dwelt  in  their  hearts.  But  this  com- 
munication was  made  without  conveying  at  the  same  time  any 


496  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS.     • 

proper  right  or  sure  title  to  it.  But  when  God  Communicates' 
it  the  second  time,  as  he  does  to  a  true  convert,  he  withal 
gives  it  to  him  to  be  his  own ;  he  finally  makes  it  over  to  him 
in  a  sure  covenant.  He  is  their  purchased  and  promised  pos- 
session. Man,  in  his  first  estate,  had  no  benefit  at  all  properly 
made  over  to  him  :  for  God  makes  over  benefits  only  by  cove- 
nant :  and  then  the  condition  of  the  covenant  had  not  been 
fulfilled.  But  now,  man,  at  his  first  conversion,  is  justified  and 
adopted  :  he  is  received  as  a  child  and  an  heir,  as  a  joint  heir 
with  Christ.  His  fellowship  is  with  the  Father,  and  with  his 
Son  Jesus  Christ.  God  is  theirs,  and  Christ  is  theirs ;  and  the 
Holy  Ghost  is  theirs  ;  and  all  things  are  theirs.  The  Holy 
Spirit,  who  is  the  sum  of  all  good,  is  their  inheritance;  and 
that  little  of  it  that  they  have  in  this  life,  is  the  earnest  of  their 
future  inheritance,  till  the  redemption  of  the  purchased  pos- 
session. Heaven  is  theirs  :  their  conversation  is  there.  They 
are  citizens  of  that  city,  and  of  the  household  of  God.  Chris- 
tians are  represented  as  being  come  already  to  heaven,  to 
Mount  Zion,  the  city  of  the  living  God ;  to  an  innumerable 
company  of  angels,  &c. — Heaven  is  the  proper  country  of  the 
church.  They  are  raised  up  together  by  Christ,  and  made  to 
sit  together  in  heavenly  places  :  Eph.  ii.  6.  "  They  are  blessed 
with  all  spiritual  blessings  in  heavenly  places.''  The  whole 
tenor  of  the  gospel  shows,  that  Christians  have  actually  a  full 
and  final  right  made  over  to  them,  to  spiritual  and  heavenly 
blessings. 

§  16.  That  the  saints  should  be  earnestly  exhorted  and  press- 
ed to  care  and  caution,  and  earnest  endeavours  to  persevere, 
is  most  reasonable ;  and  it  cannot  be  otherwise,  notwithstand- 
ing their  having  an  absolute,  unchangeable  promise,  that  they 
shall  persevere.  For  still  perseverance  is  their  duty,  and  what 
they  are  to  do  in  obedience  to  God.  For  that  is  the  notion  of 
perseverance,  their  holding  out  in  the  way  of  God's  command- 
ments. But  if  it  were  absurd  to  command  them  to  persevere, 
as  the  work  they  have  to  do,  then  how  would  they  do  it  in  obe- 
dience to  him  ?  The  angels  in  heaven  are  confirmed,  and  it  is 
promised  unto  them  that  they  never  shall  sin  :  yet  it  is  proper 
for  God  to  give  them  commands,  though  in  so  doing  he  re- 
quires the  improvement  of  their  care  and  endeavours  to  obey 
and  fulfil  his  will  exactly.  It  is  not  obedience,  if  they  do  not 
take  care  and  endeavour  to  obey.  If  they  should  cease  to  take 
care,  that  very  thing  would  prove  their  fall.  So,  in  this  case, 
if  Christians  cease  to  take  care  to  persevere,  that  very  thing  is 
falling  away. 

§  17.  It  shows  the  infallible  perseverance  of  true  Christians, 
that  their  spiritual  life  is  a  participation  with  Christ  in  the  life 
that  he  received  as  risen  from  the  dead.  For  they  live  by 
Christ's  living  in  them:    Gal.  ii.  20.   "I  am  crucified  with 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS.  497 

Christ ;  nevertheless  I  live  ;  yet  not  I,  but  Christ  liveth  in. me  : 
and  the  life  which  I  now  live  \p  the  flesh*  I  live  by  faith  of  the 
Son  of  God,  who  loved  me,  and  gave  himself  for  me."  That 
is,  by  the  life  that  he  has  received  since  his  resurrection,  and 
by  his  communicating  to  them  that  fulness  which  he  received 
when  he  rose  from  th  j  dead.  When  he  rose,  he  received  the 
promise  of  the  Father,  the  Spirit  of  life  without  measure,  and 
he  sheds  it  forth  on  believers.  The  oil  poured  on  the  risen 
head  goes  down  to  the  skirts  of  the  garments ;  and  thus  Christ 
lives  in  believers  by  his  Spirit  dwelling  in  them.  Believers,  in 
their  conversion,  are  said  to  be  risen  with  Christ ;  Col.  ii.  12, 
13  "  Ye  are  risen  with  him  through  the  faith  of  the  operation 
of  God,  who  hath  raised  him  from  the  dead.  And  you  being 
dead  in  your  sins,  and  the  circumcision  of  your  flesh,  hath  he 
quickened  together  with  him."  And  chap.  iii.  1  "If  ye  then 
be  risen  with  Christ,"  &c.  And  Eph.  ii.  5,  6.  "  Even  when  we 
were  dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened  us  together  with  Christ,  and 
hath  raised  us  up  together."  Rom.  v.  10.  "  For  if  when  we 
were  enemies,  we  were  reconciled  to  God  by  the  death  of  his 
Son,  much  more  being  reconciled,  we  shall  be  saved  by  his, 
life."  This  spiritual  resurrection  and  life  is  procured  and  pur- 
chased for  Christ's  members,  by  Christ's  suffering  obedience, 
in  the  same  manner  as  his  own  resurrection  and  life  is  purcha- 
sed by  it.  And  they  receive  life  as  united  to  him,  as  members 
of  a  risen  Saviour,  and  as  being  married  in  their  conversion 
to  him. 

§  18.  The  perseverance  of  faith  is  necessary  to  a  congruity 
to  salvation.  For  it  is  implied  in  several  places  of  scripture, 
that  if  true  believers  should  fail  in  persevering  in  faith  they 
would  be  in  a  lost  state ;  John  xviii.  8,  9.  "Jesus  answered,  I 
have  told  you  that  I  am  he.  If,  therefore,  ye  seek  me,  let 
these  go  their  way  :  That  the  saying  might  be  fulfilled  which 
he  spake,  Of  them  which  thou  gavest  me,  have  I  lost  none  :" 
i.  e.  Christ  took  care  that  they  might  go  away,  that  they  might 
not  be  in  the  way  of  such  temptations  as  would  be  in  danger 
of  overthrowing  them,  so  that  they  should  not  persevere.  And 
it  is  implied,  that  if  they  were  overthrown,  and  should  not 
persevere,  Christ  would  have  lost  them  ;  the  saving  relation 
that  they  stood  in  to  Christ  would  have  been  dissolved.  The 
same  seems  fully  implied  in  Christ's  prayer  in  the  17th  chapter 
of  John.  Thus,  he  makes  use  not  only  of  their  having  receiv- 
ed God's  word,  and  believed  that  God  had  sent  him,  but  their 
having  kept  his  word,  as  a  good  plea  for  their  title  to  that  favour 
and  acceptance  of  the  Father,  which  he  asks  of  the  Father 
for  them  ;  as  ver.  6,  7,  8,  &c. — The  same  is  implied  in  the  11th 
verse :  "  Holy  Father,  keep  through  thine  own  name  those 
whom  thou  hast  given  me,  that  they  may  be  one,  as  we  are." 
This  implies  that  their  being  one,  or  their  standing  in  a  savinsr 

Vol  VII.  fill  s 


498  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

relation  to  him,  and  in  union  with  his  mystical  body,  depends 
on  the  perseverance  of  their  faith,  even  that  union  on  which  a 
title  to  all  spiritual  and  saving  benefits  depends,  which  is  more 
fully  spoken  of  in  the  21st  and  following  verses.  This  perse- 
verance of  believers  seems  to  be  the  benefit  which  is  the  prin- 
cipal subject  of  this  whole  praver.  And  in  Luke  xxii.  31,  32. 
it  is  implied,  that  if  Peter's  faith  had  failed,  Satan  would  have 
had  him  :  "  And  the  Lord  said,  Simon,  Simon,  Satan  hath 
desired  to  have  you,  that  he  may  sift  you  as  wheat ;  but  I 
have  prayed  for  thee,  that  thy  faith  fail  not.1'  1  Pet.  i.  5.  "  Who 
are  kept  by  the  power  of  God,  through  faith  unto  salvation. " 
Where  it  seems  implied,  that  if  they  were  not  kept  through 
faith,  or  if  their  faith  did  not  persevere,  they  never  would 
come  to  salvation.  So,  believers  being  overthrown  in  their 
faith,  or  their  not  knowing  Christ's  voice  and  following  him,  is 
called  a  being  plucked  out  of  Christ's  hand  ;  and  it  is  implied, 
that  the  consequence  would  be  their  perishing.  It  also  seems 
to  be  implied,  that  their  possession  of  eternal  life  by  Christ's 
gift  depends  on  their  perseverance ;  John  x.  27,  28.  "  My 
sheep  hear  my  voice,  and  I  know  them,  and  they  follow  me ; 
and  I  will  give  unto  them  eternal  life,  and  they  shall  never 
perish,  neither  shall  any  pluck  them  out  of  mine  hand."  And 
m  the  15th  chapter  of  John,  believers  persevering  in  faith  in 
Christ,  or  their  abiding  in  him,  is  spoken  of  as  necessary  to 
the  continuance  of  the  saving  union  and  relation  that  is  be- 
tween Christ  and  believers,  and  Christ's  abiding  in  them  ;  as 
ver.  4,  5.  "  Abide  in  me,  and  I  in  you, — I  am  the  vine,  ye  are 
the  branches.  He  that  abideth  in  me,  and  I  in  him,  the  same 
bringeth  forth  much  fruit."  And  in  the  6th  verse,  it  is  spoken 
of  the  necessary  consequence  of  their  not  abiding  in  Christ, 
if  that  were  possible  ;  that  the  union  should  be  utterly  broken 
between  Christ  and  them,  and  that  damnation  should  be  the 
consequence.  "  If  a  man  abide  not  in  me,  he  is  cast  forth  as  a 
branch,  and  is  withered,  and  men  gather  them  and  cast  them 
into  the  fire,  and  they  are  burned."  And  in  the  7th  verse 
this  perseverance  of  faith  is  spoken  of  as  the  necessary  means 
of  the  success  of  faith  as  expressed  in  prayer,  which  is  faith's 
voice,  necessary  to  obtain  those  good  things  which  faith  and 
prayer  seek.  "  If  ye  abide  in  me,  and  my  words  abide  in  you, 
ye  shall  ask  what  ye  will,  and  it  shall  be  done  unto  you." 
And  in  the  9th  and  10th  verses,  it  is  implied  that  Christ's  ac- 
ceptance of  us,  and  favour  to  us  as  his,  depends  on  our  perse- 
verance :  "  As  the  Father  hath  loved  me,  so  have  I  loved  you. 
Continue  ye  in  my  love.  If  ye  keep  my  commandments,  ye 
shall  abide  in  my  love,  even  as  I  have  kept  my  Father's  com- 
mandments, and  abide  in  his  love."  So,  the  same  perseve- 
rance is  spoken  of  as  necessary  to  our  continuing  in  the  favour 
and  grace  of  God.  "  Now.  when  the  congregation  Avas  broken 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  499 

up,  many  of  the  Jews  and  religious  proselytes  followed  Paul 
and  Barnabas,  who  speaking  to  them,  persuaded  them  to  con- 
tinue in  the  grace  of  God.'1 — And  so  it  is  spoken  of  as  necessa- 
ry to  continuing  in  the  goodness  of  God  ;  and  being  cut  off,  is 
spoken  of  as  a  certain  consequence  of  the  contrary.  Rom.  xi. 
22.  "  Behold  therefore,  the  goodness  and  severity  of  God  ;  on 
them  which  fell,  severity  ;  but  towards  thee  goodness  if  thou 
continue  in  his  goodness  :  otherwise,  thou  alsoshalt  be  cut  off." 
That  expression,  of  standing  fast  in  the  Lord,  1  Thess.  iii.  8. 
and  Phil.  iv.  1.  implies  that  perseverance  is  necessary  to  a 
continuing  in  Christ,  or  in  a  saving  relation  to  him  ;  and  more 
plainly  still  in  1  John  ii.  24.  "  Let  that  therefore  abide  in  you 
which  you  have  heard  from  the  beginning.  If  that  which  ye 
have  heard  from  the  beginning  shall  remain  in  you,  ye  also 
shall  continue  in  the  Son  and  in  the  Father."  See  1  Cor.  xv. 
2.  and  2  Tim.  iv.  7,  8.  and  Heb.  xii.  28.     See  also  Jer.  iii.  19. 

§  19.   Concerning  the  objection  from  Ezekiel  xviii.  24.  "  If 
the   righteous    shall  fall  from  his  righteousness   and  commit 
iniquity,  all  his  righteousness  shall  not  be  remembered  ;  but  in 
the  iniquity  which  he  hath  done  shall  he  die,"  and  the  like  ; 
God  saying  this  does  not  at  all  prove,  that  it  is  supposed  pos- 
sible that  a  truly  righteous  man  should  fall  from  his  righteous- 
ness ;  any  more  than  God's  saying,  Levit.  xviii.  4,5.  "  Ye  shall 
do  my  judgments  and  keep  mine  ordinances,  to  walk  therein  : 
1  am  the  Lord  your  God  ;  ye  shall  therefore  keep  my  statutes 
and  my  judgments,  which  if  a  man  do,  he  shall  even  live  in 
them."     The  scripture,  in  saying,  he  that  doeth  these  things 
shall  live  in  them,  does  not  design  to  teach  us,  that  in  the  pre- 
sent state  of  things,  it  is  possible  for  us  to  do  those  things  in  a 
legal  sense,  (in  which  sense  the  words  are  certainly  proposed, 
as  the  apostle  teaches ;)  but  only  teaches  the  certain  connex- 
ion there  is  between  doing  these  things  and  living  in  them, 
for  wise  ends ;  particularly  to  lead  us,  by  such  a  legal  propo- 
sal, to  see  our  utter  inability  to  obtain  life  by  our  own  doings. 
So  the  law  is  our  schoolmaster  to  bring  us  to  Christ.     The 
scripture,  in  saying,  if  the  righteous  shall    fall  away  from  his 
righteousness,  he  shall  die  ;  does  not  teach  us,  that  in  the  pre- 
sent state  of  things,  since  the  fall,  it  is  possible  for  a   truly 
righteous  man  to  fall  from  his  righteousness  ;  but  only  teaches 
us  the  certain  connexion  between  the  antecedent  and  the  con- 
sequent, for  wise  ends :    and  particularly,  that  those  who  think 
themselves  righteous,  may  beware  of  falling  from  righteousness. 
For  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  God  should  put  us 
on  bewaring  of  those  things  that  are  already  impossible,  any 
more  than  that  he  should  direct  us  to  seek  and  pray  for  those 
things  that  are  promised  and  certain. 

§  20.   With  respect  to  those  texts  in  Ezekiel — that  speak  of 
a  righteous  man's  falling   away  from  his  righteousness — the 


>00 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 


doctrine  of  perseverance  was  not  so  fully  revealed  under  that 
dispensation.  It  was  of  service  to  the  godly  to  make  them 
wary  ;  but  especially  to  those  who  were  legally  righteous,  and 
trusted  in  their  own  righteousness,  as  EzekiePs  hearers  did  ;  to 
convince  fhem  of  this,  that  there  was  a  connexion  between 
the  antecedent,  falling  away,  and  the  consequent,  the  dying 
in  their  iniquity.  Jer.  xxxi'i.  39,  40.  "  And  I  will  give  them 
one  heart,  and  one  way,  that  they  may  fear  me  for  ever,  for 
the  good  of  them,  and  of  their  children  after  them  ;  and  I  will 
make  an  everlasting  covenant  with  them,  that  I  will  not  turn 
away  from  them,  to  do  them  good  ;  but  I  will  put  my  fear  in 
their  hearts,  that  they  shall  not  depart  from  me."  And  it  is 
so  spoken  of  once  and  again  by  this  very  prophet,  chap.  xi. 
17 — 21.  and  chap,  xxxvi.  24 — 29.  Yea,  in  this  very  chapter, 
after  he  had  been  declaring  the  danger  of  falling  away  from 
righteousness,  the  children  of  Israel  seem  to  be  exhorted  to 
this  very  thing  as  a  remedy  against  falling  away  ;  ver.  31. 
"  Cast  away  from  you  all  your  transgressions,  whereby  ye  have 
transgressed,  and  make  you  a  new  heart  and  a  new  spirit;  for 
why  will  ye  die,  O  house  of  Israel  ?"  They  needed  not  only 
to  turn  from  their  transgressions,  but  to  cast  them  away  utterly, 
to  have  finally  done  with  them,  and  to  make  them  a  new  heart, 
for  the  prophet  declares,  that  their  old  heart  was  a  backsli- 
ding heart,  bent  to  backslide,  as  the  prophet  often  complains. 

§  21.  The  godly  themselves  were  really  exposed  to  die  in 
their  iniquity,  i.  e.  they  were  liable  to  be  destroyed  by  God's 
awful  judgments  in  this  world.  The  prophet  has  a  special 
eye  to  those  destroying  judgments  that  God  had  lately  brought 
on  the  the  nation  of  the  Jews,  which  are  very  much  the  sub- 
ject of  the  prophecy,  and  seem  to  have  given  occasion  for  it, 
and  which  the  Jews  had  respect  to  in  the  proverb  which  they 
used,  and  which  gave  occasion  to  what  is  said  in  this  chapter. 
If  the  sinner  turned  from  his  outward  wickedness,  unto  an 
outward  righteousness  only,  he  would  save  his  soul  alive  with 
regard  to  those  outward  calamities  ;  and  if  the  righteous  fell 
away  outwardly  by  committing  some  grievous  sin,  and  getting 
into  a  bad  way,  they  exposed  themselves  to  die  by  this  their  in- 
iquity in  this  manner. 

§  22.  That  there  is  a  real  difference  between  them  that  fall 
away,  and  them  that  persevere,  even  before  they  fall  away,  is 
evident  by  the  things  that  are  given  as  a  reason  of  their  falling 
away ;  because  they  have  no  root  in  themselves ;  because  they 
have  not  counted  the  cost,  and  because  they  have  no  oil  in 
their  vessels.  Those  that  have  no  root,  differ  from  those  who 
have  root,  before  there  be  the  effect  of  their  having  no  root ; 
And  so  those  that  have  no  oil,  &c.  And  it  appears  again,  by 
what  is  said,  John  ii.  23,  &c.  that  '•  when  Christ  was  at  Jeru- 
salem at  the  passover,  in  the  feast  day,  many  believed  in  his 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  501 

name,  when  they  saw  the  miracles  which  he  did.  But  Jesus 
did  not  commit  himself  unto  them,  because  he  knew  all  men, 
and  needed  not  that  any  should  testify  of  man  :  for  he  knew 
what  was  in  man."  And  so,  "  They  went  out  from  us,  because 
they  were  not  of  us.  If  they  had  been  of  us,  they  would  no 
doubt  have  continued  with  us." 

§23.  Objection.  But  it  is  in  the  same  chapter  said,  "  That 
if  a  wicked  man  turn  from  his  wickedness,  and  do  that  which 
is  lawful  and  right,  he  shall  live  :"  where  doubtless  must  be 
understood  by  "doing  that  which  is  lawful  and  ripht,"  sincere 
and  gracious  righteousness,  because  there  is  a  promise  of  life. 
And  we  must  doubtless  understand  doing  that  which  is  lawful 
and  right  here  in  the  same  sense  as  before.  Answer.  We 
may  understand  it  in  the  same  sense,  for  an  external,  visible, 
material  righteousness.  When  it  is  said,  if  he  turn  from  his 
iniquity  and  do  that  which  is  lawful  and  right,  it  must  be  un- 
derstood, if  he  continues  so  to  do  and  do  not  turn  from  it  again. 
According  to  the  schemes  of  both  Arminians  and  Calvinists, 
this  must  be  understood.  Whereby  the  objection  is  over- 
thrown. 

Visible  Christians  are,  in  Scripture,  called  saints,  or  holy ; 
which  is  equivalent  to  the  calling  them  righteous.  The  Jews 
are  called  an  holy  nation  :  the  land  is  a  land  of  uprightness  ; 
when  only  visibility  is  intended.  By  righteous,  sometimes  is 
meant  only  innocent,  or  materially  righteous  in  some  particu- 
lar. "  Wilt  thou,  also,  destroy  a  righteous  nation  ?"  Gen. 
xx.  4.  Exod.  xxiii.  7.  "  The  innocent  and  the  righteous,  slay 
thou  not:"  Deut.  xxv.  1.  Ye  shall  justify  the  righteous,  and 
condemn  the  wicked:"  1  Sam.  iv.  11.  "How  much  more, 
when  wicked  men  have  slain  a  righteous  person  ?"  2  Kings 
x.  9.  By  the  righteous  man  that  the  prophet  Ezekiel  speaks 
of,  he  certainly  does  not  speak  in  so  limited  a  sense  as  to  mean 
those  that  are  of  perfect  and  upright  hearts,  but  so  as  to  include 
those  of  an  unsound  heart,  that  trust  in  their  own  righteousness 
to  commit  iniquity  ;  (see  Ezek.  xxxiii.  13 ;)  i.  e.  those  whose 
motive  is  only  self-love,  and  their  own  safety,  and  so  trust  that 
they  have  righteousness  enough  to  render  them  safe,  though 
they  do  commit  sin.  Those  that  are  only  restrained  from 
committing  sin  by  fear,  and  are  ready  to  embrace,  and  are 
glad  of  opportunities  of  committing  sin  with  impunity  ;  these 
cannot  be  such  as  the  sincerely  righteous  are  often  described 
to  be,  viz.  such  as  love  God  with  all  their  hearts  and  souls  ; 
that  love  the  way  of  his  commandments ;  that  choose  die  way 
of  his  commands,  &c.  The  reason  why  some  do  not  perse- 
vere, is,  that  there  is  not  now  a  right  heart  in  them  ;  as  is  evi- 
dent by  Deut.  v.  29.  "  O  that  there  were  such  an  heart  in 
them,  that  they  would  fear  me,  and  keep  my  command- 
ments!" &c. 


502  MISCELLANEOUS    REMAKlvS. 

§  24.  When  it  is  said,  "  If  a  righteous  man  turn  from  his 
righteousness,  and  commit  iniquity,  his  righteousness  shall  not 
be  remembered,  but  he  shall  die  in  his  iniquity  ;"  we  need  not, 
according  to  the  Scripture  manner  of  expression,  understand 
any  thing,  but  his  seeming  righteousness,  or  the  righteousness 
that  he  seemeth  to  have.  Christ  has  often  such  an  aphorism 
as  this,  "  Whosoever  hath,  to  him  shall  be  given,  and  he  shall 
have  more  abundance  ;  but  whosoever  hath  not,  from  him 
shall  be  taken  away  even  that  he  hath  ;"  which  he  applies  to 
that  apparent  godliness,  grace,  or  piety,  which  natural  men 
have,  as  is  evident  by  the  contexts,  and  the  occasions  of  his 
using  this  aphorism ;  as  Matt.  xiii.  12.  and  Matt.  xxv.  29. 
and  Mark  iv.  25.  This,  in  another  place,  is  explained  thus : — 
"  Whosoever  hath,  to  him  shall  be  given  ;  and  whosoever  hath 
not,  from  him  shall  be  taken  even  that  which  he  seemeth  to 
have ;"  Luke  viii.  18.  Being  a  righteous  man,  does,  indeed, 
commonly  signify  to  be  one  that  is  truly  and  sincerely  godly. 
And  so  is  believing  in  Christ  mentioned  frequently  as  the  dis- 
tinguishing character  of  one  that  is  truly  Christ's  disciple. 
Yet  we  read  of  some  that  are  said  to  believe,  who,  even  at  that 
very  time,  are  spoken  of  as  wanting  something  necessary  to 
make  them  true  disciples  :  John  ii.  23,  24,  25.  "  Now  when 
he  was  in  Jerusalem  at  the  passover,  in  the  feast  day,  many  be- 
lieved in  his  name,  when  they  saw  the  miracles  which  he  did. 
But  Jesus  did  not  commit  himself  to  them  because  he  knew 
all  men  ;  and  needed  not  that  any  should  testify  of  man,  for 
he  knew  what  was  in  man."  These  words  intimate,  that 
though  they  believed,  yet  Christ  knew  that  they  had  not  that 
in  them  then,  that  was  to  be  depended  on  for  perseverance ; 
which  implies,  that  if  they  were  true  believers,  of  a  right  prin- 
ciple, their  perseverance  might  be  depended  on.  And  we  are 
elsewhere  told,  why  some  that  believe,  endure  but  for  a  while, 
and  do  not  persevere,  viz.  because  they  have  no  root  in  them- 
selves. 

§25.  That  there  is  an  essential  difference  between  the  faith 
and  seeming  grace  of  such  professors  as  fall  away,  and  such 
as  persevere,  even  before  any  distinction  appears  as  to  perse- 
verance, or  while  both  retain  their  religion,  is  exceedingly  ma- 
nifest by  John  vi.  64,  65.  "  But  there  are  some  of  you  that 
believe  not.  For  Jesus  knew  from  the  beginning  who  they 
were  that  believed  not,  and  who  should  betray  him.  And  he 
said,  Therefore  said  I  unto  you,  that  no  man  can  come  unto 
me,  except  it  were  given  unto  him  of  my  Father."  And  verse 
70 :  "  And  Jesus  answered  them,  Have  not  I  chosen  you 
twelve,  and  one  of  you  is  a  devil  ?"  Here,  before  Judas  had 
fallen  away,  he  is  said  not  to  believe,  and  to  be  a  devil.  Now 
Judas  was  a  professing  disciple,  and  a  distinguished  one.  He 
was  a  visible  believer.      Christ  speaks  of  him  as  one  that  had 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS.  503 

forsaken  all,  and  followed  him  in  the  regeneration,  as  is  evi- 
dent in  Matt.  xix.  27,  28 ;  and  as  one  that  had  continued 
with  Christ  in  his  temptations,  Luke  xxii.  28. — compared  with 
verse  30.  There  were  great  appearances  of  true  grace  in 
him,  as  there  were  in  Ahitophel,  his  type,  with  whom  David 
took  sweet  counsel,  &c.  And,  therefore,  as  a  righteous  man, 
Christ  had  given  him  the  extraordinary  gifts  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  sent  him  forth  to  preach  the  gospel,  and  heal  the 
sick,  and  cast  out  devils. — Yet  he,  even  before  he  fell  away,  is 
said  not  to  believe,  but  to  be  then  a  devil  :  which  is  agreeable 
to  what  the  apostle  says  of  apostates, — "  They  went  out  from 
us,  because  they  were  not  of  us.  If  they  had  been  of  us,  they 
would,  no  doubt,  have  continued  with  us." 

§  26.  That  they  who  once  truly  believe  in  Christ,  never  fall 
away  finally  and  perish,  is  evident,  because  they  that  now  be- 
lieve not,  and  are  in  a  state  of  condemnation,  are  spoken  of  as 
those  that  never  have  believed,  John  iii.  18.  "  Because  he  hath 
not  believed  in  the  name  of  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God." 
Which  supposes,  that  none  of  those  that  have  believed,  are 
now  unbelievers,  or  are  now  in  a  state  of  condemnation.  So 
again,  those  who  shall  be  condemned  at  the  day  of  judgment, 
are  represented  as  those,  not  only  whom  Christ  then  will  know 
not,  but  as  those  whom  he  never  knew,  Matt.  vii.  23.  But 
how  can  this  be  a  true  representation,  if  some  of  them  were 
once  true  Christians,  and  so  were  known  and  owned  by  Christ, 
but  only  have  since  apostatized  ?  When  St.  Paul  kept  under 
his  body,  lest  he  should  be  a  cast-away,  (1  Cor  ix.  27.)  he  did 
no  otherwise  than  he  was  wont  to  do  in  temporal  concerns,  in 
cases  wherem  he  was  beforehand  certain  of  the  event.  So 
he  sent  word  to  the  chief  captain  of  the  Jews  lying  in  wait  to 
kill  him,  lest  he  should  be  murdered  by  them,  though  it  was 
revealed  to  him  from  God,  but  the  very  night  before,  that  he 
should  live  to  see  Rome  ;  Acts  xxiii.  12 — 21.  So  he  would 
not  allow  the  sailors  to  leave  the  ship."  &c.  Bellamy's  True 
Religion,  Disc.  1.  Inference  9.  1  John  iii.  6.  "  Whosoever  sin- 
neth,  hath  not  seen  him,  neither  known  him."  This  could  not 
be  true,  if  a  man  who  has  truly  seen  him,  and  known  him, 
might  finally  fall  away  to  sin. 

§27.  As  to  scripture  cautions  against  falling  away,  lest  it 
should  issue  in  damnation ;  we  may  observe  that  God  had 
been  pleased  to  connect  eternal  life  with  eating  the  fruit  of  the 
tree  of  life ;  and  therefore,  although  it  was  utterly  impossible 
that  Adam  should  have  eternal  life  in  himself,  after  he  had 
fallen,  as  God's  peremptory  declaration  and  unalterable  con- 
stitution had  made  :t  impossible ;  yet  we  are  told,  that  after 
the  fall,  God  placed  cherubims  and  a  flaming  sword  to  keep 
the  way  of  the  tree  of  life,  lest  the  man  should  put  forth  his 
hand,  and  take  and  eat  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree,  and  live  for  ever. 


504  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS. 

So  God  has  connected  damnation  with  living  in  allowed  sin, 
and  being  overcome  by  sin,  and  brought  under  its  power.  And 
therefore,  although  it  be  impossible,  that  men,  after  they  are 
once  truly  converted,  should  ever  perish,  yet  they  are  warned 
against  falling  away  and  yielding  to  the  power  of  sin,  lest  they 
should  perish  :  and  the  apostle  Paul  kept  under  his  body,  lest 
he  should  be  a  cast-away. 

§  28.  As  to  objections  from  such  hypothetical  propositions  as 
those,  Heb.  x.  27,  &c.  "  If  we  sin  wilfully,  after  we  have  re- 
ceived the  knowledge  of  the  truth."  Heb.  vi.  4,  &c.  "  For  it 
is  impossible  for  those  who  were  once  enlightened,  if  they  fall 
away,"  &c.  Such  hypothetical  propositions  may  be  true, 
when  one  or  both  parts  of  it  are  impossible,  as  the  truth  of  such 
a  proposition  consists  in  the  connexion  of  the  antecedent  and 
consequent ;  as  when  our  Lord  said  to  the  Jews,  "  If  I  should 
say,  1  know  him  not,  I  should  be  a  liar  like  unto  you."  See 
Gill  against  Whitby,  vol.  i.  p.  271. 

§  '29.  Objection.  That  we  are  required  to  take  care  and 
to  pray  that  we  may  persevere.  It  was  impossible  for  Christ 
to  fail  under  his  trials  ;  and  yet  how  evident  is  it  that  he  used 
means,  endeavours,  care,  labour,  and  earnest  prayers,  that  he 
might  persevere  ? — In  order  to  show,  that  an  absolute  promise 
of  perseverance  does  consist  with  counsels  and  exhortations  to 
endeavour,  and  care  to  persevere,  I  would  lay  down  the  follow- 
ing positions. 

Position  I.  What  it  is  proper  for  us  to  seek  by  earnest  and 
importunate  prayer,  it  is  proper  for  us  to  use  means,  labour  and 
care,  for  that  end.  The  reason  is  plain  :  prayer  is  one  kind  of 
seeking  the  thing  ;  it  is  using  means,  and  one  way  of  labour- 
ing for  it,  taking  care  to  obtain  it,  and  pursuing  after  it. 
There  are  many  instances  of  prayer,  and  commands  to  pray  for 
things  promised.  Christ  on  earth  prayed  for  things  promised  ; 
and  he  continually  intercedes  in  heaven  for  things  promised. 
Position  II.  What  it  is  proper  that  persons  should  use  en- 
deavours, means,  and  care  for,  they  are  properly  exhorted  to 
use  those  means  and  endeavours. 

Position  111.  That  which  it  is.  proper  for  another  to  use 
means,  labours,  and  care  for,  that  he  may  obtain  it,  though  he 
knows  it  is  certainly  promised,  it  is  proper  that  we  should  use 
means.  &c.  to  obtain  for  ourselves,  though  it  is  promised. 
But  Christ  used  means,  endeavours,  labour,  &c.  for  the  salva- 
tion of  sincerely  good  men,  though  it  be  promised.  He  la- 
boured, took  care,  denied  himself,  and  suffered  for  the  salva- 
tion of  sincerely  good  men  ;  which  yet  had  been  before  abun- 
dantly promised  to  him,  and  promised  to  men  in  the  Old 
Testament;  and  Christ  himself  had  promised  it.  The  scrip- 
ture represents,  that  Christ  ran  a  race  to  win  a  prize,  and  en- 
dured the  cross  for  the  joy  that  was  set  before  him. 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS,  505 

§30.  It"  it  were  left  to  the  freedom  of  men's  own  will,  whe- 
ther men  should  persevere,  in  the  sense  that  the  Arminians 
suppose ;  i.  e.  to  a  will  not  determined  by  God,  but  self-deter- 
mined, then  it  would  be  absurd  to  pray  to  God  that  we  may 
persevere ;  that  he  would  keep  us  from  falling,  and  that  he 
would  uphold  our  goings  in  his  paths,  &c. 

§31.  If  grace  implanted  in  the  heart,  be  not  an  infallible 
sign  that  a  man  shall  have  eternal  life,  how  is  the  Spirit  of 
God  an  earnest  of  glory  ?  when  a  man  may  have  the  Spirit, 
and  yet  have  no  assurance  that  he  shall  be  glorified.  For 
every  one  who  has  the  grace  of  God  implanted  in  his  heart, 
has  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God  in  his  sanctifying  influences. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


CONCERNING     THE     NECESSITY     AND     REASONABLENESS     OF     THE 
CHRISTIAN   DOCTRINE   OF   SATISFACTION    FOR    SIN. 

§  1.  The  necessity  of  satisfaction  for  sin,  and  the  reasonable- 
ness of  that  Christian  doctrine,  may  appear  from  the  following 
considerations  :  Justice  requires  that  sin  be  punished,  because 
sin  deserves  punishment.  What  the  demerit  of  sin  calls  for, 
justice  calls  for  ;  for  it  is  only  the  same  thing  in  different  words. 
For  the  notion  of  a  desert  of  punishment,  is  the  very  same  as 
a  just  connexion  with  punishment.  None  will  deny  but  that 
there  is  such  a  thing,  in  some  cases,  as  the  desert  or  demerit 
of  a  crime,  its  calling  for,  or  requiring  punishment.  And,  to 
say  that  the  desert  of  a  crime  does  require  punishment,  is  just 
the  same  thing  as  to  say,  the  reason  why  it  requires  it  is,  that  it 
deserves  it.  So  that  the  suitableness  of  the  connexion  between 
the  crime  and  the  punishment,  consists  in  the  desert ;  and, 
therefore,  wherever  desert  is,  there  is  such  suitableness.  None 
will  deny,  that  some  crimes  are  so  horrid,  and  so  deserving  of 
punishment,  that  it  is  requisite  they  should  not  go  unpunished, 
unless  something  very  considerable  be  done  to  make  up  for  the 
crime ;  either  some  answerable  repentance,  or  some  other 
compensation,  that  in  some  measure  at  least  balances  the  de- 
sert of  punishment,  and  so,  as  it  were,  takes  it  off,  or  disannuls 
it ;  otherwise,  the  desert  of  punishment  remaining,  all  will  al- 
low, that  it  is  fit  and  becoming,  and  to  be  desired,  that  the 
crime  should  be  severely  punished.  And  why  is  it  so,  but 
only  from  the  demerit  of  the  crime,  or  because  the  crime  so 
much  deserves  such  a  punishment  ?  It  justly  excites  so  great 
abhorrence  and  indignation,  that  it  is  requisite  there  should  bo 

Vol.  VII.  fil 


OlHJ  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARK", 

a  punishment  answerable  to  this  abhorrence  and  indignation 
that  is  fitly  excited  by  it.  But  by  this,  all  is  granted  that  needs  to 
be  granted,  to  show,  that  desert  of  punishment  carries  in  it  a 
requisiteness  of  the  punishment  deserved.  For,  if  greater 
crimes  do  very  much  require  punishment,  because  of  their 
great  demerit,  lesser  crimes  will  also  require  punishment,  but 
only  in  a  lesser  degree,  proportionably  to  their  demerit ;  be- 
cause the  ground  of  the  requisiteness  of  the  punishment  of 
great  crimes,  is  their  demerit.  It  is  requisite  that  they  should 
be  punished,  on  no  other  account  but  because  they  deserve  it. 

§  k2.  Besides,  if  it  be  allowed,  that  it  is  requisite  that  great 
crimes  should  be  punished  with  punishment  in  some  measure 
answerable  to  the  heinousness  of  the  crime,  without  something 
to  balance  them,  some  answerable  repentance  or  other  satis- 
faction, because  of  their  great  demerit,  and  the  great  abhor- 
rence and  indignation  they  justly  excite,  it  will  follow,  that  it 
is  requisite  that  God  should  punish  all  sin  with  infinite  punish- 
ment ;  because  all  sin,  as  it  is  against  God,  is  infinitely  heinous, 
and  has  infinite  demerit,  is  justly  infinitely  hateful  to  him,  and 
so  stirs  up  infinite  abhorrence  and  indignation  in  him.  There- 
fore, by  what  was  before  granted,  it  is  requisite  that  God 
should  punish  it,  unless  there  be  something  in  some  measure 
to  balance  this  desert.  Now  there  can  be  no  repentance  of  it, 
or  sorrow  for  it,  in  any  measure  answerable  or  proportionable 
to  the  heinousness  of  the  demerit  of  the  crime ;  because  that 
is  infinite,  and  there  can  be  no  infinite  sorrow  for  sin  in  finite 
creatures  ;  yea,  there  can  be  none  that  bears  any  proportion 
to  it.  Repentance  is  as  nothing  in  comparison  of  it,  and, 
therefore,  can  weigh  nothing  when  put  in  the  scales  with  it, 
and  so  does  nothing  at  all  towards  compensating  it,  or  dimi- 
nishing the  desert  or  requisiteness  of  punishment,  any  more 
than  if  there  were  no  repentance.  If  any  ask,  why  God  could 
not  pardon  the  injury  on  repentance,  without  other  satisfaction, 
without  any  wrong  to  justice ;  I  ask  the  same  person,  why  he 
could  not  also  pardon  the  injury  without  repentance  ?  For  all 
the  repentance  men  are  capable  of,  is  as  no  repentance  at  all, 
in  comparison  with  the  greatness  of  the  injury ;  for  it  bears  no 
proportion  to  it.  And  it  would  be  as  dishonourable  and  unfit 
for  God  to  pardon  the  injury  without  any  repentance  at  all,  as 
to  do  it  merely  on  the  account  of  a  repentance  that  bears  no 
more  proportion  to  the  injury,  than  none  at  all.  Therefore,  we 
are  not  forgiven  on  repentance,  because  it  in  any  wise  com- 
pensates, or  takes  off,  or  diminishes  the  desert  or  requisiteness 
of  punishment ;  but  because  of  the  respect  that  evangelical 
repentance  has  to  compensation  already  made. 

§  3.  If  sin,  therefore,  deserves  punishment,  that  is  the  same 
thing  as  to  say,  that  it  is  fit  and  proper  that  it  should  be  pu- 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS,  -301 

rushed.     If  the  case  be  so,  that  sin  deserves  punishment  from 
men,  in  those  cases  it  is  proper  it  should  receive  punishment 
from  men.     A  fault  cannot  be  properly  said  to  deserve  punish- 
ment from  any,  but  those  to  whom  it  belongs  to  inflict  punish- 
ment when  it  is  deserved.     In  those  cases,  therefore,  wherein 
it  belongs  to  men  to  inflict  punishment,  it  is  proper  for  them 
to  inflict  that  punishment  that  is  deserved  of  them.     Again,  if 
sin's  desert  of  punishment  be  the  proper  ground  of  the  fitness 
of  its  connexion  with  punishment,  or  rather  be  that  wherein 
fitness  of  the  connexion  consists ;     it  will  thence  follow,  not 
only  that  it  is  fit  that   the  sin   which   deserves  punishment, 
should  be  punished,  but,  also,  that  it  should  be  punished  as  it 
deserves.     It  is  meet  that  a  person's  state  should  be  agreeable 
to  the  quality  of  his  dispositions  and  voluntary  actions.     Suf- 
fering is  suitable  and  answerable  to  the  quality  of  sinful  dispo- 
sitions and  actions  ;  it  is  suitable  that  they  who  do  evil,  should 
receive  evil  in  proportion  to  the  evil  that  they  do  or  will.     It  is 
but  justice  that  it  should  be  so ;  and,  when  sin  is  punished,  it 
receives  but  its  own,  or  that  which  is  suitably  connected  with 
it.     But  it  is  a  contradiction  to  say,  that  it  is  suitably  connect- 
ed with  punishment,  or  that  it  is  suitable  that  it  should  be  con- 
nected with  it,  and  yet  that  it  is  suitable  it  should  not  be  con- 
nected with  it.     All  sin  may  be  resolved  into  hatred  of  God 
and  our  neighbour ;  as  all  our  duty  may  be  resolved  into  love 
to  God  and  our  neighbour.     And  it  is  but  meet,  that  this  spirit 
of  enmity  should  receive  a  return  in  its  own  kind,  that  it  should 
receive  enmity  again.     Sin  is  of  such  a  nature,  that  it  wishes 
ill,  and  aims  at  ill  to  God  and  man ;  but  to  God  especially. 
It  strikes  at  God  ;  it  would,  if  it  could,  procure  his  misery  and 
non-existence.      It  is  but  suitable,  that  with  what  measure  it 
metes,  it  should  be  measured  to  it  again.     It  is  but  suitable, 
that  men  should  reap  what  they  sow,  and  that  the  rewards 
of  every  man's  hand   should  be  given  him.      This  is  what 
the  consciences  of  all  men  naturally  declare.      There  is  no- 
thing that  men  know  sooner,    after  they  come  to  the  exer- 
cise of  their  reason,  than  that,  when  they  have  done  wicked- 
ness, they  deserve  punishment.      The  consciences   not   only 
of  Christians,  and  those  who  have  been  educated  in  the  prin- 
ciples of  divine  revelation,  but,  also,  the  consciences  of  hea- 
thens inform  them  of  this :   therefore,  unless  conscience  has 
been  stupified  by  frequent  violations,  when  men  have  done 
wickedness,  there  remains  a  sense  of  guilt  upon  their  minds ; 
a  sense  of  an  obligation  to  punishment.      It  is  natural  to  ex- 
pect that  which  conscience  or  reason  tells  them  it  is  suitable 
should  come ;  and,  ti^refore,  they  are  afraid  and  jealous,  and 
ready  to  flee  when  no  «ian  pursues.      Seeing,  therefore,  it  is 
requisite  that  sin  should  banished,  as  punishment  is  deserved 


.)08  HISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

and  just ;  therefore,  the  justice  of  God  obliges  him  to  punish 
sin.  For  it  belongs  to  God,  as  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  uni- 
versality  of  things,  to  maintain  order  and  decorum  in  his  king- 
dom, and  to  see  to  it,  that  decency  and  righteousness  take 
place  in  all  cases.  That  perfection  of  his  nature,  whereby  he 
is  disposed  to  this,  is  his  justice :  therefore,  his  justice  natu- 
rally disposes  him  to  punish  sin  as  it  deserves. 

§  4.  The  holiness  of  God,  which  is  the  infinite  opposition 
of  his  nature  to  sin,  naturally  and  necessarily  disposes  him  to 
punish  sin.  Indeed  his  justice  is  part  of  his  holiness.  But 
when  we  speak  of  God's  justice  inclining  him  to  punish  sin, 
we  have  respect  only  to  that  exercise  of  his  holiness  whereby 
he  loves  that  holy  and  beautiful  order  that  consists  in  the  con- 
nexion of  one  thing  with  another,  according  to  their  nature, 
and  so  between  sin  and  punishment ;  and  his  opposition  to 
that  which  would  be  so  unsuitable  as  a  disconnexion  of  these 
things.  But  now  I  speak  of  the  holiness  of  God  as  appear- 
ing not  directly  and  immediately  in  his  hatred  of  an  unsuit- 
able, hateful  disconnexion  between  sin  and  that  which  is  pro- 
per for  it ;  but  in  his  hatred  of  sin  itself,  or  the  opposition  of 
his  nature  to  the  odious  nature  of  sin.  If  God's  nature  be  in- 
finitely opposite  to  sin,  then  doubtless  he  has  a  disposition 
answerable  to  oppose  it  in  his  acts  and  works.  If  he  by  his 
nature  be  an  enemy  to  sin  with  an  infinite  enmity,  then  he  is 
doubtless  disposed  to  act  as  an  enemy  to  it,  or  to  do  the  part  of 
an  enemy  to  it.  And  if  he  be  disposed  naturally  to  do  the 
part  of  an  enemy  against  sin,  or,  which  is  the  same  thing, 
against  the  faultiness  or  blameworthiness  of  moral  agents : 
then  it  will  follow,  he  is  naturally  disposed  to  act  as  an  enemy 
to  those  that  are  the  persons  faulty  and  blameworthy,  or  are 
chargeable  with  the  guilt  of  it,  as  being  the  persons  faulty. 
Indignation  is  the  proper  exercise  of  hatred  of  any  thing  as  a 
fault  or  thing  blameable  ;  and  there  could  be  no  such  thing 
either  in  the  Creator  or  creature,  as  hatred  of  a  fault  without 
indignation,  unless  it  be  conceived  or  hoped  that  the  fault  is 
suffered  for,  and  so  the  indignation  be  satisfied.  Whoever 
finds  a  hatred  to  a  fault,  and  at  the  same  time  imputes  the 
fault  to  him  that  committed  it,  he  therein  feels  an  indignation 
against  him  for  it.  So  that  God,  by  his  necessary  infinite 
hatred  of  sin,  is  necessarily  disposed  to  punish  it  with  a  punish- 
ment answerable  to  his  hatred. 

§  5.  It  does  not  become  the  Sovereign  of  the  world,  a  being 
of  infinite  glory,  purity,  and  beauty,  to  sufiV  such  a  thing  as 
sin,  an  uncomely  disorder,  an  infinitely  detestable  pollution,  to 
appear  in  the  world  subject  to  his  government,  without  his 
making  an  opposition  to  it,  or  giving' some  public  manifesta- 
tions and  tokens  of  his  infinite  abho'fence  of  it ;  for  "  he  is  of 
purer  eyes  than  to  behold  evil,  a»d  cannot  look  on  iniquity;'' 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS  '301' 

Ileb.  i.  13.  It  is  natural  in  such  a  case  to  expect  tokens  of  the 
utmost  opposition.  If  we  could  behold  the  infinite  Fountain 
of  purity  and  holiness,  and  could  see  what  an  infinitely  pure 
flame  it  is,  and  with  what  a  pure  brightness  it  shines,  so  that 
the  heavens  appear  impure  when  compared  with  it ;  and  then 
should  behold  some  infinitely  odious  and  detestable  filthiness 
brought  and  set  in  its  presence :  would  it  not  be  natural  to  ex- 
pect some  ineffably  vehement  opposition  made  to  it  ?  and 
would  not  the  want  of  it  be  indecent  and  shocking  ? 

§  6.  If  it  be  to  God's  glory  that  he  is  in  his  nature  infinitely 
holy  and  opposite  to  sin  ;  then  it  is  to  his  glory  to  be  infinitely 
displeased  with  sin.  And  if  it  be  to  God's  glory  to  be  infinite- 
ly displeased  with  sin  ;  then  it  must  be  to  his  glory  to  exercise 
and  manifest  that  displeasure,  and  to  act  accordingly.  But 
the  proper  exercise  and  testimony  of  displeasure  against  sin 
in  the  Supreme  Being  and  absolute  Governor  of  the  world,  is 
taking  vengeance.  Men  may  show  their  hatred  of  sin  by  la- 
menting it,  and  mourning  for  it,  and  taking  great  pains,  and 
undergoing  great  difficulties  to  prevent  or  remove  it,  or  by  ap- 
proving God's  vengeance  for  it.  Taking  vengeance  is  not  the 
proper  way  of  fellow-subjects'  hatred  of  sin  ;  but  it  is  in  the 
Supreme  Lord  and  Judge  of  the  world,  to  whom  vengeance 
belongs;  because  he  has  the  ordering  and  government  of  all 
things,  and  therefore  the  suffering  of  sin  to  go  unpunished 
would  in  him  be  a  conniving  at  it.  Taking  vengeance  is  as 
much  the  proper  manifestation  of  God's  displeasure  at  sin,  as 
a  mighty  work  is  the  proper  manifestation  of  his  power,  or  as  a 
wise  work  is  the  proper  manifestation  of  his  wisdom.  There 
may  be  other  testimonies  of  God's  displeasedness  with  and 
abhorrence  of  sin,  without  testifying  his  displeasure  in  condign 
punishment.  He  might  declare  he  has  such  a  displeasure  and 
abhorrence.  So  there  might  be  other  testimonies  of  God's 
power  and  wisdom,  besides  a  powerful  wise  effect.  He  might 
have  declared  himself  to  be  infinitely  wise  and  powerful. 
But  yet  there  would  have  been  wanting  the  proper  manifesta- 
tions of  God's  power  and  wisdom,  if  God  had  only  declared 
himself  to  be  possessed  of  these  attributes. — The  creatures 
might  have  believed  him  to  be  all-wise  and  almighty  ;  but  by 
seeing  his  mighty  and  wise  works,  they  see  his  power  and  wis- 
dom. So  if  there  had  been  only  a  declaration  of  God's  ab- 
horrence and  displeasure  against  sin,  the  creature  might  have 
believed  it,  but  could  not  have  seen  it,  unless  he  should  also 
take  vengeance  for  it. 

§7.  The  honour  of  the  greatness,  excellency  and  majesty  of 
God's  being,  requires  that  sin  be  punished  with  an  infinite 
punishment.  Hitherto  I  have  spoken  of  the  requisiteness  of 
God's  punishing  sin,  on  account  of  the  demerit  and  hateful- 
ness  of  it  absolutely  considered,  and  not  directly  as  God  is  in- 


510  MISCELLANEOUS   REMARKS. 

terested  in  the  affair.  But  now,  if  we  consider  sin  as  levelled 
against  God,  not  only  compensative  justice  to  the  sinner,  but 
justice  to  himself,  requires  that  God  should  punish  sin  with 
infinite  punishment.  Sin  casts  contempt  on  the  majesty  and 
greatness  of  God.  The  language  of  it  is,  that  he  is  a  being 
not  worthy  to  be  honoured  or  feared ;  not  so  great  that  his 
displeasure  is  worthy  to  be  dreaded  ;  and  that  his  threatenings 
of  wrath  are  despicable.  Now,  the  proper  vindication  or  de- 
fence of  God's  majesty  in  such  a  case,  is,  for  God  to  contradict 
this  language  in  his  providence  towards  sin  that  speaks  it,  or 
to  contradict  the  language  of  sin  in  the  event  and  fruit  of  sin. 
Sin  says,  God  is  a  being  not  worthy  that  the  sinner  should  fear 
him  ;  and  so  affronts  him  without  fear.  The  proper  vindica- 
tion of  God's  majesty  from  this  is,  for  God  to  show,  by  the 
event,  that  he  is  an  infinitely  fearful  and  terrible  being.  The 
language  of  sin  is,  that  God's  displeasure  is  not  worthy  that 
the  sinner  should  regard  it.  The  proper  vindication  of  God 
from  this  language  is,  to  show,  by  the  experience  of  the  event, 
the  infinite  dreadfulness  of  that  slighted  displeasure.  In  such 
a  case,  the  majesty  of  God  requires  this  vindication.  It  cannot 
be  properly  vindicated  without  it,  neither  can  God  be  just  to 
himself  without  this  vindication ;  unless  there  could  be  such  a 
thing  as  a  repentance,  humiliation,  and  sorrow,  proportionable 
to  the  greatness  of  the  majesty  despised.  When  the  majesty 
of  God  has  such  contempt  cast  upon  it,  and  is  trodden  down 
in  the  dust  by  vile  sinners,  it  is  not  fit  that  this  infinite  and  glo- 
rious majesty  should  be  left  under  this  contempt ;  but  that  it 
should  be  vindicated  by  something  opposite  to  the  contempt, 
which  is  equivalent  to  it,  or  of  weight  sufficient  to  balance  it ; 
either  an  equivalent  punishment,  or  an  equivalent  sorrow  and 
repentance.  So  that  sin  must  be  punished  with  an  infinite 
punishment. 

§  8.  There  is  a  necessity  of  sin's  being  punished  with  a 
condign  punishment,  from  the  law  of  God  that  threatens  such 
punishment.  All  but  Epicurians  will  own,  that  all  moral 
agents,  are  subjects  of  God's  moral  government :  and  that, 
therefore,  he  has  given  a  law  to  his  creatures.  But  if  God  has 
given  a  law  to  his  creatures, that  law  must  have  sanctions,^  e. 
it  must  be  enforced  with  threatenings  of  punishment;  otherwise 
it  fails  of  having  the  nature  of  a  law,  and  is  only  of  the  nature 
of  counsel,  or  advice  ;  or  rather  of  a  request.  For  one  being  to 
express  his  inclination,  or  will,  to  another,  concerning  any  thing 
he  would  receive  from  him,  any  love  or  respect,  without  any 
threatening  annexed,  but  leaving  it  with  the  person  applied  to, 
whether  he  will  grant  it  or  not,  supposing  that  his  refusal  will 
be  with  impunity ;  is  properly  of  the  nature  of  a  request.  It 
does  not  amount  to  counsel  or  advice ;  because,  when  we  give 
counsel  to  others,  it  is  for  their  interest.     But  when  we  express 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS.  511 

our  desire  or  will  of  something  we  would  receive,  from  them, 
with  impunity  to  them  whether  they  grant  it  or  not,  this  is 
more  properly  requesting  than  counselling.  No  doubt  it  falls 
far  short  of  the  nature  of  law-giving.  For  such  an  expression 
of  one's  will  as  this,  is  an  expression  of  will,  without  any  ex- 
pression of  authority.  It  holds  forth  no  authority,  for  us  merely 
to  manifest  our  wills  or  inclinations  to  another ;  nor  indeed 
does  it  exhibit  any  authority  over  a  person  applied  to,  to  pro- 
mise him  rewards.  So  persons  may,  and  often  do  promise  re- 
wards to  others,  for  doing  those  things  that  they  have  no  power 
to  oblige  them  to.  So  may  persons  do  to  their  equals  :  So 
may  a  king  do  to  others  who  are  not  his  subjects.  This  is  ra- 
ther bargaining  with  others,  than  giving  them  laws.  That  ex- 
pression of  will  only  is  a  law,  which  is  exhibited  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  express  the  law-giver's  power  over  the  person  to 
whom  it  is  manifested,  expressing  his  power  of  disposal  of  him, 
according  as  he  complies  or  refuses ;  that  which  shows  power 
over  him,  so  as  to  oblige  him  to  comply,  or  to  make  it  be  to 
his  cost  if  he  refuses. 

§  9.  For  the  same  reason,  that  it  is  necessary  the  divine  law 
should  have  a  threatening  of  condign  punishment  annexed,  it 
is  also  necessary  that  the  threatening  should  be  fulfilled.  For 
the  threatening  wholly  relates  to  the  execution.  If  it  had  no 
connexion  with  execution,  it  would  be  wholly  void,  and  would 
be  as  no  threatening :  and  so  far  as  there  is  not  a  connexion 
with  execution,  whether  that  be  in  a  greater  or  lesser  degree  3 
so  far,  and  in  such  a  degree,  is  it  void,  and  so  far  approaches 
to  the  nature  of  no  threatening,  as  much  as  if  that  degree  of 
unconnexion  was  expressed  in  the  threatening.  '  As  for  in- 
stance, if  sin  fails  of  threatened  punishment  half  the  times, 
this  makes  void  the  threatening  in  one  half  of  it,  and  brings  it 
down  to  be  no  more  than  if  the  threatening  had  expressed  only 
so  much,  that  sin  should  be  punished  half  the  times  that  it  is 
committed.  But  if  it  be  needful  that  all  sin  in  every  act  should 
be  forbidden  by  law,  i.  e.  with  a  prohibition  and  threatening  of 
condign  punishment  annexed,  and  that  the  threatening  of  sin 
with  condign  punishment  should  be  universal ;  then  it  is  ne- 
cessary that  it  should  be  universally  executed.  A  threatening 
of  an  omniscient  and  true  being  can  be  supposed  to  signify 
no  more  punishment  than  is  intended  to  be  executed,  and  is 
not  necessarily  to  be  understood  of  any  more.  A  threatening, 
if  it  signifies  any  thing,  is  a  signification  of  some  connexion 
between  the  crime  and  the  punishment.  But  the  threatening 
of  an  omniscient  being,  cannot  be  understood  to  signify  any 
more  connexion  with  punishment  than  there  is. 

§  10.  If  it  be  needful  that  there  should  be  a  divine  law,  it  is 
needful  that  this  divine  law  should  be  maintained  in  the  nature, 
life,  authority  and  strength  that  is  proper  to  it  as  a  law.     The 


512  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

nature,  life,  authority  and  strength  of  every  law,  consists  in  its 
sanction,  by  which  the  deed  is  connected  with  the  compensa- 
tion ;  and  therefore  depends  on  the  strength  and  firmness  of 
that  connexion.  In  proportion  as  that  connexion  is  weary,  in 
such  proportion  does  the  law  lose  its  strength,  and  fails  of  the 
proper  nature  and  power  of  a  law,  and  degenerates  towards 
the  nature  of  requests  and  expressions  of  will  and  desire  to  re- 
ceive love  and  respect,  without  being  enforced  with  authority- 
Dispensing  with  the  law  by  the  lawgiver,  so  as  not  to  fulfil  or 
execute  it,  in  its  nature  does  not  differ  from  an  abrogation  of 
it,  unless  the  law  contains  in  itself  such  a  clause,  (hat  it  shall 
or  may  be  dispensed  with,  and  not  fulfilled  in  certain  cases,  or 
when  the  lawgiver  pleases.  But  this  would  be  a  contradiction. 
For,  if  the  law  contained  such  a  clause:  then,  not  to  fulfil  it, 
would  be  according  to  the  law,  and  a  fulfilment  of  the  law; 
and  therefore  there  would  be  no  dispensing  with  the  law  in  it, 
because  it  is  doing  what  the  law  itself  directs  to.  The  law 
may  contain  clauses  of  exception,  wherein  particular  cases 
may  be  excepted  from  general  rules ;  but  it  cannot  make  pro- 
vision for  a  dispensation.  And  therefore,  for  the  lawgiver  to 
dispense  with  it,  is  indeed  to  abrogate  it.  Though  it  may  not 
be  an  abrogating  it  wholly,  yet  it  is  in  some  measure  changing 
it.  To  dispense  with  the  law,  in  not  fulfilling  it  on  him  that 
breaks  it,  is  making  the  rule  give  place  to  the  sinner.  But 
certainly  it  is  an  indecent  thing,  that  sin,  which  provokes  the 
execution,  should  procure  the  abrogation  of  the  law.  The 
necessity  of  fulfilling  the  law,  in  the  sense  mentioned,  appears 
from  Matt.  v.  18.  "  For  verily  I  say  unto  you,  Till  heaven  and 
earth  pass,  one  jot  or  one  tittle  shall  in  nowise  pass  from  the 
law,  until  all  be  fulfilled."  The  words  will  allow  of  no  other 
tolerable  sense. 

§  11.  It  is  necessary  that  the  law  of  God  should  be  main- 
tained and  executed,  and  not  dispensed  with  or  abrogated  for 
the  sake  of  the  sinner,  for  the  following  reasons: 

The  nature  and  being  of  the  law  requires  it.  For,  as  has 
been  already  shown,  by  such  dispensation  it  loses  tb<  life  and 
authority  of  a  law,  as  it  respects  the  subject.  But  it  does  not 
only  fail  of  being  a  law  in  this  respect ;  it  fails  of  being  a  rule 
to  the  Supreme  Judge.  The  law  is  the  great  rule  of  righteous- 
ness and  decorum,  that  the  Supreme  and  Universal  Rector  has 
established  and  published,  for  the  regulation  of  things  in  the 
commonwealth  of  the  universality  of  intelligent  beings  and 
moral  agents ;  a  rule,  by  which  -things  are  not  only  to  be  regu- 
lated between  one  subject  and  another,  but  between  the  king 
and  subjects;  that  it  may  be  a  rule  of  judgment  to  the  one,  as 
well  as  a  rule  of  duty  to  the  other.  It  is  but  reasonable  to 
suppose,  that  such  a  lule  should  be  established  and  published 
for  the   benefit  of  all   that  belong  to  this   universal  common- 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  513 

wealth,  to  be  a  rule  to  direct  both  their  actions  towards  each 
other,  and  their  expectations  from  each  other,  that  they  may 
have  a  fixed  and  known  rule  by  which  they  are  to  act  and  to 
be  dealt  with,  to  be  both  active  and  passive  as  members  of  this 
commonwealth.  The  subject  is  most  nearly  concerned,  not 
only  in  the  measure  of  his  own  actions,  but  also  in  the  conse- 
quences of  them,  or  the  method  of  his  judge's  determinations 
concerning  him.  None  that  own  the  existence  of  a  divine  law, 
with  threatenings  annexed,  can  deny  that  there  actually  is 
such  a  rule  as  this,  that  relates  both  to  the  manner  of  the 
creature's  acting,  and  also  the  judge's  acting  towards  him  as 
subject  to  that  law.  For  none  will  deny,  that  the  precepts  re- 
late to  the  manner  of  the  subject's  acting,  and  that  the  threat- 
enings relate  to  the  manner  of  the  judge's  proceeding  with  the 
subject,  in  consequence  of  his  obedience  or  disobedience.  It 
is  needful  that  this  great  rule  for  managing  affairs  in  this  univer- 
sal commonwealth,  should  be  fixed  and  settled,  and  not  be 
vague  and  uncertain.  So  far  as  it  fails  of  this,  it  ceases  to  be 
of  the  nature  of  a  rule.  For  it  is  essential  to  the  nature  of  a 
rule,  that  it  be  something  fixed.  But  if  it  be  needful  that  it  be 
something  fixed,  then  it  is  needful  that  the  author,  and  he  by 
whom  it  subsists,  should  maintain  and  fulfil  it,  and  not  depart 
from  it;  because  that  is  in  a  measure  to  disannul  it.  If  he 
doth  so,  therein  the  rule  becomes  unfixed,  and  it  so  far  ceases 
to  be  a  rule  to  the  judge. 

§  12.  That  the  law  should  be  made  to  give  place  to  the  sin- 
ner, is  contrary  to  the  direct  design  of  the  law.  For  the  law 
was  made,  that  the  subject  should  be  regulated  by  it,  and  give 
place  to  it ;  and  not  to  be  regulated  by  the  subject,  and  to  give 
place  to  him,  especially  to  a  wicked,  vile,  rebellious  subject. 
The  law  is  made,  that  it  might  prevent  sin,  and  cause  it  not 
to  be  ;  and  not  that  sin  should  disannul  the  law  and  cause  it 
not  to  be.  Therefore  it  would  be  very  indecent  for  the  Su- 
preme Rector  to  cause  this  great  rule  to  give  place  to  the  re- 
bellion of  the  sinner. 

§  13.  It  is  in  nowise  fit  that  this  great  rule  should  be 
abrogated  and  give  place  to  the  opposition  and  violation  of 
the  rebellious  subject,  on  account  of  the  perfection  of  the  law, 
and  as  it  is  an  expression  of  the  perfection  of  the  lawgiver. 
The  holiness,  and  rectitude,  and  goodness  of  this  great  rule, 
which  the  Supreme  Lawgiver  has  established  for  the  regula- 
tion of  the  commonwealth  of  moral  agents,  and  its  universal 
fitness,  wisdom,  and  absolute  perfection,  render  a  partial  abro- 
gation for  the  sake  of  them  that  dislike  it,  and  will  not  submit 
to  it,  needless  and  unseemly.  If  the  great  rule  should  be  set 
aside,  for  the  sake  of  the  rebel,  it  would  carry  too  much  of  the 
face  of  acknowledgment,  in  the  lawgiver,  of  want  of  wisdom 
and  foresight,  or  of  some  defect,  in  point  of  holiness  or  right- 

Vor,.  VII.  m 


a!4  HISCELIiAKEOUS  REMARKS. 

eousness,  in  his  law.  He  that  breaks  the  law,  finds  fault  with 
it,  and  casts  that  reflection  on  it,  that  it  is  not  a  good  law ; 
and  if  God  should  in  part  abrogate  the  law  upon  this,  it  would 
have  too  much  the  appearance  of  a  conceding  to  the  sinner1? 
objection  against  it.  But  God  will  magnify  his  law,  and  make 
it  honourable,  and  will  give  no  occasion  for  any  such  reflec- 
tions upon  it,  nor  leave  the  law  under  such  a  reflection.  If 
this  great  rule  of  righteousness  be  so  excellent  and  good  a  law, 
it  is  not  only  unfit  that  it  should  give  place  to  rebellion,  as  this 
would  be  a  dishonour  to  the  excellency  of  the  law  and  law- 
giver;  but  also  a  wrong  to  the  public  good,  of  which  the  Su- 
preme Rector  of  the  world  has  the  care,  and  is  the  guardian. 
If  the  rule  be  perfect,  perfectly  right  and  just  and  holy,  and 
with  infinite  wisdom  adapted  to  the  good  of  the  whole  ;  then 
the  public  good  requires  that  it  be  strongly  established.  The 
more  firmly  it  is  settled,  and  the  more  strongly  it  is  guarded 
and  defended,  the  better  and  the  more  it  is  for  the  public  good  ; 
and  every  thing  by  which  it  is  weakened,  is  a  damage  and 
loss  to  the  commonwealth  of  beings.  But  I  have  already 
shown  how  every  departure  from  it,  weakens  it,  unfixes  it,  and 
causes  it  to  fail  of  the  nature  of  a  settled  rule,  and  in  some 
measure  disannuls  it. 

§14.  The  sacredness  of  the  author it 'y  of  the  Divine  Law- 
giver requires,  that  he  should  maintain  and  fulfil  his  law,  when 
it  is  violated  by  a  rebellious  subject.  I  have  before  spoken  of 
the  greatness  and  majesty  of  his  Being,  how  that  is  concerned 
in  it — I  now  would  consider  the  sacredness  of  his  authority,  as 
he  stands  related  to  his  creatures  as  their  Lawgiver.  The 
majesty  of  a  ruler  consists  very  much  in  that  which  appears  in 
him  ;  that  tends  to  strike  the  subject  with  reverence  and  awe, 
and  dread  of  contempt  of  him,  or  rebellion  against  him.  And 
it  is  fit  that  this  awe  and  dread  should  be  in  proportion  to  the 
greatness  and  dignity  of  the  ruler,  and  the  degree  of  authority 
with  which  he  is  vested.  But  this  awe  and  dread  is  by  an  ap- 
prehension of  the  terribleness  of  the  consequences  of  that  con- 
tempt and  rebellion,  and  the  degree  of  the  danger  of  those 
terrible  consequences,  or  the  degree  of  connexion  of  that  rebel- 
lion with  those  consequences  :  Therefore,  if  it  be  meet  that 
this  awe  or  this  apprehension  should  be  in  proportion  to  the 
greatness,  and  dignity  of  the  ruler,  then  it  is  fit  that  the  con- 
sequences of  contempt  of  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  world 
should  be  infinitely  terrible,  and  the  danger  that  it  brings  of 
punishment,  or  connexion  that  it  has  with  it,  be  strong  and 
certain,  and  consequently,  that  the  threatenings  which  enforce 
his  laws  should  be  sure  and  inviolable.  It  is  fit  the  authority 
of  a  ruler  should  be  sacred  proportionably  to  the  greatness  of 
that  authority,  i.  e.  in  proportion  to  the  greatness  of  the  ruler, 
and  his  worthiness  of  honour  and  obedience,  and  the  height  ■  ! 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS,  olo 

his  exaltation  above  us,  and  the  absoluteness  of  his  dominion 
over  us,  and  the  strength  of*  his  right  to  our  submission  and 
obedience.  But  the  sacredness  of  the  authority  of  a  sovereign 
consists  in  the  strength  of  the  enforcement  of  it,  and  guard 
that  is  about  it,  i.  e.  in  the  consequences  of  the  violation  to  him 
that  is  guilty,  and  the  degree  of  danger  of  these  consequences. 
For  the  authority  of  a  ruler  does  not  consist  in  the  power  or 
influence  he  has  on  another  by  attractives,  but  coercives.  The 
fence  that  is  about  the  authority  of  a  prince,  that  guards  it  as 
sacred,  is  the  connexion  there  is  between  the  violations  of  it, 
and  the  terrible  consequences ;  or,  in  other  words,  in  the 
strength  or  sureness  of  the  threatening.  Therefore,  if  this  con- 
nexion be  partly  broken,  the  fence  is  partly  broken  ;  in  propor- 
tion as  the  threatenings  are  weak,  the  guard  is  weak.  But 
certainly  it  is  fit  that  the  authority  of  the  infinitely  great  and 
absolute  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth  should  be  infinitely  sacred, 
and  should  be  kept  so  with  an  infinitely  strong  guard,  and 
a  fence,  without  any  breach  in  it.  And  it  is  not  becom- 
ing the  sacredness  of  the  majesty  and  authority  of  the  great 
7rav<rox£a<rw£,  that  that  perfectly  holy,  just,  and  infinitely  wise 
and  good  law,  which  he  has  established  as  the  great  rule  for 
the  regulation  of  all  things  in  the  universal  commonwealth  of 
beings,  should  be  set  aside,  to  give  place  to  the  infinitely  un- 
reasonable and  vile  opposition  that  sinners  make  to  it,  and  their 
horrid  and  daring  rebellion  against  it. 

§  15,  The  truth  of  the  lawgiver  makes  it  necessary  that  the 
threatening  of  the  law  should  be  fulfilled  in  every  punctilio. 
The  threatening  of  the  law  is  absolute  :  Thou  shalt  surely  die. 
It  is  true,  the  obligation  does  not  lie  in  the  claim  of  the  person 
threatened,  as  it  is  in  promises :  for  it  is  not  to  be  supposed, 
that  the  person  threatened  will  claim  the  punishment  threaten- 
ed. And,  indeed,  if  we  look  upon  things  strictly,  those  seem 
to  reckon  the  wrong  way,  who  suppose  the  necessity  of  the 
execution  to  arise  from  an  obligation  on  God  in  executing, 
properly  consequent  on  his  threatening.  For  the  necessity  of 
the  connexion  of  the  execution  with  the  threatening,  seems  to 
arise  directly  the  other  way,  viz.  from  the  obligation  that  was 
on  the  omniscient  God  in  threatening,  consequent  on  the  futu- 
rity of  the  execution.  Though,  strictly  speaking,  he  is  not 
obliged  to  execute  because  he  has  threatened,  yet  he  was 
obliged  not  absolutely  to  threaten,  if  he  at  the  same  time  knew 
that  he  should  not  and  would  not  execute  ;  because  this  would 
not  have  been  consistent  with  his  truth.  So  that,  from  the 
truth  of  God,  there  is  an  inviolable  connexion  between  abso- 
lute threatening  and  execution  ;  not  so  properly  from  an  obli- 
gation on  God  to  conform  the  execution  to  the  past  absolute 
threatening,  as  from  his  obligation  to  conform  his  absolute 
threatening  to  the  future  execution.     This  God  was  absolutelv 


510  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS. 

obliged  to  do,  as  he  would  speak  the  truth.  For  if  God  abso» 
lutely  threatened  contrary  to  what  he  knew  would  come  to 
pass,  then  he  absolutely  threatened  contrary  to  what  he  knew 
to  be  truth.  And  how  any  can  speak  contrary  to  what  they 
know  to  be  the  truth,  in  declaring,  promising,  or  threatening, 
or  any  other  way,  consistently  with  perfect  and  inviolable  truth, 
I  cannot  conceive.  Threatenings  are  significations  of  some- 
thing ;  and  if  they  are  made  consistent  with  truth,  or  are  true 
significations  of  any  thing,  they  arc  significations  of  that  which 
is  true.  If  absolute  threatenings  are  significations  of  any  thing, 
they  are  significations  of  the  futurity  of  the  thing  threatened  but 
if  the  futurity  of  the  thing  threatened  is  not  true,  then  how  can 
the  threatenings  be  true  significations  ?  And  if  God,  in  them, 
speaks  contrary  to  what  he  knows,  and  contrary  to  what  he 
intends ;  how  he  can  speak  true,  is  to  me  inconceivable. 

§  16.  It  is  with  absolute  threatenings,  as  it  is  with  predictions. 
When  God  has  foretold  something  that  shall  come  to  pass 
hereafter,  which  does  not  concern  our  interest,  and  so  is  of  the 
nature  neither  of  a  promise  nor  threatening,  there  is  a  necessary 
connexion  betwixt  the  prediction  and  the  fulfilment,  but  not  by 
virtue  of  any  claim  we  have  to  make  ;  and  so  not  properly  by 
virtue  of  any  obligation  to  fulfil  consequent  on  the  prediction, 
but  by  virtue  of  an  obligation  on  an  omniscient  Being  in  predic- 
ting, consequent  on  what  he  knew  he  would  fulfil ;  an  obliga- 
tion to  conform  the  prediction  to  the  future  event.  It  is  as 
much  against  the  veracity  of  God,  absolutely  to  threaten  what 
he  knows  he  will  not  accomplish,  as  to  predict  what  he  knows 
he  will  not  accomplish  ;  for  to  do  either,  would  be  to  declare, 
that  something  will  be,  which  he  at  the  same  time  does  not 
intend  shall  be.  Absolute  threatenings  are  a  sort  of  predic- 
tions. God  in  them  foretels  or  declares  what  shall  come  to 
pass.  They  do  not  differ  from  mere  predictions,  in  the  nature 
of  the  declaration  or  foretelling ;  but  partly  in  the  thing  declar- 
ed or  foretold,  being  an  evil  to  come  upon  us — a  mere  pre- 
diction being  of  a  thing  indifferent — and  partly,  in  the  end  of 
foretelling.  In  a  threatening,  the  end  of  foretelling  is  to  deter 
us  from  sinning ;  and  predictions  of  things  indifferent  are  for 
some  other  end.  Absolute  threatenings  are  God's  declarations 
of  something  future  ;  and  the  truth  of  God  does  as  much 
oblige  him  to  keep  the  truth  in  declarations  of  what  is  future, 
as  of  what  is  past  or  present.  For  things  past  present  and  future, 
are  all  alike  before  God — all  alike  in  his  view.  And  when 
God  declares  to  others  what  he  sees  himself,  he  is  equally 
obliged  to  truth,  whether  the  thing  declared  be  past,  present, 
or  to  come.  And,  indeed,  there  is  no  need  of  the  distinction 
between  present  truth  and  future,  in  this  case.  For  if  any  of 
God's  absolute  threatenings  are  not  to  be  fulfilled,  those  threat- 
enings are  declarations  or  revelations  contrary  to  future  truth. 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARK.-.  ~>17 

But  such  a  threatening  is  a  revelation  of  the  futurition  of  a  pun- 
ishment. That  futurition  is  now  present  with  God,  when  he- 
threatens  :  present  in  his  mind,  his  knowledge.  And  if  he 
signifies  that  a  thing  is  future,  which  he  knows  not  to  be  fu- 
ture ;  then  the  signification  he  gives  is  contrary  to  present  truth, 
even  contrary  to  what  God  now  knows  is  future. — Again,  an 
absolute  threatening  is  a  signification  of  the  present  intention 
of  him  that  threatens ;  and  therefore,  if  he  threatens  what  he 
does  not  intend  to  fulfil,  then  he  signifies  an  intention  to  be, 
which  is  not ;  and  so  the  threatening  is  contrary  to  present 
truth.  God's  absolute  threatenings  are  a  revelation  to  his 
subjects,  of  the  appointed  measures  of  their  Judge's  proceeding 
with  respect  to  their  breaches  of  his  law ;  and  if  they  do  not 
reveal  what  is  indeed  the  intended  method  of  the  Judge's 
proceeding,  then  it  is  not  a  true  revelation. 

§  17.  There  is  a  necessity  of  the  fulfilment  of  God's  absolute 
promises  both  ways,  viz.  both  by  an  obligation  on  God  to  fore- 
tel  or  declare,  or  foredeclare,  the  future  benefit,  according  to 
what  he  foresaw  would  be,  and  he  intended  should  be ;  and 
also  by  an  obligation  on  him  to  fulfil  his  promise  consequent 
on  his  predicting,  and  by  virtue  of  the  claim  of  the  person  to 
whom  the  promise  was  made.  And  there  is  also  an  obligation 
on  God  to  fulfil  his  absolute  threatenings  consequent  on  his 
threatenings,  indirectly,  by  virtue  of  many  ill  and  undesirable 
consequences  of  the  event  being,  beside  the  certain  depen- 
dence or  certain  expectations  raised  by  God's  threatenings,  in 
the  persons  threatened,  and  others  that  are  spectators  ;  of  which 
consequences  God  may  be  obliged  not  to  be  a  cause.  But 
threatenings  do  not  properly  bring  an  obligation  on  God,  that 
is  consequent  on  them  as  threatenings,  as  it  is  with  promises. 
As  to  those  threatenings  that  are  not  positive  or  absolute,  they 
are  not  necessarily  followed  with  the  punishment  mentioned 
in  them,  because  the  possibility  of  escaping  the  punishment 
is  either  expressed  or  understood  in  the  threatening.  But  the 
divine  truth  makes  it  necessary  that  there  should  be  a  certain 
connexion  between  them,  that  as  much  punishment  be  inflic- 
ted as  is  signified  by  them.  If  certain  suffering  be  not  signifi- 
ed by  them,  then  there  is  no  necessary  connexion  between 
them  and  certain  suffering,  according  to  God's  ordinary  me- 
thod of  dealing  with  men,  and  that,  therefore,  they,  as  they 
would  act  rationally,  have  great  reason  to  fear  it,  seeing  that 
God  does  not  see  cause  to  reveal  what  he  will  do  to  them :  if 
this  be  all  that  is  really  contained  and  understood  in  the  threat- 
ening, then  this  is  all  that  the  threatening  is  connected  with. 
Or,  if  the  proper  meaning  of  the  threatening  be,  that  such 
suffering  shall  come,  unless  they  repent,  and  this  be  all  that 
can  be  fairly  understood,  then  the  truth  of  God  makes  no  more 
necessary.     But  God's  truth  makes   a  necessary  connexion 


•  I  jj  M 1 S  C  E  L  L  A  N  EOUS    K  E  M  ARKS. 

between  every  threatening  and  every  promise,  and  all  thai  i« 
properly  signified  in  that  threatening  or  promise. 

§  18.  The  satisfaction  of  Christ  by  his  death  is  certainly  a 
very  rational  thing.  If  any  person  greatly  obliged  to  me,  who 
was  dependent  on  me,  and  whom  I  loved,  should  exceedingly 
abuse  me,  and  should  go  on  in  an  obstinate  course  of  it  from 
one  year  to  another,  notwithstanding  all  I  could  say  to  him, 
and  all  new  obligations  continually  repeated  ;  though  at  length 
he  should  leave  it  off,  I  should  not  forgive  him,  unless  upon 
gospel  considerations.  But  if  any  person  that  was  a  much 
dearer  friend  to  me,  and  one  that  had  always  been  true  to  me, 
and  constant  to  the  utmost,  and  that  was  a  very  near  relation 
of  him  that  offended  me,  should  intercede  for  him,  and,  out  of 
the  entire  love  he  had  to  him,  should  put  himself  to  very  hard 
labours  and  difficulties,  and  undergo  great  pains  and  miseries 
to  procure  him  forgiveness  ;  and  the  person  that  had  offended 
should,  with  a  changed  mind,  fly  to  this  mediator,  and  should 
seek  favour  in  his  name,  with  a  sense  in  his  own  mind  how 
much  his  mediator  had  done  and  suffered  for  him  ;  I  should  be 
satisfied,  and  feel  myself  inclined,  without  any  difficulty,  to  re- 
ceive him  into  my  entire  friendship  again  ;  but  not  without  the 
last  mentioned  condition,  that  he  should  be  sensible  how  much 
his  mediator  had  done  and  suffered.  For  if  he  was  ignorant 
of  it,  or  thought  he  had  done  only  some  small  matter,  I  should 
not  be  easy  nor  satisfied.  So  a  sense  of  Christ's  sufficiency 
seems  necessary  in  faith.  Abigail,  when  mediating  between 
David  and  Nabal,  when  the  former  was  provoked  to  wrath 
against  the  latter,  and  had  determined  to  destroy  him,  1  Sam. 
xxv.  24.  "  fell  at  David's  feet  and  said,  Upon  me  let  this 
iniquity  be,  and  let  thy  handmaid,  I  pray  thee,  speak  in  thy 
audience,  and  hear  the  voice  of  thy  handmaid."  And  in  verse 
28.  she  calls  NabaPs  iniquity  her  iniquity.  By  this  it  appears, 
that  a  mediator  putting  himself  in  the  stead  of  the  offender, 
so  that  the  offended  party  should  impute  the  offence  to  him, 
and  look  on  the  mediator  as  having  taken  it  upon  him,  looking 
on  him  as  the  debtor  for  what  satisfaction  should  be  required 
and  expected,  was  in  those  days  no  strange  notion,  or  consid- 
ered as  a  thing  in  itself  absurd  and  inconsistent  with  men's  na- 
tural notion  of  things. 

§  19.  Christ  is  often  represented  as  bearing  our  sins  for  us : 
Isaiah  liii.  4.  "  Surely  he  hath  borne  our  griefs  and  carried  our 
sorrows."  Verse  II.  "For  he  shall  bear  their  iniquities." 
Verse  12.  "  He  bare  the  sin  of  many."  And  with  an  evident 
reference  to  this  last  place,  the  apostle  says,  Heb.  ix.  28.  "  So 
Christ  was  once  offered  to  bear  the  sins  of  many  :  and  to  them 
that  look  for  him,  he  shall  appear  the  second  time,  without 
sin  unto  salvation."  And  with  a  plain  reference  to  verses  4,  5, 
of  this  53d   chapter  of  Isaiah,  the  apostle  Peter  says,    1    Pet. 


MISCELLANEOUS    EEMARKs!.  519 

ii.  24. "  Who  his  ownself  bare  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on   the 
tree." 

The  word  translated  here  in  'Isaiah  liii.  4.  and  12.  is  Ktw ; 
the  same  word,  and  the  same  phrase,  of  bearing  sin  and  bear- 
ing iniquity,  is  often  used  concerning  things  which  are  the 
types  of  Christ's  priesthood  and  sacrifice,  viz.  the  Levitical 
priests  and  sacrifices.  It  was  no  uncommon  phrase,  but  usual 
and  well  understood  among  the  Jews ;  and  we  find  it  very  of- 
ten used  in  other  cases,  and  applied  to  others  besides  either 
Christ  or  the  types  of  him.  And  when  it  is  so,  it  is  plain,  that 
the  general  meaning  of  the  phrase  is  lying  under  the  guilt  of 
sin,  having  it  imputed  and  charged  upon  the  person,  as  obnox- 
ious to  the  punishment  of  it,  or  obliged  to  answer  and  make 
satisfaction  for  it;  or  liable  to  the  calamities  and  miseries  to 
which  it  exposes.  In  such  a  manner  it  seems  always  to  be 
used,  unless  in  some  few  places  it  signifies  to  takeaway  sin  by 
forgiveness.  See  Dr.  Owen  on  Heb.  ix.  28.  and  PooVs 
Synopsis  on  Isaiah  liii.  And,  concerning  their  laying  their 
hands  on  the  head  of  the  sacrifice,  see  also  PooVs  Synopsis 
on  Levit.  i.  4. 

§  20.  By  merit,  I  mean  any  thing  whatsoever  in  any  person 
or  belonging  to  him,  which  appearing  in  the  view  of  another, 
is  a  recommendation  of  him  to  that  other's  regard,  esteem,  or 
affection.  I  do  not  at  present  take  into  consideration,  whether 
that  which  thus  recommends  be  real  merit,  or  something  that 
truly,  according  to  the  nature  of  things,  is  worthy  to  induce 
esteem,  &c. ;  but  only  what  actually  recommends  and  appears 
worthy  in  the  eye  of  him  to  whom  it  recommends  the  other  ; 
which  is  the  case  of  every  thing  that  is  actually  the  ground  of 
respect  or  affection  in  one  towards  another,  whether  the  ground 
be  real  worth,  or  only  agreement  in  temper,  benefits  received, 
near  relation,  long  acquaintance,  &c.  Whatever  it  be  that  is 
by  the  respecting  person  viewed  in  the  person  respected,  that 
actually  has  influence,  and  is  effectual  to  recommend  to  respect 
is  merit  or  worthiness  of  respect  or  fitness  for  it  in  his  eyes. 

By  patron,  I  mean  a  person  of  superior  dignity  or  merit,  that 
stands  for  and  espouses  the  interest  of  another,  interposes  be- 
tween him  and  a  third  person  or  party,  in  that  capacity  to 
maintain,  secure,  or  promote  the  interest  of  that  other,  by  his 
influence  with  the  third  person,  improving  his  merit  with  him, 
or  interest  in  his  esteem  and  regard  for  that  end.  And  by  client, 
I  mean  that  other  person  whose  interest  the  patron  thus  espou- 
ses, and  in  this  manner  endeavours  to  maintain  and  promote. 

§  21.  Having  explained  how  I  use  these  terms,  I  would  now 
observe  the  following  things. 

1.  It  is  not  unreasonable,  or  without  foundation  in  the  reason 
and  nature  of  things,  that  respect  should  be  shown  to  one  on 
a  '"count  of  his  relation  to,  or   union  and  connexion    with 


O'/iO  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARK;?. 

another  ;  or,  that  a  person  should  be  thought  the  proper  object 
of  regard,  viewed  in  that  relation  or  connexion,  of  which  he 
is  not  the  proper  object  himself,  singly  and  separately ;  or, 
which  is  still  the  same  thing,  that  a  person  should  be  thought 
worthy  of  respect  on  the  account  of  the  merit  of  the  other  per- 
son to  whom  he  stands  related,  taking  the  word  here  as  it  has 
been  explained. 

2.  Whenever  one  is  thus  viewed,  as  having  a  merit  of  re- 
spect on  the  account  of  another  to  whom  he  stands  related,  the 
merit  of  the  other  person  is  imputed  to  him  ;  and  these  persons 
so  far  are  substituted  the  one  in  the  place  of  the  other.  This 
is  plain  ;  for  the  person  now  accepted,  has  not  that  merit  in 
himself  considered  alone,  but  only  as  related  to  another  that 
has  merit  in  himself,  and  so  is  respected  for  the  sake  of  the 
merit  of  that  other;  which  is  the  very  same  thing  as,  in  our 
consideration,  transferring  that  merit  from  the  other  person  to 
him.  and  viewing  it  in  him  as  his  merit,  a  merit  whose  recom- 
mending influence  becomes  his  in  some  degree  ;  so  that  in  all 
such  cases  there  is  an  imputation  and  substitution  in  some 
dogree.  The  recommending  influence  of  the  one,  becomes  the 
recommending  influence  of  the  other,  or  influence  that  prevails 
to  ecommend  the  other  :  which  is  the  same  thing.  Thus  it  is 
when  any  one  respects  a  near  relation,  or  the  child  or  spouse 
of  a  friend,  that  is  very  dear  and  greatly  esteemed  for  such  a 
friend's  sake,  or  shows  the  relative  or  friend  greater  regard, 
seeks  his  welfare  more,  and  shows  him  more  kindness  than  he 
would  do  if  he  were  viewed  out  of  such  a  relation  or  connexion, 
and  entirely  by  himself.  Thus  it  is  reasonable  and  natural,  that 
one  should  be  respected  for  the  merit  of  another,  and  so  his 
merit  be  in  some  degree  imputed  to  another,  and  one  person 
be  substituted  for  another,  according  to  the  natural  sense  of  all 
mankind. 

3.  As  it  is  the  relation  of  one  to  another,  or  his  union  with 
him,  that  is  the  ground  of  respect  shown  him  for  the  other's 
sake — and  so  the  ground  of  substitution  of  the  other  in  his 
stead,  and  of  the  imputation  of  the  other's  merit  in  some  de- 
gree— as  has  been  observed  ;  so  it  is  manifest,  that  the  greater 
or  nearer  that  relation  is,  and  the  stricter  the  union,  so  much 
the  more  does  it  prevail  for  the  acceptance  of  the  person,  or 
the  object  of  respect,  for  the  sake  of  him  to  whom  he  is  united. 

4.  If  there  be  any  such  thing  as  an  union  of  one  person  to 
another,  as,  for  instance,  a  patron  to  a  client,  in  such  degree  or 
manner  as  that  on  such  account  it  shall  be  peculiarly  fit  to 
look  upon  them  as  completely  one  and  the  same,  as  to  all  that 
concerns  the  interest  of  the  client,  with  relation  to  the  regard 
of  the  friend  of  the  patron  ;  then  especially  may  the  patron  be 
taken  by  his  friend  as  the  substitute  of  the  client,  and  his  merit 
be  imputed  to  him. 


Miscellaneous  remarks.  o'2L 

^  '2'2.  It'  it  be  inquired,  what  degree  or  manner  of  union  may 
be  looked  upon  as.  complete  ?  1  answer,  When  the  patron's 
heart  is  so  united  to  the  client,  that  when  the  latter  is  to  be 
destroyed,  he  from  love,  is  willing  to  take  his  destruction  ori 
himself,  or  what  is  equivalent  thereto,  so  that  the  client  may 
escape ;  then  he  may  be  properly  accepted  as  perfectly  one 
with  regard  to  the  interest  of  the  client ;  for  this  reason,  that 
his  love  is  such  as  thoroughly  puts  him  into  the  place  of  the 
client  in  all  that  concerns  his  interest.  His  love  actually  puts 
him  in  the  room  of  the  beloved,  in  that  suffering  or  calamity 
which,  being  his  total  destruction,  swallows  up  and  consumes 
all  his  interest,  without  leaving  the  least  part  of  it.  Therefore, 
love  that  will  take  that  destruction,  evidently  takes  in  his  whole 
interest.  It  appears  to  be  an  equal  balance  for  it.  His  love 
puts  him  thoroughly  in  his  client's  stead.  If  his  love  were 
such  as  made  him  willing  to  put  himself  in  the  other's  stead, 
in  many  cases  where  his  interest  was  concerned,  but  yet  not  in 
a  case  where  all  is  concerned,  the  union  is  not  complete ;  he 
is  partially,  and  not  thoroughly  united.  But  when  the  love  of 
the  patron  is  such  as  to  go  through  with  the  matter,  and  makes 
him  willing  to  put  himself  in  the  other's  stead,  even  in  the 
case  of  the  last  extremity — and  where  the  beloved  is  to  be  ut- 
terly and  perfectly  destroyed — then  he  is,  as  to  his  love,  suffi- 
ciently united,  so  as  to  be  accepted  as  completely  one  by  his 
friend,  in  all  that  concerns  the  client's  welfare. 

§23.  Especially  is  the  client's  welfare  properly  and  naturally 
regarded,  for  the  sake  of  the  patron  that  is  very  dear  and  worthy 
in  the  eyes  of  any  person,  when  the  way  in  which  the  patron 
expresses  his  desire  of  the  client's  welfare,  is  by  suffering  and 
being  at  expense  of  his  own  personal  and  private  welfare  in 
any  degree,  for  the  welfare  of  the  client.  Expending  one's 
good  or  interest  for  another,  is  properly  transferring  the  interest 
in  the  good  expended,  into  the  good  sought :  the  expended 
good,  which  is  the  means,  is  properly  set  aside  and  removed, 
in  the  regard  of  him  that  is  at  the  expense,  and  whose  regard 
is  placed  on  that  good  which  is  the  end.  The  good  of  the 
price  is  parted  with,  for  the  good  of  the  thing  purchased  ;  and, 
therefore,  here  is  a  proper  substitution  of  one  in  the  place  of 
the  other.  In  such  a  case,  therefore,  in  a  more  special  manner, 
will  it  be  proper  and  natural  for  one  in  whose  eyes  the  patron 
is  very  worthy  and  to  whom  he  is  very  dear,  to  have  regard  to 
the  welfare  of  the  client  for  the  patron's  sake,  or  for  the  sake 
of  the  patron's  merit;  as,  Suppose  the  client  of  the  excellent 
and  dear  patron,  be  a  child  or  spouse  in  captivity,  and  the  pa- 
tron lays  out  himself  exceedingly  for  the  client's  redemption, 
and  goes  through  many  and  very  great  hardships,  and  is  at 
vast  expense  for  obtaining  it. 

Vol,  VII,  06 


5S£2  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARK;. 

§  '24.  If  the  patron  who  seeks  the  welfare  of  the  client,  partf* 
cularly  and  directly  applies  himself  to  the  person  who  has  so 
high  an  esteem  arid  affection  for  him,  expressing  his  desires  of 
the  client's  welfare,  and  that  what  is  expended  for  his  sake  be 
given  to  him  ;  then  especially  is  it  natural  that  the  person  of 
whom  his  client's  welfare  is  sought,  should  be  ready  to  grant 
it  for  his  sake,  and  it  is  still  more  highly  proper  and  natural  to 
regard  the  client's  welfare  on  account  of  the  patron's  merit,  or 
to  reckon  the  merit  of  the  patron  to  his  client's  account ;  if 
the  merit  of  the  patron  consists,  or  especially  appears  in  what 
he  does  for  his  client's  welfare ;  or  if  the  virtues  and  worthy 
qualities  have  their  chief  exercise,  and  do  chiefly  exhibit  their 
amiableness  in  those  excellent  and  amiable  acts  which  he  per- 
forms in  seeking  the  good  of  the  client.  In  this  case,  it  rs  pe- 
culiarly natural  to  accept  the  client,  on  the  account  of  the 
merit  of  the  patron  ;  for  the  merit  is  on  his  account,  and  has 
its  existence  for  the  sake  of  the  client.  More  especially  is  it 
natural,  when  his  merit,  above  all,  consists  and  appears  in  the 
very  expense  of  his  own  welfare  for  the  welfare  of  the  client, 
or  in  the  act  of  expending  or  exchanging  the  one  for  the  other. 
For,  as  was  observed  before,  such  expense  is  properly  regarded 
as  a  price  of  the  client's  welfare  ;  but  when  such  merit  is  added 
to  the  price,  this  merit  becomes  the  worth,  value,  or  precious- 
ness  of  the  price  ;  preciousness  of  another  kind,  besides  mereb/ 
the  value  of  the  natural  good  parted  with.  It  adds  a  moral 
good  to  the  price,  equal  to  the  natural  good  expended  ;  so  that 
the  worthiness  of  the  patron,  and  the  value  expended,  are  offer- 
ed both  together  in  one,  as  the  price  of  the  welfare  of  the 
client.  The  thus  accepting  of  the  patron's  merit,  as  being 
placed  to  the  account  of  the  client,  will  be  more  natural  still, 
if  the  patron  puts  himself  in  the  place  of  that  client,  underta- 
king to  appear  for  him,  to  represent  him,  and  act  in  his  stead, 
by  an  exceeding  great  change  in  his  circumstances,  clothes 
himself  with  the  form  of  his  client,  goes  where  he  is,  takes  his 
place  in  the  universe,  puts  himself  into  his  circumstances,  and 
is,  in  all  things,  made  like  unto  him,  wherein  this  may  be  con- 
sistent with  maintaining  his  merit  inviolable.  If  the  client  be 
unworthy,  and  an  offender,  and  has  deserved  ill  of  the  person 
whose  favour  he  needs,  then  abating  and  dismissing  resent- 
ment, or  lessening  or  withholding  the  evil  deserved,  for  the 
sake  of  the  merit  of  the  patron,  is  equivalent  to  a  positive  fa- 
vour for  his  sake,  in  case  of  no  offence  and  demerit  of  punish- 
ment. 

§  25.  If  the  person  that  needs  favour,  be  an  offender,  and 
unworthy,  then,  in  order  to  a  proper  influence  and  effect  of  the 
union  and  merit  of  a  patron,  to  induce  his  friend  to  receive 
him  into  favour  on  his  account,  the  union  of  the  patron  with 
His  client,  and  his  undertaking  and  appearing  as  his  patron  U 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  •">*-•! 

seek  favour  for  him,  should  be  in  such  a  manner,  and  attended 
with  such  circumstances,  as  not  to  diminish  his  merit,  i.  e.  so 
as  that  his  union  with,  and  intercession  for  the  client,  shall  not 
in  the  least  infringe  on  these  two  things,  viz.  the  patron's  own 
union  with  his  friend,  whose  favour  he  seeks  for  the  client,  and 
his  merit  strictly  so  called,  i.  e.  his  own  virtue.  For  if  his  own 
worthiness  be  diminished,  by  his  union  with  one  that  is  un- 
worthy, then  his  influence  to  recommend  the  client  one  way, 
is  destroyed  one  way,  at  the  same  time  that  it  is  established 
another.  For  that  recommending  influence  consists  in  these 
two  things,  viz.  his  merit  and  his  union  with  the  client. 
Therefore,  if  one  of  these  is  diminished,  or  destroyed,  as  the 
other  is  advanced  and  established,  nothing  is  done  on  the 
whole  toward  recommending  the  client.  Therefore,  in  order 
that,  on  the  whole,  the  client  be  effectually  recommended,  it  is 
necessary  that  the  patron's  union  to  an  offending,  unworthy 
client,  should  be  attended  with  such  circumstances,  that  it 
shall  not  be  at  all  inconsistent  with  these  two  things,  his  regard 
to  his  friend,  and  his  regard  to  virtue  and  holiness  :  for  in  these 
two  things  consists  his  merit  in  the  eye  of  his  friend ;  and, 
therefore,  it  is  necessary,  that  his  appearing  united  to  his  un- 
worthy and  offending  client  should  be  with  such  circumstances 
as  most  plainly  to  demonstrate,  that  he  perfectly  disapproves 
of  his  offence,  and  unworthiness,  and  to  show  a  perfect  regard 
to  virtue,  and  to  the  honour  and  dignity  of  his  offended,  injured 
friend.  There  is  no  way  that  this  can  be  so  thoroughly  and 
fully  done,  as  by  undertaking  himself  to  pay  the  debt  to  the 
honour  and  rights  of  his  injured  friend,  and  to  honour  the  rule 
of  virtue  and  righteousness  the  client  has  violated,  by  putting 
himself  in  the  stead  of  the  offender,  into  subjection  to  the  in- 
jured rights  and  violated  authority  of  his  offended  friend,  and 
under  the  violated  law  and  rule  of  righteousness  belonging  to 
one  in  the  client's  state  ;  and  so,  for  the  sake  of  the  honour  of 
his  friend's  authority,  and  the  honour  of  the  rule  of  righteous- 
ness, suffering  the  whole  penalty  due  to  the  offender,  and  which 
would  have  been  requisite  to  be  suffered  by  him,  for  the  main- 
taining the  honour  and  dignity  of  those  things  ;  and  himself, 
by  such  great  condescension,  and  under  such  self-denial,  ho- 
nouring those  rights  and  rules  by  his  obedience  and  perfect 
conformity  to  them  -,  hereby  giving  the  most  evident  testimony 
to  all  beholders,  that  although  he  loves  his  client  and  seeks  his 
welfare,  yet  he  had  rather  be  humbled  so  low,  deny  himself  so 
greatly,  and  suffer  so  much,  than  that  his  welfare  should  be  in 
the  least  diminished,  his  authority  weakened,  and  his  honour 
and  his  dignity  degraded. 

§  26.  If  the  patron  be,  in  the  eyes  of  him  whose  favour  is 
sought,  of  very  great  dignity,  it  is  agreeable  to  reason  and  na- 
ture that,  this  should  have  influence  to  procure  greater  favour 


>•_'  1  .ilSC:fcLLAI\EOr.S  RBifARRS. 

to  the  client  than  if  he  were  ofless  dignity.  And  when  it  is 
inquired,  whether  there  be  a  sufficiency  in  the  patron  and  his 
relation  to  his  client,  to  answer  to  such  a  degree  of  favour  as 
is  proposed  to  be  attained  for  him  ;  the  dignity  of  the  patron  is 
one  thing  that  is  to  be  estimated  and  put  into  the  scales,  with 
the  degree  of  favour  sought,  in  order  to  know  whether  it 
be  sufficient  to  countervail  it.  By  dignity,  I  here  intend,  not 
only  the  degree  of  virtue  and  relation  to  his  friend,  of  whom 
he  seeks  favour,  but  the  greatness  of  the  person  of  the  patron. 

If,  in  adjusting  this  matter,  the  dignity  that  is  viewed  in  the 
patron  and  his  friend's  regard  to  him,  be  so  great,  that,  con- 
sidered with  the  degree  of  the  patron's  union  with  his  client, 
there  is  a  sufficiency  to  countervail  all  the  favour  that  the  client 
needs,  or  the  utmost  that  he  is  capable  of  receiving,  then 
there  is  a  perfect  sufficiency  in  the  patron  for  the  client,  or  a 
sufficiency  completely  to  answer  and  support  the  whole  inte- 
rest of  the  client  5  or  a  sufficiency  in  his  friend's  regard  to  the 
patron,  wholly  to  receive,  take  in,  and  comprehend  the  client 
with  regard  to  his  whole  interest,  or  all  that  pertains  to  his 
welfare  ;  or,  which  is  the  same  thing,  a  sufficiency  fully  to  an- 
swer for  him  as  his  representative  and  substitute,  in  all  that 
pertains  to  his  welfare. 

§  27.  If  the  patron  and  client  are  equals  as  to  greatness  of 
being  or  degree  of  existence,  and  the  degree  of  the  patron's 
union  with  his  client  should  be  such  (and  that  were  possible) 
that  he  regarded  the  interest  of  the  client  equally  with  his  own 
personal  interest;  then  it  would  be  natural  for  the  patron's 
friend  to  regard  the  client's  welfare  for  the  sake  of  the  patron, 
as  much  as  he  regards  the  patron's  own  personal  welfare  :  be- 
cause, when  the  case  is  so,  the  patron  is  as  strictly  united  to 
the  client  as  he  is  to  himself,  and  his  client's  welfare  becomes 
perfectly,  and  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  his  own  interest,  as 
much  as  his  personal  welfare  ;  and  therefore,  as  the  love  of 
his  friend  to  him  disposes  him  to  regard  whatever  is  his  inter- 
est, to  such  a  degree  as  it  is  his  interest ;  so  it  must  dispose 
him  to  regard  the  client's  welfare  in  an  equal  degree  with  his 
own  personal  interest ;  because,  by  the  supposition,  it  is  his 
interest  in  an  equal  degree.  But  this  must  be  here  provided 
or  supposed,  viz.  not  only  that  so  strict  an  union  of  the  patron 
and  client  be  possible,  but  also  that  it  be  proper,  or  that  there 
be  no  impropriety  or  unfitness  in  it :  because,  if  it  be  unfit, 
then  the  patron's  being  so  strictly  united  to  him,  diminishes 
his  merit ;  because  merit,  at  least  in  part,  consists  in  a  regard 
to  what  is  proper  and  fit ;  and  if  the  degree  of  union  be  unfit, 
it  diminishes  the  influence  of  that  union  to  recommend  the 
client  one  way,  as  much  as  it  increases  it  another.  But  if  the 
patron  and  client  are  not  equals,  but  the  patron  be  greater 
and  vastly  superior  as  to  rank  and  degree  of  existence,  it  givfcs 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS.  525 

greater  weight  to  his  union,  as  to  its  influence  with  the  friend 
of  the  patron,  to  recommend  the  client ;  so  that  a  less  degree 
of  union  of  the  patron  with  the  client  may  be  equivalent  to  a 
greater  union,  in  case  of  equality.     Therefore,  in  this  case, 
though    the  union  be  not  so  great   as  that  his  regard   to  the 
client's  interest  should  be  equal  with  his  own  personal  interest, 
but  may  be  much  less,  yet  his  regard  to  it  may  be  such,  that 
its  recommending  influence  may  be  equivalent  to  that  which  is 
fully  equal  in  the  case  of  equality   of  persons  ;  and  therefore 
may  be  sufficient  to  answer    the  same  purposes    towards  the 
client,  and  consequently  to  be  perfectly  sufficient  for  the  client 
with  regard  to  the  client's  whole  interest.     From  these  things, 
we  may  gather  this  as  a  rule  whereby  to  judge,  whether  there 
be  a  sufficiency  in  the  patron's  union  with  his  client,  to  answer 
for  the  whole  interest  of  the  client  with  the   patron's  friend, 
with  respect  to  the  degree  of  union  of  the  patron,  and  the  de- 
gree of  greatness,  where  there  is  no  defect  of  merit  in  other 
respects,  viz.  that  the  patron's  union  with  the  client  shall  be 
such,  that  considering  jointly  both  the  degree  of  greatness,  and 
degree  of  union;  the  patron's  union  with  his  client  shall  be  as 
considerable  and  weighty,  and  have  as  much   recommending 
influence,  as  if,  in  case  of  equality  of  the  patron  with  his  client, 
the  union  between  them  was  so  great,  that  the  patron's  regard 
to  the  welfare  of  the  client  were  equal  to  his  own.     Then  the 
union  of  the  patron  has  its  measure  and  proportion  according 
to  the  rule  now  mentioned,  and  so  is  sufficient  to  answer  his 
whole  interest;  when  the  degree  of  his   regard  to  his  client's 
interest  stands  in  the  same  proportion  to  his  regard  to  his  own 
personal  interest,  as  the  degree  of  the  capacity  of  the  client 
stands  in  to  the  degree  of  his  own  capacity  ;  for  the  degrees  of 
capacity  are  as  the  greatness  or  the  degrees  of  existence  of 
the  person. 

§  28.  When  the  patron's  regard  to  his  client  is  thus  propor- 
tioned, that  is,  when  he  regards  the  client's  interest  as  his  own, 
according  to  the  client's  capacity,  then  such  an  union  may 
most  fitly  and  aptly  be  represented,  by  the  client's  being  ta- 
ken by  the  patron  to  be  a  part  or  member  of  himself,  as 
though  he  were  a  member  of  his  body.  For  men  love  each 
part  of  themselves,  as  themselves,  but  yet  not  each  part  equal- 
ly with  themselves  ;  but  each  part  as  themselves,  according  to 
the  measure  of  the  capacity  of  the  part.  A  man  loves  his  little 
finger  as  himself,  but  not  equally  with  the  head  ;  but  yet  with 
the  same  love  he  bears  to  himself,  according  to  the  place, 
measure,  and  capacity  of  the  little  finger.  The  most  proper 
and  plain  trial  and  demonstration  of  this  sufficiency  of  union 
of  the  patron  with  the  client,  consisting  in  such  a  proportion 
of  regard  to  his  welfare  as  has  been  mentioned,  is  the  patron's 
being  willing  to  bear  sufferings  for  the  client,  or  in  his  stead. 


526  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS. 

that  are  equivalent  to  sufferings  which  properly  belong  to  the 
latter ;  which  equivalence  of  sufferings  must  be  delermined  by 
a  joint  estimation  of  these  two  things,  viz.  the  degree  of  suffer- 
ing and  the  greatness  of  the  sufferer.  When  the  effect  of  the 
patron's  love  to  the  client  is  a  suffering  for  the  client  that  is 
equal  in  value  or  weight  to  the  client's  suffering,  considering 
the  difference  of  the  degree  of  persons  ;  it  shows,  that  the  love 
to  the  client,  which  is  the  cause  of  this  suffering,  is  also  equal 
or  equivalent  to  his  love  for  himself,  according  to  the  different 
degree  of  the  persons. 

The  most  proper  and  clear  trial  of  the  measure  of  love  or 
regard  to  the  interest  of  another,  is  the  measure  of  suffering,  or 
expense  of  personal  interest,  for  the  interest  of  the  beloved. 
So  much  as  the  lover  regards  the  welfare  of  the  beloved,  so 
much  in  value  or  weight  of  his  own  welfare,  will  he  be  willing 
to  part  with  for  it.  If  the  value  of  the  welfare  obtained,  be, 
in  the  regard  of  the  sufferer,  fully  equal  to  the  value  of  the 
welfare  parted  with,  then,  there  being  an  equal  balance,  no 
preponderation  of  self-love  will  hinder  parting  with  one  for  the 
other.  The  love  therefore  is  sufficient  and  equal  to  self-love, 
allowing  only  for  the  difference  of  capacity  or  greatness  of 
the  persons  ;  as  the  sufferings  are  equal,  allowing  for  the  same 
difference  of  the  degree  of  persons. 

§  29.  There  can  be  but  one  thing  more  requisite,  according 
to  the  nature  of  things,  in  order  to  its  being  to  all  intents  and 
purposes  proper  and  suitable  that  the  patron  should  be  accep- 
ted as  one  with  the  client,  in  what  pertains  to  the  client's 
interest,  and  his  merits  being  imputed  to  the  client,  and  his 
having  favour  on  the  account  of  it;  which  is  this,  that  seeing 
the  client  is  an  intelligent  being,  capable  of  act  and  choice,  he 
should  therefore  actively  and  cordially  concur  in  the  affair  ; 
that  the  union  between  the  patron  and  him  should  be  mutual ; 
that  as  the  patron's  heart  is  united  to  the  client,  so  the  client's 
heart  should  be  united  to  the  patron  ;  that  as  there  is  that 
disposition  and  those  acts  appearing  in  the  patron  that  are  pro- 
per to  the  character  and  relation  of  a  patron,  in  undertaking 
for  the  client  to  appear  for  him  before  his  friend,  as  his  repre- 
sentative, guardian,  deliverer,  and  saviour,  and  condescending 
to  him  to  do  and  suffer  all  for  him  needed  for  his  help  and  ad- 
vancement.; so  there  must  also  appear  in  the  client  those  dis- 
positions and  acts  that  are  proper  to  the  character  and  rela- 
tion of  a  client,  cleaving  to  him,  committing  his  cause  to  him, 
and  trusting  in  him,  in  an  entire  approbation  of  the  patron's 
friendship,  kind  undertaking,  and  patronage;  and  not  only 
an  approbation  of  the  patron's  union  to  him,  by  which  he 
avails  for  his  being  looked  upon  as  one  with  him,  but  also  of  the 
patron's  union  to  his  friend,  whose  favour  he  seeks,  which 
union  with  his  friend  avails  to  the  acceptance  of  the  patron  :  and 


laiaOKLLANKOUS  REMARKS.  527 

aiso  an  entire  approbation  of  the  benefits  which  the  patron  seeks 
of  his  friend  for  the  client ;  or,  in  one  word,  a  cordial  and  entire 
faith  of  the  client  in  his  patron.  When  there  is  thus  a  mutu- 
al union  between  the  patron  and  client,  and  an  union  through- 
out between  them  both,  and  the  friend  whose  favour  is  sought, 
together  with  those  things  before  mentioned,  there  is  every 
thine  requisite  in  order  to  the  fitness  of  ihe  acceptance  of  the 
client  on  the  account  of  the  patron,  and  his  receiving  such  fa- 
vour from  the  patron's  friend,  as  is  requisite  to  all  that  pertains 
to  the  client's  welfare  :  so  that  such  an  acceptance  and  such 
favour  shall  be  in  all  respects  proper,  according  to  the  nature 
of  things,  and  common  sense  of  intelligent  beings,  and  of  no 
evil  or  improper  consequence. 

§  30.  It  was  needful,  that  a  mediator  between  two  parties 
distant  and  alienated  one  from  the  other,  in  order  to  be  the 
middle  person  to  unite  them  together,  should  himself  be  united 
to  both.  Otherwise  he  could  not  be  a  bond  of  union  between 
them.  And  if  he  be  a  mediator  between  God  and  guilty  men, 
it  was  necessary  that  he  should  unite  himself  to  them,  or  assume 
them  as  it  were  to  himself.  But  if  he  unites  himself  to  guilty 
creatures,  he  of  necessity  brings  their  guilt  on  himself.  If  he 
unites  himself  to  them  that  are  in  debt  he  brings  their  debt  on 
himself.  He  cannot  properly  unite  himself  to  a  rebel  against 
God,  and  one  that  is  obnoxious  to  God's  wrath,  and  is  condemn- 
ed to  condign  punishment,  to  be  a  mediator  to  bring  God  to 
be  at  peace  with  him,  without  voluntarily  taking  his  sufferings 
on  himself;  because  otherwise  his  undertaking  for,  and  uniting 
himself  to  such  an  one,  will  appear  like  countenancing  his 
offence  and  rebellion.  But  if  at  the  same  time  that  he  unites 
himself  to  him,  he  takes  it  upon  himself  to  bear  his  penalty,  it 
quite  takes  off  all  such  appearance.  He  shows  that  though  he 
loves  the  rebel  that  has  affronted  the  divine  majesty,  yet  he  at 
the  same  time  has  the  greatest  possible  abhorrence  of  the  injury 
to  God's  majesty,  and  dishonour  to  his  name,  in  that  he  regards 
the  honour  of  God's  majesty  so  much  as  to  be  willing  to  endure 
so  extreme  sufferings,  that  the  divine  glory  and  majesty  may  not 
be  injured,  but  fully  maintained. 

§  31.  Christ  suffered  the  wrath  of  God  for  men's  sins  in  such 
a  way  as  he  was  capable  of,  being  an  infinitely  holy  person, 
who  knew  that  God  was  not  angry  with  him  personally,  but 
infinitely  loved  him.  The  wicked  in  hell  will  suffer  the  wrath 
of  God,  as  they  will  have  the  sense  and  knowledge,  and  sight 
of  God's  infinite  displeasure  towards  them,  and  hatred  of  them. 
But  this  was  impossible  in  Jesus  Christ.  Christ  therefore  could 
bear  the  wrath  of  God  in  no  other  but  these  two  ways,  viz.  in 
having  a  great  and  clear  sight  of  the  infinite  wrath  of  God 
against,  the  sins  of  men,  and  the  punishment  they  deserved  : 
<ind  in  enduring  the  effect?  of  that  wrath.     This  it  was  most 


J%2&  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

fit  that  he  should  have,  at  the  time  when  he  was  suffering  ni 
their  stead,  and  paying  their  ransom  to  deliver  them  from  that 
wrath  and  punishment.  That  he  might  know  what  he  did, 
that  he  might  act  with  full  understanding  at  the  time  when  he 
made  expiation  and  paid  a  ransom  for  sinners  to  redeem  them 
from  hell ;  it  was  requisite  that  he  should  have  a  clear  sight  of 
the  dreadful  evil  and  odiousness  of  sin,  and  of  the  dreadful ness 
of  the  punishment  from  which  he  suffered  to  deliver  them, 
otherwise  he  would  not  know  how  great  a  benefit  he  vouchsafed 
them  in  redeeming  them  from  this  punishment.  Christ  doubt- 
less actually  had  a  clear  view  of  both  those  things  in  the  time 
of  his  last  suffering.  Every  thing  in  the  circumstances  of  his 
last  suffering  concurred  to  give  him  a  great  and  full  sight  of  the 
hateful  nature  of  the  sin  of  man.  For  its  odiousness  and  ma- 
lignant nature  never  appeared  so  much  in  its  own  proper  co- 
lours, as  it  did  in  that  act  of  murdering  the  Son  of  God,  and  in 
exercising  such  contempt  and  cruelty  towards  him.  Likewise, 
every  thing  in  the  circumstances  of  his  last  sufferings  tended  to 
give  him  a  striking  view  of  the  dreadful  punishment  of  sin.  The 
sight  of  the  evil  of  sin  tended  to  this,  and  so  did  the  enduring  ot' 
temporal  death,  especially  under  such  circumstances,  and  such 
extreme  pain,  God  hiding  his  face,  his  dying  a  death  that  by 
God's  appointment  was  an  accursed  death,  having  a  sight  of 
the  malice  and  triumph  of  devils,  and  being  forsaken  of  his 
friends,  &c.  As  God  ordered  external  circumstances  to  help 
forward  this  purpose  ;  so  there  is  all  reason  to  think,  that  his 
own  influences  of  Christ's  mind  were  agreeable  hereto,  his  spirit 
acting  with  his  providence  to  give  him  a  full  view  of  those  things. 
Now,  the  clear  view  of  each  of  these  must  of  necessity  be  in- 
expressibly terrible  to  the  man  Christ  Jesus.  His  having  so 
clear  an  actual  view  of  sin  and  its  hatefulness,  was  an  idea 
infinitely  disagreeable  to  the  holy  nature  of  Christ ;  and  there- 
fore, unless  balanced  with  an  equal  sight  of  good  that  comes 
by  this  evil,  must  have  been  an  immensely  disagreeable  sensa- 
tion in  Christ's  soul,  or,  which  is  the  same  thing,  immense  suf- 
fering. But  that  equally  clear  idea  of  good  to  counterbalance 
the  evil  of  sin,  was  not  given  at  that  time  ;  because  God  forsook 
Christ,  and  hid  himself  from  him,  and  withheld  comfortable 
influences,  or  the  clear  ideas  of  pleasant  objects.  Thus,  Christ 
bare  our  sins ;  God  laid  on  him  the  iniquities  of  us  all,  and  he 
bare  the  burden  of  them  ;  and  so,  his  bearing  the  burden  of  our 
sins  may  be  considered  as  something  diverse  from  his  suffering 
God's  wrath.  For  his  suffering  wrath  consisted  more  in  the 
sense  he  had  of  the  dreadfulness  of  the  punishment  of  sin,  or 
of  God's  wrath  inflicted  for  it.  Thus  Christ  was  tormented  not 
only  in  the  fire  of  God's  wrath,  but  in  the  fire  of  our  sins;  and 
our  sins  were  his  tormentors :  the  evil  and  malignant  nature  of 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  529 

sin,  was  what  Christ  endured  immediately  as  well  as  more  re- 
motely, in  bearing  the  consequences  of  it. 

§  32.  Thus  Christ  suffered  that  which  the  damned  in  hell 
do  not  suffer.  For  they  do  not  see  the  hateful  nature  of  sin. 
They  have  no  idea  of  sin  in  itself,  that  is  infinitely  disagreeable 
to  their  natuie,  as  the  idea  of  sin  was  to  Christ's  holy  nature  ; 
though  conscience  in  them  be  awakened  to  behold  the  dread- 
ful guilt  and  desert  of  sin.  And  as  the  clear  view  of  sin  in  its 
hatefulness  necessarily  brought  great  suffering  on  the  holy  soul 
of  Christ ;  so  also  did  the  view  of  its  punishment.  For  both 
the  evil  of  sin  and  the  evil  of  punishment  are  infinite,  and  both 
infinitely  disagreeable  to  Christ's  nature ;  the  former  to  his 
nature  as  God,  the  latter  to  his  nature  as  man.  Such  is  human 
nature,  that  a  great  and  clear,  and  full  idea  of  suffering,  with- 
out some  other  pleasant  and  sweet  idea  fully  to  balance  it, 
brings  suffering;  as  appears  from  the  nature  of  all  spiritual 
ideas.  They  are  repetitions  (in  a  degree  at  least)  of  the  things 
themselves  of  which  they  are  ideas.  Therefore,  if  Christ  had 
had  a  perfectly  clear  and  full  idea  of  what  the  damned  suffer 
in  hell,  the  suffering  he  would  have  had  in  that  mere  presence 
of  that  idea,  would  have  been  perfectly  equal  to  the  thing  itself, 
if  there  had  been  no  idea  in  Christ  in  any  degree  to  balance  it; 
such  as,  some  knowledge  of  the  love  of  God,  of  a  future  reward, 
future  salvation  of  his  elect,  &c.  .But  pleasant  ideas  in  this 
clearness  being  in  a  great  measure  withholden  by  reason  of 
God's  hiding  his  face ;  hence,  the  awful  ideas  of  eternal  death 
which  his  elect  people  deserved,  and  of  the  dismal  wrath  of 
God  of  consequence  filled  the  soul  of  Christ  with  an  inexpress- 
ible gloom.  Though  Christ  knew  the  love  of  God  to  him,  and 
knew  he  should  be  successful  in  his  sufferings  ;  yet  when  God 
forsook  him,  those  dismal  views,  those  gloomy  idea?  so  fixed 
and  swallowed  up  his  mind,  that  though  he  had  the  habitual 
knowledge  of  those  other  objects,  yet  he  could  not  attend  to 
them ;  he  could  have  comparatively  but  little  comfort  and  support 
from  them ;  for  they  could  afford  support  no  farther  than  they  were 
attended  to,  or  were  in  actual  view.  Christ's  great  love  and  pity- 
to  the  elect  was  one  source  of  his  suffering.  A  strong  exercise 
of  love  excites  a  lively  idea  of  the  object  beloved.  And  a  strong 
exercise  of  pity  excites  a  lively  idea  of  the  misery  under  which 
he  pities  them.  Christ's  love  then  brought  his  elect  infinitely 
near  to  him  in  that  great  act  and  suffering  wherein  he  especial- 
ly stood  for  them,  and  was  substituted  in  their  stead  ;  and  his 
love  and  pity  fixed  the  idea  of  them  in  his  mind,  as  if  he  had 
really  been  they ;  and  fixed  their  calamity  in  his  mind,  as 
though  it  really  was  his.  A  very  strong  and  lively  love  and 
pity  toward  the  miserable,  tends  to  make  their  case  ours  ;  as  in 
other  respects,  so  in  this  in  particular,  as  it  doth  in  our  idea 
place  us  in  their  stead,  under  their  mi«prv,  with  a  most,  lively, 

Vol.  VTT.  67 


530  MISCELLANEOUS   REMARKS. 

feeling  sense  of  that  misery,  as  it  were  feeling  it  for  them,  ac- 
tually suffering  it  in  their  stead  by  strong  sympathy. 

§  33.  Hence  we  may  see  how  the  same  thing,  the  same  ideas 
that  distressed  the  soul  of  Christ  and  brought  on  his  amazing 
sufferings,  engaged  him  to  go  through  them.  It  was  ordered 
that  the  bitterness  of  the  cup,  though  exceedingly  dreadful, 
was  of  that  nature,  that  the  tasting  of  that  bitterness,  was  the 
thing  that  engaged  him  to  go  on  to  drink  up  the  cup  ;  and  that 
as  the  bitterness  of  it  arose  from  the  clear  idea  he  had  then 
given  him  of  the  infinitely  hateful  and  dreadful  nature  of  sin. 
The  more  lively  this  idea  was,  the  more  dreadful  was  it  to  the 
soul  of  Christ ;  and  yet,  the  more  lively  his  idea  of  the  hateful- 
ness  and  dreadfulness  of  sin  was,  which  consists  in  disobedi- 
ence to  God,  the  more  did  it  engage  him  not  to  disobey 
that  great  command  he  had  received  of  his  Father,  viz.  That 
he  should  drink  this  cup,  and  go  through  those  sufferings. 
The  more  he  had  a  sense  how  dreadful  it  is  to  contemn  the 
authority  of  God,  and  to  dishonour  his  holy  name ;  the  more 
would  he  be  engaged  to  remove  and  abolish  this  dishonour, 
and  to  honour  the  authority  of  God.  The  more  he  had  a  sense 
of  what  an  odious  and  dreadful  thing  sin  was,  the  more  would 
his  heart  be  engaged  to  do  and  suffer  what  was  necessary  to 
take  away  this  dreadful  and  odious  thing  from  those  whom 
the  Father  had  given  him.  It  was  the  lively  exercise  of  love 
and  pity  to  those  whom  the  Father  had  given  him,  that  occa- 
sioned so  lively  a  view  of  the  punishment  to  which  they  had 
exposed  themselves,  whereby  his  soul  was  filled  with  dismay. 
But  this  lively  love  and  pity  at  the  same  time  engaged  him  to 
suffer  for  them,  in  order  to  deliver  them  from  their  deserved 
punishment.  And  as  pity  towards  his  elect  excited  a  lively 
idea  of  their  misery  ;  so  on  the  other  hand,  the  increase  of  his 
idea  of  their  misery  excited  strong  exercises  of  pity,  and  this 
pity  engaged  him  still  to  endure  those  sufferings  in  their  stead. 

§  34.  From  what  has  been  said,  we  may  learn  how  Christ 
was  sanctified  in  his  last  sufferings.  The  suffering  of  his  soul 
in  great  part  consisted  in  the  great  and  dreadful  sense  and  idea 
that  he  then  had  of  the  dreadful,  horrid  odiousness  of  sin  ; 
which  was  done  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  But  this  could  not  be, 
without  a  proportionable  increase  of  his  aversion  to,  and  ha- 
tred of  sin.;  and  consequently  of  his  inclination  to  the  contrary, 
which  is  the  same  thing  as  an  increase  of  the  holiness  of  his 
nature.  Beside  the  immediate  sight  he  had  of  the  odious  na- 
ture of  sin,  he  had  that  strong  sense,  and  that  great  experience 
of  the  bitter  fruit  and  consequence  of  sin,  to  confirm  his  enmity 
to  it.  Moreover,  he  was  then  in  the  exercise  of  his  highest  act 
of  obedience  or  holiness,  which,  tending  to  increase  the  princi- 
ple, the  bringing  forth  of  such  great  and  abundant  fruit, 
fenced  to  strengthen  and  increase  the  root.     Those  last  suffer- 


M  i  S  C  E  L  L  A  K  E  O  V  8    II E  ivl  A  UK.-. 


631 


iugs  of  Christ,  were  in  some  respects  like  a  fire  to  refine  the 
gold.  For,  though  the  furnace  purged  away  no  dross,  yet  it 
increased  the  preciousness  of  the  gold  ;  it  added  to  the  finite 
holiness  of  the  human  nature  of  Christ.  Hence  Christ  calls 
his  offering  himself  up,  his  sanctifying  himself;  John  xvii.  19. 
"  And  for  their  sakes  I  sanctify  myself,  that  they  also  may  be 
sanctified  through  the  truth.11  Hence  he  calls  those  last  suf- 
ferings a  baptism  that  he  was  to  be  baptized  with.  It  was  a 
baptism  to  him  in  two  respects,  as  it  purged  him  from  imputed 
guilt,  and  as  it  increased  his  holiness  by  the  Spirit  of  God  that 
gave  him  those  terrible  but  sanctifying  views.  And  so  this  is 
one  way  in  which  the  Captain  of  our  salvation  is  made  perfect 
by  sufferings  ;  Heb.  ii.  10.  and  v.  9.  and  Luke  xiii.  32.  Thus 
Christ,  before  he  was  glorified,  was  prepared  for  that  high  de- 
gree of  glory  and  joy  to  which  he  was  to  be  exalted,  by  being 
first  sanctified  in  the  furnace. 

§35.  Another  way  in  which  it  was  possible  that  Christ  should 
endure  the  wrath  of  God  was,  to  endure  the  effects  of  that 
wrath.  All  that  he  suffered  was  by  the  special  ordering  of 
God.  There  was  a  very  visible  hand  of  God  in  letting  men 
and  devils  loose  upon  him  at  such  a  rate,  and  in  separating 
from  him  his  own  disciples.  Thus  it  pleased  the  Father  to  bruise 
him  and  put  him  to  grief.  God  dealt  with  him  as  if  he  had 
been  exceedingly  angry  with  him,  and  as  though  he  had  been 
the  object  of  his  dreadful  wrath.  This  made  all  the  sufferings 
of  Christ  th e  more  terrible  to  him,  because  they  were  from  the 
hand  of  his  Father,  whom  he  infinitely  loved,  and  of  whose  in- 
finite love  he  had  had  eternal  experience.  Besides,  it  was  an 
effect  of  God's  wrath,  that  he  forsook  Christ.  This  caused 
Christ  to  cry  out,  "  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsa- 
ken me?"  This  was  infinitely  terrible.  Christ's  knowledge 
of  the  glory  of  the  Father,  and  his  love  to  the  Father,  and  the 
sense  and  experience  he  had  had  of  the  worth  of  the  Father's 
love  to  him,  made  the  withholding  the  pleasant  ideas  and  ma- 
nifestations of  his  Father's  love,  as  terrible  to  him,  as  the  sense 
and  knowledge  of  his  hatred  is  to  the  damned,  that  have  no 
knowledge  of  God's  excellency,  no  love  to  him,  nor  any  expe* 
rience  of  the  infinite  sweetness  of  his  love.  It  was  a  special 
fruit  of  the  wrath  of  God  against  oursins,  that  he  let  loose  upon 
Christ  the  devil,  who  has  the  power  of  death,  is  God's  execu- 
tioner, and  the  roaring  lion  that  devours  the  damned  in  hell. 
Christ  was  given  up  to  the  devil  as  his  captive  for  a  season. 
This  antitype  of  Jonah  was  thrown  to  this  great  Leviathan,  to 
be  swallowed  up  as  his  prey.  The  time  of  Christ's  suffering, 
was  the  time  of  the  prevalency  of  the  power  of  the  devil,  where- 
in Christ  was  delivered  up  to  that  power,  as  is  implied  in  Luke 
xxii.  53.  "  When  I  was  daily  with  you  in  the  temple,  ye 
stretched  forth  no  hands  against  me  :  but  this  is  your  hour,  and 


'632  REMARKS. 

the  power  of  darkness."     And  therefore,  when  his  last  suffer- 

ings  were  approaching,  Christ  said,  John  xiv.  30.  "  The  Prince 
of  this  world  comcth.''  He  was  let  loose  to  torment  the  soul 
of  Christ  with  gloomy  and  dismal  ideas.  lie  probably  did  his 
utmost  to  contribute  to  raise  his  ideas  ofthe  torments  of  hell. 

§  36.  That    God    should    all  along  require    sacrifices  in  his 
church,  and  that  something  should   be  done,  by  a II  that  wor- 
shipped   him,  to   make  atonement  for  their  sins.     Sacrificing 
obtained  throughout  the  world,  in  all   nations  and  ages ;  and, 
that  such  a  multitude  of  sacrifices  should  be  appointed  ;  that 
sacrifices  should  be   offered  so  continually,  and    on  so  many 
occasions,  and  joined  v\ith  all  their  public  worship;  was  a  plain 
testimony  of  God,  that  a  real  atonement  or  satisfaction  to  his 
justice  was  necessary,  and  that  God  did  not  design  in  his  man- 
ner of  dealing   with   mankind,  that    men  should  be  pardoned 
and  accepted  without  atonement.     And  if  there  was  nothing 
of  true  and  real  atonement  and  sacrifice,  in  those  beasts  that 
were  offered,  then  doubtless  they  were  an  evidence,  that  there 
was  to  be  some  other  greater  sacrifice,  which  was  to  be  a  pro- 
per atonement  or  satisfaction,  and  of  which  they  were  only  the 
presage    and  signs  ;  as  those  symbolical    actions  which  God 
sometimes  commanded    the    prophets  to  perform,  were   signs 
and  presages  of  great  events  which  they  foretold.     This  proves 
that  a  sacrifice  of  infinite  value  was  necessary,  and  that  God 
would  accept  of  no  other.     For  an  atonement  that  bears  no 
proportion  to  the  offence,  is  no    atonement.     An  atonement, 
carries  in  it  a  payment  or  satisfaction  in  the  very  notion  of  it. 
And  if  satisfaction  was  so  little  necessary,  that  the  divine  ma- 
jesty easily  admitted  one  that  bears  no  proportion  at  all  to  the 
offence,?',  e.  was  wholly  equivalent  to  nothing,  when  compar- 
ed with  the  offence,  and  so  was  no  payment  or  satisfaction  at 
all ;  there   he  might  have  forgiven  sin  without  any  atonement. 
But   if  so,  how  came   an   atonement  to  be  so  greatly   insisted 
upon,  as  is  represented  by  all  the   prodigious  expense  and  la- 
bour, and  multitude  of  services,  and  ceremonies,  and  so  great 
an  apparatus,  and  so  great  pomp,  which,  with  so  much  exact- 
ness, were  prescribed  to  be  continued  through  so  many   ages, 
respecting  their    typical  sacrifices  and  atonements,  and  from 
God's   church  were   propagated    through   the   world  of  man- 
kind '(     No  mere  creature  can  have   any  thing  to  offer  to  God, 
which  is   not  his  already  :  for  all  that  he  has  is  God's  gift  to 
him. 

§  37.  Let  us  consider  how  a  perfectly  wise,  holy  and  disinte^ 
rested  arbiter,  whose  office  it  should  be  to  regulate  all  things 
within  the  whole  compass  of  existence  according  to  the  most 
perfect  propriety,  would  determine,  in  case  the  creature  should 
injure  the  Most  High,  should  cast  contempt  on  the  majesty,  and 
trample  on  the  authority  of  the  infinite  Lord  o\'  the  universe: 


MISCEIXANEOUS    REMARKS.  533 

whether  he  would  not  determine  that  in  such  a  case  the  injury 
should  be  repaired,  his  majesty  vindicated,  and  the  sacredness 
of  the  authority  thoroughly  supported  ;  and  that  it  was  very 
requisite  in  order  to  things  being  regulated  and  disposed  most 
fitly  and  beautifully,  that  such  injuries  should  not  be  forgiven  in 
the  neglect  of  this,  or  without  due  care  taken  of  this  matter.  If 
it  be  fit  that  the  honour  of  God1-  majesty  should  be  maintained 
at  all  in  any  degree,  (which  I  suppose  none  will  deny,)  then 
why  is  it  not  most  fit  that  it  should  be  maintained  fully  ?  If  it 
would  be  quite  improper  and  unsuitable,  that  the  dignity  of 
the  Supreme  Being,  the  sacredness  of  the  authority  of  the  infi- 
nitely great  Governor  of  the  world,  should  be  entirely  neglected, 
should  be  suffered  at  all  times,  and  to  the  greatest  degree,  to  be 
trampled  on,  without  any  care  to  defend  or  support  it ;  and  that 
the  majesty  of  this  great  King,  as  to  the  manifestation  of  it, 
should  be  obscured  by  his  enemies  to  the  greatest  degree,  and 
that  continually  and  for  ever,  without  any  vindication  or  repa- 
ration at  all ;  then  why  is  it  not  most  suitable  and  most  becom- 
ing, that  the  vindication  of  it  should  be  thorough,  and  the  repa- 
ration complete  and  perfect  ? 

§  38.   What  has  been  observed,  may  serve  to  show  the  rea- 
sonableness of  the  doctrine  of  the  satisfaction  of  Christ ;    and 
that  it  is  most  rational  to  suppose,  that  if  God  did  determine 
to  forgive  such  as  had  cast  contempt  on  his  infinite  majesty,  and 
on  his  authority,  as  the  infinitely  high  Lord  over  all,  and  to  take 
such   into  favour,  infinite  wisdom  would  some  way  or  other  so 
contrive  the  matter,  that  the  injury  done  to  the  appearance  or 
exhibition  of  the  dignity  and  sacred  authority  of  the  great  King, 
should  be  fully  repaired,  and  his  majesty  entirely  vindicated, 
and  set  forth  in  all  awfulness,  inviolable  sacredness  and  worthi- 
ness of  regard  and  reverence.     It   cannot  here  be  reasonably 
objected,  that  God  is  not  capable  of  properly  receiving  any 
satisfaction  for  an  injury,  because  he  is  not  capable  of  receiving 
any  benefit ;  that  a  price  offered  to  men  satisfies  for  an  injury, 
because  it  may  truly  be  a  price  to  them,  or  a  thing  valuable  and 
beneficial  ;  but  that  God  is  not  capable  of  receiving  a  benefit. 
For,  God  is  as  capable  of  receiving  satisfaction  as  injury.     It 
is  true,  he  cannot  properly  be  profited  ;   so  neither  can  he  be 
properly  hurt.     But,  as  rebelling  against  him,  may  properly  be 
looked  upon  as  of  the  nature  of  an  injury  or  wrong  done  to  God, 
and  so  God  is  capable  of  being  the  object  of  injuriousness;  so, 
he  is  as  capable  of  being  the  object  of  that  which  is  the  opposite 
of  injuriousness,  or  the  repairing  of  an  injury.   If  you  say,  what 
needgis  there  that  God  have  any  care  for  repairing  the  honour  of 
his  majesty,  when  it  can  do  him  no  good,  and  no  addition  can  be 
made  to  his  happiness  by  it? — you  might  as  well  say,  what  need 
is  there  that  God  care  when  he  is  despised  and  dishonoured,  and 
his  authority  and  glory  trampled  on  ;  since  it  does  him  no  hurt  ? 


5o4  MISCELLANEOUS  REM  kl 

It  is  a  vain  thing  here  to  pretend  that  God  cares  only,  because 
it  hurts  creatures'  own  happiness  for  them  to  cast  contempt  on 
God.  Is  that  agreeable  to  the  natural  light  of  all  men's  minds, 
to  the  natural  sense  of  their  hearts,  and  to  the  dictates  of  con- 
science, which  unavoidably  and  necessarily  arise,  after  some 
very  direct,  most  profane,  and  daring  opposition  to,  and  reproach 
of  the  Most  High,  that  God  is  now  angry  and  much  provoked, 
only  because  the  audacious  sinner  has  now  greatly  hurt  himself, 
and  hurt  his  neighbours,  that  happen  to  see  him?  No,  this  is 
entirely  diverse  from  the  voice  of  natural  sense  in  such  a  case, 
which  inevitably  suggests,  that  God  is  provoked,  as  one  who 
will  regard  himself  for  himself,  as  having  a  direct  respect  for 
his  dignity  and  majesty.  And  this  is  agreeable  to  the  strictest 
reason.  It  is  impossible,  if  God  infinitely  loves  and  honours 
himself,  as  one  infinitely  wortny  to  be  loved  and  esteemed,  but 
that  he  should,  from  the  same  principle,  proportionably  abhor 
and  oppose  opposition  to,  and  contempt  of  himself.  And  if  it 
be  in  its  own  nature  decent  and  proper  for  him  thus  to  love 
himself,  then  it  is  in  its  own  nature  fit  and  becoming  in  him  to 
hate  opposition  to  himself.  And  for  the  same  reason,  and  from 
the  same  principle,  God,  when  he  is  contemned  and  injured, 
and  his  authority  and  glory  are  trampled  in  the  dust,  will  be 
disposed  to  repair  the  injury  don.'  to  his  honour,  and  raise  his 
injured  majesty  out  of  the  dust  again. 

§  39.  The  satisfaction  of  Christ,  by  suffering  the  punishment 
of  sin,  is  properly  to  be  distinguished,  as  being  in  its  own  na- 
ture different  from  the  merit  of  Christ.  For  merit  is  only  some 
excellency  or  worth.  But  when  we  consider  Christ's  sufferings 
merely  as  the  satisfaction  for  the  guilt  of  another,  the  excellency 
of  Christ's  act  in  suffering,  does  not  at  all  come  into  considera- 
tion ;  but  only  those  two  things,  viz.  Their  equality  or  equiva- 
lence to  the  punishment  that  the  sinner  deserved  ;  and,  2dly. 
The  union  between  him  and  them,  or  the  propriety  of  his  being 
accepted  in  suffering,  as  the  representative  of  a  sinner.  Christ's 
bearing  our  punishment  for  us,  is  not  properly  meriting  that 
we  should  not  bear  it,  any  more  than,  if  it  had  been  possible 
for  us  ourselves  to  have  borne  it  all,  that  would  have  been  me- 
riting that  we  should  not  be  punished  any  more.  Christ's  suf- 
ferings do  not  satisfy  by  any  excellency  in  them,  but  by  a  ful- 
filment. To  satisfy  by  a  fulfilment,  and  to  satisfy  by  worthiness 
or  excellency  are  different  things.  If  the  law  be  fulfilled,  there 
is  no  need  of  any  excellency  or  merit  to  satisfy  it ;  because  it 
is  satisfied  by  taking  place  and  having  its  course.  Indeed,  how 
far  the  dignity  or  worthiness  of  Christ's  person  comes  into  con- 
sideration, in  determining  the  propriety  of  his  being  accepted  as 
a  representative  of  sinners,  so  that  his  suffering,  when  equiva- 
lent, can  be  accepted  as  theirs,  may  be  matter  of  question  and 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS,  535 

debute ;  but  it  is  a  matter  entirely  foreign  to  the  present  pur- 
pose. 

§  40.  The  blood  of  Christ  washes  away  sin.  So  it  is  repre- 
sented in  the  scripture.  But  although  the  blood  of  Christ 
washes  away  our  guilt,  it  is  the  Spirit  of  Christ  that  washes 
away  pollution  and  stain  of  sin.  However  the  blood  of  Christ 
washes  also  from  the  filth  of  sin,  as  it  purchases  s  notification  ; 
it  makes  way  for  it  by  satisfying,  and  purchases  it  by  the  merit 
of  obedience  implied  in  it.  The  sacrifices  under  the  law,  typi- 
fied Christ's  sacrifice,  not  only  as  a  satisfaction,  but  as  meri- 
torious obedience.  They  are  called  a  sweet  savour  upon  both 
these  accounts.  And  therefore  we  find  obedience  compared 
with  sacrifice,  Psalm  xl.  6,  &c. 

§  41.  Late  philosophers  seem  ready  enough  to  own  the 
great  importance  of  God's  maintaining  steady  and  inviolable 
the  laws  of  the  natural  world.  It  may  be  worthy  to  be  con- 
sidered, whether  it  is  not  of  as  great,  o  greater  importance, 
that  the  law  of  God,  that  great  rule  of  righteousness  between 
the  supreme  moral  Governor  and  his  subjects,  should  be  main- 
tained inviolable.  As  to  any  objection  that  may  be  made 
from  the  practice  of  human  legislators,  their  dispensing  with 
their  own  laws,  and  forbearing  to  execute  them,  and  pardoning 
offenders,  without  any  one  being  made  to  suffer  in  their  stead ; 
the  case  is  vastly  different  in  the  supreme  Lawgiver  and  subor- 
dinate lawgivers,  and  in  the  Supreme  Judge  and  subordinate 
judges.  The  latter  give  rules  only  to  a  certain  small  part  of 
the  commonwealth  of  moral  agents,  and  with  relation  only  to 
some  few  of  their  concerns,  and  for  a  little  while.  Human 
lawgivers  are  weak  and  fallible,  and  very  imperfect  in  the  ex- 
ercises of  a  limited,  subordinate,  and  infinitely  inferior  autho- 
rity. But  God  is  the  great,  infinitely  wise,  omniscient,  holy, 
and  absolutely  perfect,  Rector  of  all ;  to  whom  it  belongs  to 
establish  a  rule  for  the  regulation  of  the  whole  universe  of 
beings  through  all  eternity,  in  all  that  concerns  them  in  the 
exercise  of  an  infinitely  strong  right  of  supreme,  absolute  do- 
minion and  sovereignty.  The  laws  of  men  may  be  dispensed 
with,  who  cannot  foresee  all  cases  that  may  happen  ;  and,  if 
they  could,  have  not  both  the  laws  and  the  state  of  the  subject 
perfectly  at  their  own  disposal,  so  as  universally  and  perfectly 
to  suit  one  to  the  other.  But  there  is  no  wise  and  good  law, 
but  that  care  should  be  taken  that  it  ordinary  be  put  in  ex- 
ecution ;  and  the  nearer  any  human  law  approaches  to  the 
supreme  or  divine  law  in  perfection,  and  in  extent  of  jurisdic- 
tion, the  more  care  should  be  taken  of  its  execution  :  the  wis- 
dom of  nations  teaches  this.  Besides,  repentance  may  be  pro- 
portionable and  answerable,  at  least  in  some  measure,  to  offences 
against  men.  And  as  to  the  public  truth  which  is  to  be  upheld 
in  execution  of  the  threatenings  of  human  laws,  there  ought  to 


536  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS. 

be  great  care  to  uphold  it,  according  to  the  true  intent  and 
meaning  of  those  threatenings.  If  all  that  is  meant,  and  all 
that,  by  the  very  nature  of  the  public  constitution,  (the  foun- 
dation on  which  all  their  laws  stand,)  is  to  be  understood  by 
those  threatenings,  is  that  the  punishment  shall  be  inflicted, 
excepting  when  the  exigence  of  the  public  requires  otherwise, 
or  when  the  pleasure  of  the  prince  is  otherwise  ;  then  the  public 
truth  obliges  to  no  more :  and  this  being  done,  the  public  truth 
is  maintained. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


CONCERNING    FAIT1.;. 


§  1.  Faith  is  a  belief  of  a  testimony ;  2  Thess.  i.  10, 
(t  When  he  shall  come  to  be  glorified  in  his  saints,  and  to  be 
admired  in  all  them  that  believe  (because  our  testimony  among 
you  was  believed)  in  that  day.11  2  Thess.  ii.  13  .  "  But  we  are 
bound  to  give  thanks  always  to  God  for  you,  brethren,  beloved 
of  the  Lord,  because  God  hath  from  the  beginning  chosen  you 
to  salvation,  through  sanctification  of  the  Spirit,  and  belief  of 
the  truth.''''  1  John  v.  10.  "  He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  of 
God,  hath  the  witness  in  himself:  he  that  believeth  not  God, 
hath  made  him  a  liar ;  because  he  believeth  not  the  record  that. 
God  gave  his  Son.11 

§  2.  It  is  the  proper  act  of  the  soul  towards  God  as  faithful. 
Rom.  iii.  3,  4.  "  For  what  if  some  did  not  believe?  shall  their 
unbelief  make  the  faith  of  God  without  effect  ?  God  forbid  :  yea, 
let  God  be  true,  but  every  man  a  liar  ;  as  it  is  written,  That 
thou  mightest  be  justified  in  thy  sayings,  and  mightest  overcome 
when  thou  art  judged.'1  It  includes  a  sense  of  glory  and  ex- 
cellency, or  at  least  it  is  with  such  a  sense.  Matt.  ix.  21.  "  She 
said  within  herself,  If  I  may  but  touch  his  garment,  I  shall  be 
whole,11  1  Cor.  xii.  3.  "  Wherefore  I  give  you  to  understand, 
that  no  man  speaking  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  calleth  Jesus  ac- 
cursed :  and  that  no  man  can  say  that  Jesus  is  the  Lord,  but. 
by  the  Holy  Ghost.11  There  is  also  in  it  a  spiritual  taste  and 
relish  of  what  is  excllent  and  divine.  Luke  xii.  57.  "  Yea, 
and  why,  even  of  yourselves,  judge  ye  not  what  is  right  V 
Believers  receive  the  truth  in  the  love  of  it,  and  speak  the  truth 
in  love.  Eph.  iv.  15.  "  But  speaking  the  truth  in  love,  may 
grow  up  into  him  in  all  things,  which  is  the  head,  even  Christ" 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  531 

o  3.  The  object  of  faith  is  the  gospel,  as  well  as  Jesus  Christ. 
Mark  i.  15.  "And  saying,  The  time  is  fulfilled,  and  the  king- 
dom of  God  is  at  hand;  repent  ye,  and  believe  the  gospel.'" 
John  xvii.  8.  "  For  I  have  given  unto  them  the  words  which 
thou  gavest  me  ;  and  they  received  them,  and  have  known 
surely  that  I  came  out  from  thee,  and  they  have  believed  that 
thou  didst  send  me."  Rom.  x.  16,  17.  "  But  they  have  not 
obeyed  the  gospel.  For  Esaias  saith,  Lord,  who  hath  believed 
our  report  ? — So  then,  faith  cometh  by  hearing,  and  hearing 
by  the  word  of  God."  It  includes  a  knowledge,  of  God  and 
Christ,  2  Pet.  i.  2,  3.  "  Grace  and  peace  be  multiplied  unto 
you  through  the  knowledge  of  God  and  of  Jesus  our  Lord  ;  ac- 
cording as  his  divine  power  hath  given  unto  us  all  things  that 
pertain  unto  life  and  godliness,  through  the  knowledge  of  him 
that  hath  called  us  to  glory  and  virtue."  John  xvii.  3.  "  And 
this  is  life  eternal,  that  they  might  know  thee  the  only  tru<- 
God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  thou  hast  sent."  And  a  belief  of 
promises  and  depending  on  them,  is  a  great  part  of  faith. 
Ileb.  xi.  "  Now  faith  is  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for,  the 
evidence  of  things  not  seen,"  &c.  Gal.  v.  5.  "  For  we  through 
the  Spirit  wait  for  the  hope  of  righteousness  by  faith." 

§  4.  Faith  is  a  receiving  of  Christ.  John  i.  12.  "  But  as 
many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  he  power  to  become  the 
sons  of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe  on  his  name."  "  As  ye 
have  therefore  received  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord,  so  walk  ye  in 
him  :  rooted  and  built  up  in  him  ;  established  in  the  faith,  as 
ye  have  been  taught ;  abounding  therein  with  thanksgivings.'' 
And  it  is  receiving  Christ  into  the  heart.  Rom.  x.  6 — 10. 
•;  But  the  righteousness  which  is  of  faith,  speaketh  on  thiswise, 
Say  not  in  thine  heart,  Who  shall  ascend  into  heaven  ?  (that  is, 
to  bring  Christ  down  from  above  ;)  or,  Who  shall  descend 
into  the  deep  ?  (that  is,  to  bring  up  Christ  from  the  dead.)  But 
what  saith  it  ?  The  word  is  nigh  thee,  even  in  thy  mouth,  and 
in  thy  heart,  (that  is,  the  word  of  faith,  which  we  preach  ;)  That 
if  thou  shalt  confess  with  thy  mouth  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  shalt 
believe  in  thine  heart  that  God  hath  raised  him  from  the  dead, 
thou  shalt  be  saved.  For  with  the  heart  man  believeth  unto 
righteousness  ;  and  with  the  mouth  confession  is  made  unto 
salvation."  True  faith  includes  accepting  the  gospel.  1  Tim. 
i.  14,  15.  "  And  the  grace  of  our  Lord  was  exceeding  abun- 
dant with  faith  and  love  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus.  This  is  a 
faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that  Christ  Jesus 
came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners ;  of  whom  I  am  chief." 
2  Cor.  ii.  4.  "  For  if  he  that  cometh  preacheth  another  Jesus, 
whom  we  have  not  preached  ;  or  if  you  receive  another  Spirit,, 
which  ye  have  not  received  ;  or  another  gospel,  which  ye  have 
not  accepted,  ye  might  bear  with  him." 
$  5.  It  is  something  more  than  merelv  the  assent  of  the  un- 

Vol.  vir.  <;r 


■:'i.S  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS 

derstanding,  because  it  is  called  obeying  the  gospel,  Rom.  a. 
16.  "  But  they  have  not  all  obeyed  the  gospel.  For  Esaias 
saith,  Lord,  who  hath  believed  our  report?"  1  Pet.  iv.  17. 
"  For  the  time  is  come  that  judgment  must  begin  at  the  house 
of  God  :  and  if  it  first  begin  at  us,  what  shall  the  end  be  of 
them  that  obey  not  the  gospel  of  God  V  Rom.  xv.  18.  "  For 
I  will  not  dare  to  speak  of  any  of  those  things  which  Christ 
hath  not  wrought  by  me,  to  make  the  Gentiles  obedient. 
by  word  and  deed."  It  is  obeying  the  doctrine  from  the  heart ; 
Rom.  vi.  17,  18.  "  But  God  be  thanked,  that  ye  were  the 
servants  of  sin  ;  but  ye  have  obeyed  from  the  heart  that  form  of 
doctrine  which  was  delivered  you.  Being  then  made  free  from 
sin,  ye  became  the  servants  of  righteousness,"  &c.  This  ex- 
pression, "  obeying  the  gospel,"  seems  to  denote  the  heart's 
yielding  to  the  gospel  in  what  it  proposes  to  us  in  its  calls :  it 
is  something  more  than  believing  the  truth  of  the  gospel. 
John  xii.  42.  "  Nevertheless,  among  the  chief  rulers  also. 
many  believed  on  him  ;  but  because  of  the  Pharisees,  the} 
did  not  confess  him,  lest  they  should  be  put  out  of  the 
synagogue." 

§  6.  Jt  is  a  trusting  in  Christ.  Psal.  ii.  12.  "  Kiss  the  Son, 
lest  he  be  angry,  and  ye  perish  from  the  way,  when  his  wrath 
is  kindled  but  a  little :  blessed  are  all  they  that  put  their  trust 
in  him.'''1  Eph.  i.  12,  13.  "  That  we  should  be  to  the  praise  oi 
his  glory,  who  first  trusted  in  Christ :  in  whom  ye  also  trusted. 
after  that  ye  heard  the  word  of  truth,  the  gospel  of  your  salva- 
tion ;  in  whom  also,  after  that  ye  believed,  ye  were  sealed  with 
that  Holy  Spirit  of  promise."  Many  places  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment speak  of  trusting  in  God  as  the  condition  of  his  favour 
and  salvation  ;  especially  Psal.  lxxviii.  21,  22.  "  Therefore  the 
Lord  heard  this,  and  was  wroth  :  so  a  fire  was  kindled  against 
Jacob,  and  anger  also  came  up  against  Israel ;  because  the} 
believed  not  in  God,  and  trusted  not  in  his  salvation."  Rom. 
xv.  12.  "  And  again,  Esaias  saith,  There  shall  be  a  root  of 
Jesse ;  and  he  that  shall  rise  to  reign  over  the  Gentiles,  in  him 
shall  the  Gentiles  trust.1*  1  Tim.  iv.  10.  "  For  therefore  we 
both  labour  and  suffer  reproach,  because  we  trust  in  the  living 
God,  who  is  the  Saviour  of  all  men,  especially  of  those  that 
believe. 

§  7.  It  is  a  committing  ourselves  to  Christ ;  2  Tim.  i.  12.  "  For 
the  which  cause  I  also  suffer  these  things  :  nevertheless,  I  am 
not  ashamed ;  for  I  know  whom  I  have  believed,  and  am  per- 
suaded that  he  is  able  to  keep  that  which  I  have  committed 
unto  him  against  that  day."  This  is  a  Scripture  sense  of  the 
word  believe,  as  is  evident  by  John  ii.  24.  "  Jesus  did  not  com- 
mit himself  to  them."  In  the  original  it  is  dux  ?<r 
avrois. 


IELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  o3i) 

$  8.  It  is  gladly  receiving  the  gospel  ;  Acts  ii.  41.  "Then 
they  that  gladly  received  his  word,  were  baptized :  and  the 
same  day  there  were  added  unto  them  about  three  thousand 
^ouls."  It  is  what  may  be  well  understood  by  those  expres- 
sions of  coming  to  Christ,  of  looking  to  him,  of  opening  the  door 
to  let  him  in.  This  is  very  evident  by  Scripture.  It  is  taking 
the  waters  of  life,  eating  and  drinking  his  flesh  and  blood,  hear- 
ing Christ's  voice,  and  following  him.  John  x.  26,  27.  "  But 
ye  believe  not ;  because  ye  are  not  of  my  sheep,  as  1  said  unto 
you.  My  sheep  hear  my  voice,  and  I  know  them,  and  they 
follow  me."  Isaiah  xlv.  22.  "  Look  unto  me,  and  be  ye  saved, 
all  the  ends  of  the  earth :  for  I  am  God  and  there  is  none  else/' 
It  also  consists  in  being  persuaded  of,  and  in  embracing  the 
promises  ;  Heb.  xi.  13.  "  These  all  died  in  faith,  not  having 
received  the  promises,  but  having  seen  them  afar  off,  and  were 
persuaded  of  them,  and  embraced  them,  and  confessed  that 
they  were  strangers  and  pilgrims  on  the  earth." 

§  9.  There  is  contained  in  the  nature  of  faith  a  sense  of  our 
own  imworthiness.     Matt.  xv.  27.  28.  "  Truth,  Lord,  yet  the 
dogs  eat  of  the  crumbs  which  fall  from  their  master's  table. 
Then  Jesus  answered  and  said   unto  her,   O  woman,  great  is 
thy  faith.'"'     See  concerning  the  centurion,  Luke  vii.  6 — 9:  the 
woman  which  was  a  sinner,  ib.  ver.  37,  38.  and  especially  50 ; 
the  prodigal  son,  Luke  xv. ;  the  penitent  thief,  Luke  xxiii.  41. 
Consult  also  Hab.  ii.  4.  "  Behold  his  soul  which  is  lifted  up,  is 
not  upright  in  him  ;  but  the  just  shall  live  by  his  faith."     Prov. 
xxviii.  25  ;  Psal.  xl.  4.  and  Psal.  cxxxi.     And  love  either  arises 
from,  or  is  included  in  faith,  John  iii.  18,  19.  "  He  that  believeth 
not,  is  condemned  already ;  and  this  is  their  condemnation, 
that  men  loved  darkness  rather  than  light.'"'     2  Thess.  ii.  10, 12. 
•'And  with  all  deceivableness  of  unrighteousness  in  them  that 
perish  ;  because  they  received  not  the  love  of  the  truth,   that 
they  might  be  saved. — That  they  all  might  be  damned  who 
believed  not  the  truth,  but  had  pleasure  in  unrighteousness." 
Faith  is  being  a-thirst  for  the  waters  of  life.     Rev.  xxi.  6.     It 
is  a  true  cordial  seeking  of  salvation  by  Christ ;  and   heartily 
joining  ourselves  to  Christ  and  to  his  party.     It  is   to  hearken 
to  him  as  a  prophet ;  to  yield  ourselves  subject  to  him  as  a 
king  :  and  to  depend  upon  him  as  a  pries*.     Desiring  Christ, 
is  an  act  of  faith  in  him,  because  he  is  called  the  desire  of  all 
nations,  Hag.  ii.  7 ;   that  is,  he  that  is   to  be  the  desire  of  all 
nations,  when  all  nations  shall  believe  in  him  and  subject  them- 
selves to  him  according  to  the  frequent  promises  and  prophe- 
cies of  God's  word  ;  though  there  are  other  things  included  in 
the  sense,  yet  this  seems  to  be  principally  intended.     There 
belongs  to  faith  a  sense  of  the  ability  and  sufficiency  of  Christ 
to  save,  and  of  his  fitness  for  the  work  of  salvation :  Matt.  ix. 
2,  21.  and  28.  29,     Rom.  iv.  21.  "  And  being  fully  persuaded. 


.)  j;i  :.i  I,  1  tfEOUS    REM  VRKS. 

that  what  he  had  promised,  he  is  able  to  perform."  And  u 
sense  of  his  readiness  to  save,  Matt.  xv.  '2*2,  &c.  It  is  what. 
may  be  well  represented  by  fleeing  for  refuge,  by  the  type  of 
fleeing  to  the  city  of  refuge.  Heb.  vi.  18.  "  That  by  two  im- 
mutable things,  in  which  it  was  impossible  for  God  to  lie,  we 
might  have  a  strong  consolation,  who  havered  for  refuge,  to 
lay  hold  upon  the  hope  set  before  us."  The  heart  must  close 
with  the  new  covenant  by  dependence  upon  it,  and  by  love  and 
desire.  2  Sam.  xxiii.  5.  "  Although  my  house  be  not  so  with 
God,  yet  he  hath  made  with  me  an  everlasting  covenant,  or- 
dered in  all  things,  and  sure.  This  is  all  my  salvation,  and  all 
my  desire,  although  he  make  it  not  to  grow." 

§  10.  Upon  the  whole,  the  best  and  clearest,  and  most  per- 
fect definition  of  justifying  faith,  and  most  according  to  the  scrip- 
ture, that  I  can  think  of,  is  this,  faith  is  the  soul's  entirely  em- 
bracing the  relation  of  Jesus  Christ  as  our  Saviour.  The  word 
embrace  is  a  metaphorical  expression  ;  but  I  think  it  much 
clearer  than  any  proper  expression  whatsoever  :  It  is  called  be- 
lieving ;  because  believing  is  the  first  act  of  the  soul  in  embra- 
cing a  narration  or  revelation  ;  and  embracing,  when  convers- 
ant about  a  revelation  or  thing  declared,  is  more  properly  called 
believing,  than  loving  or  choosing.  If  it  were  conversant  about 
a  person  only,  it  would  be  more  properly  called  loving.  If  it 
were  only  conversant  about  a  gift,  an  inheritance  or  reward,  it 
would  more  properly  be  called  receiving  or  accepting,  &c. 

The  definition  might  have  been  expressed  in  these  word?. 
faith  is  the  soul's  entirely  adhering  to,  and  acquiescing  in  the 
revelation  of  Jesus  Christ  as  our  Saviour. — Or  thus,  faith  is  the 
soul's  embracing  that  truth  of  God,  which  reveals  Jesus  Christ 
as  our  Saviour. — Or  thus,  faith  is  the  soul's  entirely  acquiescing 
in,  and  depending  upon  the  truth  of  .God,  revealing  Christ  as 
our  Saviour. 

It  is  the  whole  soul  assenting  to  the  truth,  and  embracing  of 
jt.  There  is  an  entire  yielding  of  the  mind  and  heart  to  the 
revelation,  and  a  closing  with  it,  and  adhering  to  it,  with  the  be- 
lief, and  with  the  inclination  and  affection.  It  is  admitting  and 
receiving  it  with  entire  credit  and  respect.  The  soul  receives 
it  as  true,  as  worthy  and  excellent.  It  may  be  more  perfectly 
described,  than  defined  by  a  short  definition,  by  reason  of  the 
penury  of  words  :  a  great  many  words  express  it  better  than 
one  or  two.  I  here  use  the  same  metaphorical  expressions  ;  but 
it  is  because  they  are  much  clearer  than  any  proper  expressions 
that  I  know  of.  It  is  the  soul's  entirely  acquiescing  in  this  re- 
velation, from  a  sense  of  the  sufficiency,  dignity,  glory  and  ex- 
cellency of  its  Author.  The  whole  soul's  active  agreeing,  ac- 
cording and  symphonizing  with  this  truth  ;  all  opposition  in 
judgment  and  inclination,  so  far  as  he  believes,  being  taken 
away.     It  is  called  believinsr.  because  fullv  believing  this  revo- 


MISCELtANEOl  S    REMARKS.  541 

iatiuii,  is  the  first  and  principal  exercise  and  manifestation  of 
this  accordance  and  agreement  of  soul. 

§  11.  Adhering  to  the  truth  and  acquiescing  in  it  with  the 
judgment,  is  from  a  sense  of  the  glory  of  the  revealer,  and  the 
sufficiency  and  excellency  of  the  performer  of  the  facts.  Ad- 
hering to  it,  and  acquiescing  in  it  with  the  inclination  and  affec- 
tion, is  from  the  goodness  and  excellency  of  the  thing  revealed, 
and  of  the  performer.  If  a  person  be  pursued  by  an  enemy, 
and  commit  himself  to  a  king  or  a  captain,  to  defend  him,  it 
implies  his  quitting  other  endeavours,  applying  to  him  for  de- 
fence, putting  himself  under  him,  and  hoping  that  he  will  de- 
fend him.  If  we  consider  it  as  a  mere  act  of  the  mind,  a  trans- 
action between  spiritual  beings,  considered  as  abstracted  from 
any  external  action,  then  it  is  the  mind's  quitting  all  other  en- 
deavours, and  seeking  and  applying  itself  to  the  Saviour  for 
salvation,  fully  choosing  salvation  by  him,  and  delivering  itself 
to  him,  or  a  being  willing  to  be  his,  with  a  hope  that  he  will 
save  him.  Therefore,  for  a  person  to  commit  himself  to  Christ 
as  a  Saviour,  is  quitting  all  other  endeavours  and  hopes,  and 
heartily  applying  himself  to  Christ  for  salvation,  fully  choosing 
salvation  by  him,  and  acquiescing  in  his  way  of  salvation,  and 
a  hearty  consent  of  the  soul  to  be  his  entirely,  hoping  in  his 
sufficiency  and  willingness  to  save. 

From  the  excellency  and  sufficiency  of  the  revealer  and  per- 
former, we  believe  what  is  said  is  true,  fully  believe  it ;  and 
from  the  glorious  excellency  of  the  Saviour  and  his  salvation, 
all  our  inclination  closes  with  the  revelation.  To  depend  upon 
the  word  of  another  person,  imports  two  things :  first,  To  be 
sensible  how  greatly  it  concerns  us,  and  how  much  our  interest 
and  happiness  really  depend  upon  the  truth  of  it ;  and  secondly, 
To  dare  to  act  upon  it,  as  if  it  were  really  true.  I  do  not  say, 
that  I  think  these  words  are  the  only  true  definition  of  faith.  1 
have  used  words  that  most  naturally  express  it,  of  any  I  could 
think  of.  There  might  have  been  other  words  used,  much 
of  the  same  sense. 

§  12.  Though  hope  does  not  enter  into  the  essential  nature 
of  faith,  yet  it  is  the  natural  and  necessary,  and  next  immediate 
fruit  of  true  faith.  In  the  first  act  of  faith,  the  soul  is  enlight- 
ened with  a  sense  of  the  merciful  nature  of  God  and  of  Christ, 
and  believes  the  declarations  that  are  made  in  God's  word  of  it ; 
and  it  humbly  and  heartily  applies  and  seeks  to  Christ ;  and  it 
sees  such  a  congruity  between  the  declared  mercy  of  God,  and 
the  disposition  he  then  feels  towards  him,  that  he  cannot  but 
hope,  that  the  declared  mercy  will  be  exercised  towards  him. 
Yea,  he  sees  that  it  would  be  incongruous  for  God  to  give  him 
such  inclination  and  motions  of  heart  towards  Christ  as  a  Sa- 
viour, if  he  were  not  to  be  saved  by  him. 


>1'2  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

§  13.  Any  thing  that  may  be  called  a  receiving  the  rei 
lion  of  the  gospel  is  not  faith,  but  such  a  sort  of  receiving  it. 
ns  is  suitable  to  the  nature  of  the  gospel,  and  the  respect  if 
has  to  us.     The  act  of  reception  suitable  to  truth,  is  believing 
it.      The   suitable   reception    of  that  which   is  excellent,   is 
choosing  it  and  loving  it.     The  proper  act  of  reception  of  a 
revelation  of  deliverance  from  evil,  and  the  conferring  of  hap- 
piness, is  acquiescing  in  it  and  depending  upon  it.     The  pro- 
per reception  of  a  Saviour,  is  committing  ourselves  to  him  and 
trusting  in  him.     The  proper  act  of  reception  of  the  favour  of 
God,  is,  believing  and  esteeming  it,  and  rejoicing  in  it.     He 
that  suitably  receives  forgiveness  of  his  fault,  does  with  an  hum- 
ble sense  of  his  fault  rejoice  in  the  pardon.     Thus,  for  instance, 
he  that  reads  a  truth  that  no  way  concerns  his  interest,  if  he 
believes  it,  it  is  proper  to  say  he  receives  it.     But  if  there  be  a 
declaration  of  some  glorious  and  excellent  truth  that  nearly 
concerns  him,  he  that  only  believes  it  cannot  be  said  to  receive 
it.     And  if  a  captain  offers  to  deliver  a  distressed  people,  they 
that  only  believe  what  he  says,  without  committing  themselves 
to  him,  and  putting  themselves  under  him,  cannot  be  said  to 
receive  him.    So,  if  a  prince  ofFers  one  his  favour,  he  that  does 
not  esteem  his  favour,  cannot  be  said  heartily  to  accept  thereof. 
Again,  if  one  offended  offers  pardon  to  another,  he  cannot  be 
said   to  receive  it,  if  he  be  not  sensible  of  his  fault,  and   does 
not  care  for  the  displeasure  of  the  offended.     The  whole  act  of 
reception  suitable  to  the  nature  of  the  gospel,  and  its  relation 
to  us,  and  our  circumstances  with  respect  to  it,  is  best  expressed, 
(if  it  be  expressed  in  one  word,)  by  the  word  vrtfig  or  fides. 

§  14.  The  word  t&ig,  faith,  seems  to  be  the  most  proper  term 
to  express  the  cordial  reception  of  Christ  and  of  the  truth,  for 
these  reasons.  First,  this  revelation  is  of  things  spiritual,  un- 
seen, strange  and  wonderful,  exceedingly  remote  from  all  the 
objects  of  sense,  and  those  things  which  we  commonly  converse 
with  in  this  world,  and  also  exceedingly  alien  from  our  fallen 
nature  :  so  that  it  is  the  first  and  principal  manifestation  of  the 
symphony  between  the  soul  and  these  divine  things,  that  it  be- 
lieves them,  and  acquiesces  in  them  as  true.  And,  secondly, 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in  the  gospel,  appears  principally  under 
the  character  of  a  Saviour,  and  not  so  much  of  a  person  abso- 
lutely excellent :  and  therefore,  the  proper  act  of  reception 
of  him,  consists  principally  in  the  exercise  of  a  sense  of  our 
need  of  him,  and  of  his  sufficiency,  his  ability,  his  mercy  and 
love,  his  faithfulness,  the  sufficiency  of  his  method  of  salvation, 
the  sufficiency  and  completeness  of  the  salvation  itself,  of  the 
deliverance  and  of  the  happiness,  and  an  answerable  applica- 
tion of  the  soul  to  him  for  salvation;  which  can  be  expressed 
so  well  by  no  other  word  but  faith,  or  affiance,  or  confidence,  or 


MISCELLAttKOUS    KEItfAKJst.  O4o 

wual,  and  others  of  the  same  signification  ;  of  which,  *ir»s  or 
faith,  is  much  the  best,  and  the  most  significant ;  because  the 
rest,  in  their  common  significations  imply  something  that  is  not 
of  the  absolute  essence  of  faith.  Thirdly,  we  have  these  things 
exhibited  to  us,  to  be  received  by  us,  only  by  a  divine  testimony. 
We  have  nothing  else  to  hold  them  forth  to  us. 

§  15.  Faith  prepares  the  way  for  the  removal  of  guilt  of  con- 
science. Guilt  of  conscience,  is  the  sense  of  the  connexion 
between  the  sin  of  the  subject  and  punishment;  1st.  by  God's 
law ;  and  '2d.  by  God's  nature  and  the  propriety  of  the  thing. 
The  mind  is  under  the  weight  of  guilt,  as  long  as  it  has  a  sense 
of  its  being  bound  to  punishment,  according  to  the  reason  and 
nature  of  things,  and  the  requirements  of  the  divine  government. 
Faith  prepares  the  way  for  the  removal  of  this.  Therefore 
there  must  be  in  faith,  1.  a  belief  that  the  law  is  answered  and 
satisfied  by  Jesus  Christ ;  and  2.  such  a  sense  of  the  way  of  sal- 
vation by  Christ,  that  it  shall  appear  proper,  and  be  dutiful,  and 
according  to  the  reason  of  things,  that  sin  should  not  be  punish- 
ed in  us,  but  that  we  nevertheless  should  be  accepted  through 
Christ.  When  the  mind  sees  a  way  in  which  this  can  be  done, 
and  there  is  nothing  in  the  law,  nor  in  the  divine  nature,  nor 
nature  of  things,  to  hinder  it;  that  of  itself  lightens  the  burden 
and  creates  hope.  It  causes  the  mind  to  see  that  it  is  not  for 
ever  bound  by  the  reason  of  things  to  suffer  ;  though  the  mind 
does  not  know  that  it  has  performed  the  condition  of  pardon. 
This  is  to  have  a  sense  of  the  sufficiency  of  this  way  of  salva- 
tion. When  a  man  commits  sin  and  is  sensible  of  it,  his  soul 
has  a  natural  sense  of  the  propriety  of  punishment  in  such  a 
case,  a  sense  that  punishment,  according  to  the  reason  of  things, 
belongs  to  him  ;  for  the  same  reasons  as  all  nations  have  a  sense 
of  the  propriety  of  punishing  men  for  crimes.  That  easiness 
of  mind  which  persons  often  have,  before  they  have  comfort 
from  a  sense  of  their  being  converted,  arises  from  a  sense  they 
have  of  God's  sovereignty.  They  see  nothing  either  in  the  na- 
ture of  God  or  of  things,  that  will  necessarily  bind  them  to  pun- 
ishment ;  but  that  God  may  damn  them,  if  he  pleases  ;  and  may 
save  them,  if  he  pleases.  When  persons  are  brought  to  that, 
then  they  are  fit  to  be  comforted  ;  then  their  comfort  is  like  to 
have  a  true  and  immoveable  foundation,  when  their  dependence 
is  no  way  upon  themselves,  but  wholly  upon  God.  In  order  to 
such  a  sense  of  the  sufficiency  of  this  way  of  salvation  it  must  be 
seen,  that  God  has  no  disposition,  and  no  need,  to  punish  us. 

§  16.  Hence  we  learn,  that  our  experience  of  the  sufficiency 
of  the  gospel,  to  give  peace  of  conscience,  is  a  rational  inward 
witness  to  the  truth  of  the  gospel.  When  the  mind  sees  such 
a  fitness  in  this  way  of  salvation,  that  it  takes  off  the  burthen — 
arising  from  the  sense  of  its  being  necessarily  bound  to  punish 
ment,  through  proper  desert,  and  from  the  demands  of  r^a'sot 


544  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS. 

and  nature — it  is  a  strong  argument,  that  it  is  not  a  thing  of 
mere  human  imagination.  When  we  experience  its  fitness  to 
answer  its  end,  this  is  the  third  of  the  three  that  bear  witness 
on  earth.  The  Spirit  bears  witness,  by  discovering  the  divine 
glory,  and  those  stamps  of  divinity  that  are  in  the  gospel.  The 
water  bears  witness  ;  that  is,  the  experience  of  the  power  of 
the  gospel  to  purify  and  sanctify  the  heart,  witnesses  the  truth 
of  it :  and  the  blood  bears  witness  by  delivering  the  conscience 
from  guilt.  Any  other  sort  of  faith  than  this  sense  of  the  suf- 
ficiency of  Christ's  salvation,  does  not  give  such  immediate 
glory  and  honour  to  Christ,  and  does  not  so  necessarily  and 
immediately  infer  the  necessity  of  Christ's  being  known.  No- 
thing besides  makes  all  Christianity  so  to  hang  upon  actual 
respect  to  Christ,  and  centre  in  him.  Surely  the  more  the 
sinner  has  an  inward,  an  immediate,  and  sole  dependence  upon 
Christ,  the  more  Christ  has  the  glory  of  his  salvation  from  him. 
]n  order  to  this  sort  of  sense  of  the  congruity  of  our  sins  being- 
forgiven,  and  of  punishments  being  removed,  by  the  satisfac- 
tion of  Christ,  there  must  of  necessity  be  a  sense  of  our  guilti- 
ness. For  it  is  impossible  that  any  congruity  should  be  seen, 
without  comparison  of  the  satisfaction  with  the  guilt.  And 
they  cannot  be  compared,  except  there  be  a  sense  of  them  both. 
There  must  not  only  be  such  a  sense  of  God's  being  angry, 
and  his  anger  being"  very  dreadful,  without  any  sense  of  the 
reasonableness  of  that  anger  ;  but  there  must  be  a  proper  sense 
of  the  desert  of  wrath,  such  as  there  is  in  repentance.  Sin- 
ners, under  conviction  of  their  guilt,  are  generally  afraid  that 
God  is  so  angry  with  them,  that  he  never  will  give  them  faith 
in  Christ.  They  think  the  majesty  and  jealousy  of  God  will 
not  allow  of  it.  Therefore,  there  goes  with  a  sense  of  the  suf- 
ficiency of  Christ,  a  sense  of  God's  sovereignty  with  respect  to 
mercy  and  judgment,  that  he  will  and  may  have  mercy  in 
Christ,  on  whom  he  will  have  mercy,  and  leave  to  hardness 
whom  he  will.     This  eases  of  that  burden. 

§  17.  For  a  man  to  trust  in  his  own  righteousness,  is  to  con- 
ceive hopes  of  some  favour  of  God,  or  some  freedom  from  his 
displeasure,  from  a  false  notion  of  his  own  goodness  or  excel- 
lency, and  the  proportion  it  bears  to  that  favour ;  and  of  his 
own  badness,  and  the  relation  it  bears  to  his  displeasure.  It 
is  to  conceive  hopes  of  some  favour  of  God,  from  a  false  no- 
tion of  the  relation  which  our  own  goodness  or  excellency 
bears  to  that  favour;  whether  this  mistaken  relation  be  sup- 
posed to  imply  an  obligation  in  natural  justice,  or  propriety 
and  decency,  or  an  obligation  in  point  of  wisdom  and  honour. 
This  excellency  we  speak  of,  is  either  real  or  supposed ;  either 
negative,  in  not  being  so  bad  as  others  and  the  like,  or  posi- 
tive. Whether  it  be  natural  or  moral  excellency,  is  imma- 
terial :  also,  whether  the  sinner  himself  looks  uoon  it  as  an  e.v- 


MISCELLANEOUS    KEJMAUKS. 


545 


cellency,  or  supposes  God  looks  upon  it  as  such.  For  men  to 
trust  in  their  own  righteousness,  is  to  entertain  hope  of  esca- 
ping any  displeasure,  or  obtaining  any  positive  favour  from 
God,  from  too  high  a  notion  of  our  own  moral  excellency,  or 
too  light  a  notion  of  our  badness,  as  compared  with  or  related 
to  that  favour  or  displeasure. 

§  18.  The  difficulty  in  giving  a  definition  of  faith  is,  that  we 
have  no  word  that  clearly  and  adequately  expresses  the  whole 
act  of  acceptance,  or  closing  of  the  soul  or  heart  with  Christ. 
Inclination  expresses  it  but  partially  ;  conviction  expresses  it 
also  but  in  part ;  the  sense  of  the  soul  does  not  do  it  fully. 
And  if  we  use  metaphorical  expressions,  such  as  embrace,  and 
love,  &c,  they  are  obscure,  and  wilr  not  carry  the  same  idea 
with  them  to  the  minds  of  all.  All  words  that  are  used  to  ex- 
press such  acts  of  the  mind,  are  of  a  very  indeterminate  signi- 
fication. It  is  a  difficult  thing  to  find  words  to  exhibit  our 
own  ideas.  Another  difficulty  is  to  find  a  word,  that  shall 
clearly  express  the  whole  goodness  or  righteousness  of  the  Sa- 
viour and  of  the  gospel.  To  be  true,  is  one  part  of  the  good- 
ness of  the  gospel.  For  the  Saviour  to  be  sufficient,  is  one 
part  of  his  goodness.  To  be  suitable,  is  another  part.  To  be 
bountiful,  is  another  part,  &c.  The  idea  of  a  real  good,  or 
lovely  object,  that  is  conceived  to  be  real,  possesses  the  heart 
after  another  manner,  than  a  very  lovely  idea  that  is  only  ima- 
ginary. So  that  there  is  need  of  both  a  sense  of  goodness  and 
reality,  to  unite  the  heart  to  the  Saviour.  There  is  implied  in 
believing  in  Christ,  not  only  that  exercise  of  mind,  which 
arises  from  a  sense  of  his  excellency  and  reality  as  a  Saviour : 
but  also  that  which  arises  from  the  consideration  of  his  relation 
to  us,  and  of  our  concern  in  him,  his  being  a  Saviour  for  such 
as  we  are  ;  for  sinful  men  ;  and  a  Saviour  that  is  offered  with 
his  benefits  to  us.  The  angels  have  a  sense  of  the  reality  and 
goodness  of  Christ  as  a  Saviour,  and  may  be  said  with  joy  to 
embrace  the  discovery  of  it.  They  cannot,  however,  be  said  to 
believe  in  Christ.  The  Spirit  that  they  receive,  the  notice  that 
they  have  of  Christ  the  Saviour  is  the  same  ;  but  there  is  a 
difference  in  the  act,  by  reason  of  the  different  relation  that 
Christ,  as  a  Saviour,  stands  in  to  us,  from  what  he  doth  to 
them. 

§  19.  That  ease  of  mind  which  arises  from  a  sense  of  the 
sufficiency  of  Christ,  may  well  be  called  a  trusting  in  that 
sufficiency.  It  gives  a  quietness  to  the  mind,  to  see  that  there  is 
a  way  wherein  it  may  be  saved,  to  see  a  good  and  sufficient  way, 
wherein  its  salvation  is  very  possible,  and  the  attributes  of  God 
cannot  be  opposite  to  it.  This  gives  ease,  though  it  be  not 
yet  certain  that  he  shall  be  saved.  But  to  believe  Christ's 
sufficiency,  so  as  to  be  thus  far  easy,  may  be  called  a  trusting 
in  Christ,  though  it  cannot  be  trusting  in  him  that  he  toil!  save 

Vol.  VIT.  69 


546  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS'. 

us.  To  be  easy  in  any  degree,  on  a  belief  or  persuasion  oj  the 
sufficiency  of  any  thing  for  our  good,  is  a  degree  of  trusting, 
There  is  in  faith  not  only  a  belief  of  what  the  gospel  declares, 
that  Christ  has  satisfied  for  our  sins,  and  merited  eternal  life  ; 
but  there  is  also  a  sense  of  it;  a  sense  that  Christ's  sufferings 
do  satisfy,  and  that  he  did  merit,  or  was  worthy  that  we  should 
be  accepted  for  his  sake.  There  is  a  difference  between  be- 
ing convinced  that  it  is  so,  and  having  a  sense  that  it  is  so. 
There  is  in  the  essence  of  justifying  faith,  included  a  receiving 
of  Christ  as  a  Saviour  from  sin.  For  we  embrace  him  as  the 
author  of  life,  as  well  as  a  Saviour  from  misery.  But  the 
sum  of  that  eternal  life  which  Christ  purchased,  is  holiness;  it 
is  a  holy  happiness.  And  there  is  in  faith  a  liking  of  the  hap- 
piness that  Christ  has  procured  and  offers.  The  Jews  des- 
pising the  pleasant  land,  is  mentioned  as  part  of  their  unbelief. 
It  must  be  as  the  gospel  reveals,  or  in  the  gospel  notion  of 
him,  the  soul  must  close  with  Christ.  For  whosoever  is  offended 
in  Christ,  in  the  view  that  the  gospel  gives  us  of  him,  cannot 
be  said  to  believe  in  him  ;  for  he  is  one  that  is  excluded  from 
blessedness,  by  that  saying  of  Christ,  Matt.  xi.  6.  "  Blessed  is 
he  whosoever  is  not  offended  in  me." 

§  20.  There  is  a  hope  implied  in  the  essence  of  justifying 
faith.  Thus  there  is  hope,  that  I  may  obtain  justification  by 
Christ,  though  there  is  not  contained  in  its  essence  a  hope  that  I 
have  obtained  it.  And  so  there  is  a  trust  in  Christ  contained 
in  the  essence  of  faith.  There  is  a  trust  implied  in  seeking  to 
Christ  to  be  my  Saviour,  in  an  apprehension  that  he  is  a  suffi- 
cient Saviour  ;  though  not  a  trust  in  him,  as  one  that  has  prom- 
ised to  save  me,  as  having  already  performed  the  condition  of 
the  promise.  If  a  city  was  besieged  and  distressed  by  a  potent 
enemy,  and  should  hear  of  some  great  champion  at  a  distance, 
and  should  be  induced  by  what  they  hear  of  his  valour  and 
goodness,  to  seek  and  send  to  him  for  relief,  believing  what 
they  have  heard  of  his  sufficiency,  and  thence  conceiving  hope 
that  they  may  be  delivered ;  the  people,  in  sending,  may  be 
said  to  trust  in  such  a  champion  ;  as  of  old  the  children  of 
Israel,  when  they  went  into  Egypt  for  help,  were  said  to  trust 
in  Egypt. 

§  21.  Faith  is  that  inward  sense  and  act,  of  which  prayer 
is  the  expression  ;  as  is  evident. —  I.  Because  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  the  freedom  of  grace,  according  to  the  gospel  covenant, 
is  often  set  forth  by  this,  that  he  that  believes,  receives ;  so  it 
also  oftentimes  is  by  this,  that  he  that  asks,  or  prays,  or  calls 
upon  God,  receives;  Matt.  vii.  7 — 10;  Luke  xi.  9.  "  Ask,  and 
it  shall  be  given  you  ;  seek,  and  ye  shall  find;  knock,  and  it 
shall  be  opened  unto  you.  For  every  one  that  asketh,  receiv- 
eth  ;  and  he  that  seeketh,  findeth  ;  and  to  him  that  knocketh. 
it  shall  be  opened.     Or  what  man  is  there  of  you,  whom,  if  his 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  541 

son  ask  bread,  will  he  give  him  a  stone?  Or,  if  he  ask  a  fish, 
will  he  give  him  a  serpent?  How  much  more  shall  your  Fa- 
ther which  is  in  heaven,  give  the  holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask 
him?"  Matt.  xxi.  21,  22.  "Jesus  answered  and  said  unto 
them,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  if  ye  have  faith,  and  doubt  not, 
ye  shall  not  only  do  this  which  is  done  to  the  fig-tree  ;  but  also, 
if  ye  shall  say  unto  this  mountain,  be  thou  removed,  and  be 
thou  cast  into  the  sea:  it  shall  be  done;  and  all  things  whatso- 
ever ye  shall  ask  in  prayer,  believing,  ye  shall  receive."  Joel 
ii.  32.  The  prophet  speaking  there  of  gospel  times,  says, 
"  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  whosoever  shall  call  on  the 
name  of  the  Lord  shall  be  delivered  ;  for  in  mount  Zion  and  in 
Jerusalem  shall  be  deliverance,  as  the  Lord  hath  said,  and  in 
the  remnant  whom  the  Lord  shall  call."  Rom.  x.  12,  13, 
"  For  there  is  no  difference  between  the  Jew  and  the  Greek ; 
for  the  same  Lord  over  all,  is  rich  unto  all  that  call  upon  him. 
For  whosoever  shall  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall  be  sav- 
ed ;"  quoting  the  forementioned  place  in  Joel.  The  same  ex- 
pressions that  are  used  in  scripture  for  faith,  may  be  well  used 
for  prayer  also  ;  such  as  coming  to  God  or  Christ,  and  looking 
to  him.  Eph.  iii.  12.  "  In  whom  we  have  boldness  and  access 
with  confidence  by  the  faith  of  him."  Prayer  is  often  plainly 
spoken  of  as  the  expression  of  faith.  As  it  very  certainly  is  in 
Rom.  x.  11 — 14.  "  For  the  scripture  saith,  whosoever  believeth 
on  him,  shall  not  be  ashamed.  For  there  is  no  difference  be- 
tween the  Jew  and  the  Greek  :  for  the  same  Lord  over  all,  is 
rich  unto  all  that  call  upon  him  ;  for  whosoever  shall  call  on 
the  name  of  the  Lord  shall  be  saved.  How  then  shall  they 
call  on  him  in  whom  they  have  not  believed?"  Christian  pray- 
er is  called  the  prayer  of  faith,  James  v.  15.  And  believing  is 
often  mentioned  as  the  life  and  soul  of  true  prayer,  as  in  the 
forementioned  place.  Matt.  xxi.  21,22.  Heb.  x.  19,  22.  "  Draw 
near  in  full  assurance  of  faith."  James  i.  5.  6,  "  If  any  of  you 
lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  it  of  God,  that  giveth  to  all  men  li- 
berally, and  upbraideth  not ;  and  it  shall  be  given  him.  But 
let  him  ask  in  faith  nothing  wavering." —  Faith  in  God,  is  ex- 
pressed in  praying  to  God.  Faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  is 
expressed  in  praying  to  Christ,  and  praying  in  the  name  of 
Christ ;  John  xiv.  13,  II.  And  the  promises  are  made  to  ask- 
ing in  Christ's  name,  in  the  same  manner  as  they  are  to  be- 
lieving in  Christ.  John  xiv.  13, 14.  "  And  whatsoever  ye  shall 
ask  in  my  name,  that  will  1  do,  that  the  Father  may  be  glori- 
fied in  the  Son.  If  ye  shall  ask  any  thing  in  my  name,  I  will 
do  it."  Chap.  xvi.  23,  24.  "  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Whatso- 
ever ye  shall  ask  the  Father  in  my  name,  he  will  give  it  you. 
Hitherto  you  have  asked  nothing  in  my  name  5  ask,  and  re- 
ceive, that  your  joy  may  be  full," 

§  22.  The  condition  both  of  the  first  and  second  covenant 
is  a  receiving  compliance  with,  or  yielding  to  a  signification 


•>k>  MISCELLANEOUS    REUAKhi. 

or  declaration  from  God  ;  or  to  a  revelation  made  from  God.  A 
receiving  or  yielding  to  a  signification  of  the  will  of  God,  as 
our  sovereign  Lord  and'  Lawgiver,  is  most  properly  called 
obedience.  The-  receiving  and  yielding  to  a  strange  myste- 
rious revelation,  and  offer  which  God  makes  of  mercy  to  sin- 
ners, being  a  revelation  of  things  spiritual,  supernatural,  invi- 
sible, and  mysterious,  through  the  infinite  power,  wisdom,  and 
grace  of  God,  is  properly  called  faith.  There  is  indeed 
obedie?ice  in  the  condition  of  both  covenants,  and  there  is  faith 
or  believing  God  in  both.  But  the  different  name  arises  from 
the  remarkably  different  nature  of  the  revelation  or  manifesta- 
tions made.  The  one  is  a  law,  the  other  a  testimony  and  offer. 
The  one  is  a  signification  of  what  God  expects  that  we  should 
do  towards  him,  and  what  he  expects  to  receive  from  us :  the 
other  a  revelation  of  what  he  has  done  for  us,  and  an  offer  of 
what  we  may  receive  from  him.  The  one  is  an  expression  of 
God's  great  authority  over  us,  in  order  to  our  yielding  to  the 
authority :  the  other  is  a  revelation  of  God's  mysterious  and 
wonderful  mercy,  and  wisdom,  and  power  for  us-,  in  order  to 
a  reception  answerable  to  such  a  revelation. 

§  23.  Faith  is  not  all  kind  of  assent  to  the  word  of  God 
as  true  and  divine.  For  so  the  Jews  in  Christ's  time  assented 
to  the  book  of  Moses,  and  therefore  Christ  tells  them,  that 
they  trusted  in  Moses ;  John  v.  25.  "  There  is  one  that  ac- 
cuseth  you,  even  Moses  in  whom  ye  trust."  Yet  the  very 
thing  that  Moses  accuses  them  for,  was  not  believing  in  him. 
i.  e^  believing  so  as  to  yield  to  his  sayings,  and  comply  with 
him,  or  obey  him,  as  the  phrase  in  the  New  Testament  is  con- 
cerning Christ.  And  therefore  Christ  says  in  the  next  verse, 
"  For  had  ye  believed  Moses,  ye  would  have  believed  me  :  for 
he  wrote  of  me."  There  may  be  a  strong  belief  of  divine 
things  in  the  understanding,  and  yet  no  saving  faith ;  as  is  ma- 
nifest by  1  Cor.  xiii.  2.  "  Though  1  have  all  faith,  so  that  I 
could  remove  mountains,  and  have  no  charity,  1  am  nothing." 
Not  only  trusting  in  Christ,  as  one  that  has  undertaken  to  save 
us  and  as  believing  that  he  is  our  Saviour,  is  faith  ;  but  apply- 
ing to  him,  or  seeking  to  him,  that  he  would  become  our  Sa- 
viour, with  a  sense  of  his  reality  and  goodness  as  a  Saviour,  is 
faith  ;  as  is  evident  by  Rom.  xv.  12.  "  In  him  shall  the  Gen- 
tiles trust."  Compared  with  the  place  whence  it  is  cited,  Isa. 
xi.  10.  "To  it  shall  the  Gentiles  seek ;"  together  with  Psalm 
ix.  10.  "  And  they  that  know  thy  name,  will  put  their  trust  in 
thee  :  for  thou,  Lord,  hast  not  forsaken  them  that  seek  thee." 
Which  agrees  well  with  faith's  being  called  a  looking  to  Christ, 
or  coming  to  him  for  life,  a  flying  for  refuge  to  him,  or  flying 
to  him  for  safety.  And  this  is  the  first  act  of  saving  faith.  And 
prayer  being  the  expression  of  faith,  confirms  this.  This  is 
further  confirmed  by  Isaiah  xxxi.  2.  "  Wo  to  them   that  go 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  549 

down  into  Egypt  for  help,  and  stay  on  horses,  and  trust  in 
chariots,  because  they  are  many  ;  and  in  horsemen,  because 
they  are  very  strong ;  but  they  look  not  unto  the  Holy  One  of 
Israel,  neither  seek  the  Lord.  When  it  is  said,  Psalm  lxix.  6. 
"  Let  not  them  that  wait  on  thee,  O  Lord,  be  ashamed  for  my 
sake :  let  not  those  that  seek  thee  be  confounded  for  my  sake." 
— it  is  equivalent  to  that  scripture,  "  He  that  believeth  shall 
never  be  confounded."  And  when  it  is  said,  verse  32.  "  And 
your  heart  shall  live  that  seek  the  Lord  ;"  it  is  equivalent  to 
that  scripture,  "  The  just  shall  live  by  faith."  So  Psalm  xxii. 
26.,  and  Psalm  Ixx.  4.  And  so  Amos  v.  4.  "  For  thus  saith 
the  Lord  unto  the  house  of  Israel,  Seek  ye  me,  and  ye  shall 
live."  And  ver.  6.  "  Seek  the  Lord,  and  ye  shall  live."  And 
verse  8.  "  Seek  him  that  made  the  seven  stars  and  Orion,  and 
turneth  the  shadow  of  death  into  the  morning."  Isaiah  xvii. 
7.  8.  "  At  that  day  shall  a  man  look  to  his  Maker,  and  his  eyes 
shall  have  respect  to  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ;  and  he  shall  not 
look  to  the  altars,  the  work  of  his  hands ;  neither  shall  re- 
spect that  which  his  fingers  have  made,  either  the  groves  or  the 
images."  Isaiah  xlv.  22.  "  Look  unto  me,  and  be  ye  saved, 
all  the  ends  of  the  earth." 

§  24.  That  there  are  different  sorts  of  faith,  and  that  all  be- 
lieving that  Christ  is  the  Son  of  Got!,  and  Saviour  of  the  world, 
&c.  is  not  true  and  saving  faith — or  that  which  most  commonly 
has  the  name  of  faith  appropriated  to  it  in  the  New  Testament 
— is  exceedingly  evident  by  John  vi.  64.  "  But  there  are  some 
of  you  that  believe  not.  For  Jesus  knew  from  the  beginning, 
who  they  were  that  believed  not,  and  who  should  betray  him." 
Here  all  false  disciples,  that  had  but  a  temporary  faith,  that 
thought  him  to  be  the  Messiah,  but  would  fall  away,  as  Judas 
and  others,  are  said  to  be  those  that  believed  not,  making  an 
essential  difference  between  their  belief,  and  that  grace  that  has 
the  term  faith,  or  believing,  appropriated  to  it.  Faith  is  a  recei- 
ving Christ  into  the  heart,  in  such  a  sense  as  to  believe  that  he 
is  what  he  declares  himself  to  be,  and  to  have  such  an  high  es- 
teem of  him  as  an  excellent  Lord  and  Saviour,  and  so  to  prize 
him,  and  so  to  depend  upon  him,  as  not  to  be  ashamed  nor 
afraid  to  profess  him,  and  openly  and  constantly  to  appear  on 
his  side.   See  Rom.  x.  8 — 13. 

§  25.  Trusting  in  riches,  as  Christ  uses  the  expression  con- 
cerning the  rich  young  man,  and  as  the  expression  is  used  else- 
where, is  an  extensive  expression,  comprehending  many  dispo- 
sitions, affections,  and  exercises  of  the  heart  towards  riches  : 
so  faith  in  Christ,  or  trusting  in  Christ,  is  as  extensive.  The 
soul's  active  closing  or  uniting  with  Christ,  is  faith.  But  the 
act  of  the  soul,  in  its  uniting  or  closing,  must  be  agreeable  to 
the  kind  and  nature  of  the  union  that  "is  to  be  established  be- 


550  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS, 

tween  Christ  and  the  saints,  and  that  subsists  between  them, 
and  is  the  foundation  of  the  saints1  communion  with  Christ. 
Such  is  the  nature  of  it,  that  it  is  not  merely  like  the  various 
parts  of  a  building,  that  are  cemented  and  cleave  fast  together ; 
or  as  marbles  and  precious  stones  may  be  joined,  so  as  to  be- 
come one:  but  it  is  such  a  kind  of  union  as  subsists  between 
the  head  and  living  members,  between  stock  and  branches  ; 
between  which,  and  the  head  or  stock,  there  is  such  a  kind  of 
union,  that  there  is  an  entire,  immediate,  perpetual  dependence 
for,  and  derivation  of  nourishment,  refreshment,  beauty,  fruitful- 
ness,  and  all  supplies  ;  yea,  life  and  being.  And  the  union  is 
wholly  for  this  purpose  ;  this  derivation  is  the  end  of  it ;  and  it 
is  the  most  essential  thing  in  the  union.  Now,  such  an  union  as 
this,  when  turned  into  act,  (if  1  may  so  say,)  or  an  active  union 
of  an  intelligent  rational  being  that  is  agreeable  to  this  kind 
of  union,  and  is  a  recognition  and  expression,  and  as  it  were 
the  active  bond  of  it,  is  something  else  besides  mere  love.  It  is 
an  act  most  properly  expressed  by  the  name  of  faith,  according 
to  the  proper  meaning  of  the  word  so  translated,  as  it  was 
used  in  the  days  when  the  scriptures  were  written. 

§  26.  Trusting  in  a  prince  or  ruler,  as  the  phrase  was  under- 
stood among  the  Jews,  implied  in  it  faithful  adherence,  and 
entire  subjection,  submission,  and  obedience.  So  much  the 
phrase  plainly  implies  ;  Judges  ix.  15.  "  And  the  bramble  said 
unto  the  trees,  if  in  truth  ye  anoint  me  king  over  you,  then 
come  and  put  your  trust  in  my  shadow  ;  and  if  not  let  fire  come 
out  of  the  bramble  and  devour  the  cedars  of  Lebanon."  We 
have  an  account  of  the  fulfilment  of  this  parable  in  the  sequel 
— How  the  men  of  Shechem  did  not  prove  faithful  subjects  to 
Abimelech,  according  to  their  covenant  or  agreement  with 
him,  but  dealt  treacherously  with  him  :  verse  23.  And  how 
accordingly  Abimelech  proved  the  occasion  of  their  destruc- 
tion. The  like  figure  of  speech  is  used  to  signify  the  nation's 
obedience  to  the  king  of  Assyria  ;  Ezek.  xxi.  6.  Our  trusting 
in  God  and  Christ,  is  often  expressed  by  our  trusting  in  his 
shadow,  and  under  the  shadow  of  his  wings,  and  the  like  : 
Psalm  xvii.  8.  and  xxxvi.  7.  and  lvii.  1.  lxiii.  7.  andxei.  1  ;  Cant, 
ii.  3;  Isaiah  iv.  6.  and  xxv.  4.  Here  see  Ruth  ii.  12.  compared 
with  chap.  i.  16  John  iii.  36.  "  He  that  believeth  on  the  Son, 
•  hath  everlasting  life  :  he  that  believeth  not  the  Son,  a#sidwv." 
The  force  of  the  word  may  in  some  measure  be  learned  from 
Acts  v.  36,  37.  and  Acts  v.  40.  M  And  to  him  they  agreed  or 
obeyed;'1''  the  word  is  the  same.  And  Acts  xxiii.  21.  "  But  do 
not  thou  yield  unto  them  ;"  the  word  is  the  same  in  the  Greek. 
Acts  xxvi.  19.  "  I  was  not  disobedient,  (owrs<0*]£)  to  the  heavenly 
vision  ;"  Rom.  i.  30.  "  Disobedient  to  parents,  a-rsifleis."  See 
also  Acts  xvii.  4.  "  Some  of  them  believed  (in  the  Greek 
sflrsitfAyjCav)  and  consorted  with  Paul  and  Silas."     Acts  xiv.  2. 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS.  551 

"  The  unbelieving  Jews,  ewrsidowrss."  Eph.  ii.  2.  "  The  spirit 
that  now  worketh  in  the  children  of  disobedience,  owrsidsias."  We 
may  judge  something  of  the  force  of  the  word  ireidofjt-ai,  by  the 
signification  of  the  word  whence  it  comes  ;  ireidopou  is  the  passive 
of  irsidw,  which  signifies  to  counsel,  to  move  or  entice,  draw  or 
persuade  unto. 

§  27.  It  is  fit  that,  seeing  we  depend  so  entirely  and  univer- 
sally, visibly  and  remarkably,  on  God,  in  our  fallen  state,  for 
happiness — and  seeing  the  special  design  of  God  was  to  bring 
us  into  such  a  great  and  most  evident  dependence — that  the 
act  of  the  soul,  by  which  it  is  interested  in  this  benefit,  bestowed 
in  this  way,  should  correspond  ;  viz.  a  looking  and  seeking  to, 
and  depending  on  God  for  it ;  that  the  unition  of  heart,  (that 
is  the  proper  term,)  should  imply  such  an  application  of  the 
soul  to  God,  and  seeking  his  benefits  only  and  entirely,  and 
with  full  sense  of  dependence  on  him.  As  the  condition 
before  was  obedience,  or  rendering  to  God,  so  now  it  is 
seeking  and  looking  to  him,  drawing  and  deriving  from  him, 
and  with  the  whole  heart  depending  on  him,  on  his  power  and 
free  grace,  &c.  Faith  is  the  proper  active  union  of  the  soul  with 
Christ  as  our  Saviour,  as  revealed  to  us  in  the  gospel.  But  the 
proper  active  union  of  the  soul  with  Christ  as  our  Saviour,  as  re- 
vealed to  us  in  the  gospel,  is  the  soul's  active  agreeing,  and  suiting 
or  adapting  itself  in  its  act,  to  the  exhibition  God  gives  us  of  Christ 
and  his  redemption  ;  to  the  nature  of  the  exhibition,  being  pure 
revelation,  and  a  revelation  of  things  perfectly  above  our'senses 
and  reason  ;  and  to  Christ  himself  in  his  person  as  revealed,  and 
in  the  character  under  which  he  is  revealed  to  us  ;  and  to  our 
state  with  regard  to  him  in  that  character  ;  and  to  our  need  of 
him,  and  concern  with  him,  and  his  relation  to  us,  and  to  the 
benefits  to  us,  with  which  he  is  exhibited  and  offered  to  us  in 
that  revelation  ;  and  to  the  great  design  of  God  in  that  method 
and  divine  contrivance  of  salvation  revealed.  But  the  most  pro- 
per name  for  such  an  active  union  of  the  soul  to  Christ,  as  this 
of  any  that  language  affords,  is  faith. 

§  28.  The  revelation  or  exhibition  that  God  first  made  of 
himself,  was  of  his  authority,  demanding  and  requiring  of  us, 
that  we  should  render  something  to  him  that  nature  and  reason 
required.  The  act  of  the  soul  that  is  suitable  to  such  an  exhi- 
bition, may  be  expressed  by  submitting,  doing,  obeying  and 
rendering  to  God.  The  exhibition  which  God  makes  of  him- 
self, since  our  fall,  in  the  gospel,  is  not  of  his  power  and  au- 
thority, as  demanding  of  us,  but  of  his  sufficiency  for  us,  as 
needy,  empty,  helpless:  and  of  his  grace  and  mercy  to  us,  as 
unworthy  and  miserable.  And  the  exhibition  is  by  pure  reve- 
lation of  things  quite  above  all  our  senses  and  reason,  or  the 
reach  of  any  created  faculties,  being  of  the  mere  good  pleasure 


^52  miscellaneous  remakes. 

of  God.  The  act  in  us,  that  is  proper  and  suitable  to,  and 
well  according  to  such  an  exhibition  as  this,  may  be  expressed 
by  such  names  as,  believing,  seeking,  looking,  depending,  ac- 
quiescing, or,  in  one  word,  faith. 

§  29.  That  believing,  in  the  New  Testament,  is  much  the 
same  as  trusting,  in  the  Old,  is  confirmed  by  comparing  Jer. 
xvii,  5.  "  Cursed  is  the  man  that  trusteth  in  man,  and  maketh 
flesh  his  arm,  whose  heart  departeth  from  the  Lord  ;"  ver.  7. 
"  Blessed  is  the  man  that  trusteth  in  the  Lord,  whose  hope  the 
Lord  is," — with  Heb.  iii.  12.  "  Take  heed,  brethren,  lest  there 
be  in  any  of  you  an  evil  heart  of  unbelief,  in  departing  from  the 
living  God.1'  It  also  is  confirmed  by  this,  that  trusting  God, 
and  hoping  in  him,  are  used  in  the  Old  Testament  as  expres- 
sions of  the  same  import.  So  hope  is  often  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment used  to  signify  the  same  thing  that,  in  other  places,  is 
signified  by  faith.  Rom.  xv.  12,  13.  "  And  again,  Esaias 
saith,  There  shall  be  a  root  of  Jesse,  and  he  that  shall  rise  to 
reign  over  the  Gentiles,  in  him  shall  the  Gentiles  trust.  Now, 
the  God  of  hope  fill  you  with  all  joy  and  peace  in  believing,that 
ye  may  abound  in  hope,  through  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 
Compare  Dan.  iii.  38.  with  Dan.  vi.  23.  and  Heb.  xi.  33,  34. 

§  30.  That  saving  faith  implies  in  its  nature  divine  love,  is 
manifest  by  1  John  v.  1.  "  Whosoever  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ,  is  born  of  God  ;  and  every  one  that  loveth  him  that  be- 
gat, lovcth  him  also  that  is  begotten  of  him.11  The  apostle's 
design  in  this  verse,  seems  to  be,  to  show  the  connexion  there 
is  between  a  true  and  sincere  respect  to  God,  and  a  respect  to 
and  union  with  Christ ;  so  that  he  who  is  united  to  the  Son,  is 
so  to  the  Father,  and  vice  versa.  As  he  believes  in  Christ,  and 
so  loves  him,  it  is  evident  that  he  is  a  child  of  God.  He,  whose 
heart  is  united  to  the  Father,  is  so  to  the  Son.  He  that  loveth 
him  that  begat,  loveth  him  also  that  is  begotten  of  him.  (Com- 
pare chap.  ii.  22,  23,  24.  and  chap.  iv.  15.  with  John  xiv.  1. 
and  John  xv.  23,  24.)  This  shows,  that  love  is  the  main 
thing  in  saving  faith,  the  life  and  power  of  it,  by  which  it  pro- 
duces great  effects  ;  agreeably  to  what  the  apostle  Paul  says, 
when  he  calls  saving  faith,  faith  effectual  by  love. 

§  31.  The  distinction  of  the  several  constituent  parts,  or  acts 
of  faith,  into  assent,  consent,  and  affiance,  if  strictly  examined, 
will  appear  not  to  be  proper  and  just,  or  according  to  the  truth 
and  nature  of  things  ;  because  the  parts  are  not  all  entirely  dis- 
tinct one  from  another,  and  so  are  in  some  measure  confounded. 
For  the  last,  viz.  affiance,  implies  the  other  two,  assent  and 
consent ;  and  is  nothing  else  but  a  man's  assent  and  consent, 
with  particular  relation  or  application  to  himself  and  his  own 
case,  together  with  the  effect  of  all  in  his  own  quietness  and 
comfort  of  mind,  and  boldness  in  venturing  on  this  foundation- 
in  conduct  and  practice. 


AUbCELLAIs^UUS    REMARKS  553 

Ajfiance  consists  in  these  five  things:  1.  Consent  to  some- 
thing proposed,  to  be  obtained  by  another  person,  as  good,  eli- 
gible or  desirable.  2.  Assent  of  the  judgment  to  the  reality  of 
the  good,  as  to  be  obtained  ;  that  he  is  sufficient,  faithful,  &c. 

3.  The  mind's  applying  itself  to  him  for  it,  which  is  no  other 
than  the  soul's  desiring  him  to  make  it  possessed  of  this  good, 

4.  Hoping  that  the  good  will  be  obtained  in  this  way  ;  which 
hope  consists  in  expectation  of  the  good,  and  in  some  ease, 
quietness,  or  comfort  of  mind  arising  from  this  expectation.  5. 
Adventuring  some  interest  on  this  hope  in  practice ;  which 
consists  either  in  doing  something  that  implies  trouble,  or  brings 
expense  or  suffering,  or  in  omitting  something  that  we  should 
otherwise  do  ;  by  which  omission  some  good  is  foregone,  or 
some  evil  is  incurred.  If  these  acts  cannot  in  strictness  all 
take  place  at  the  same  moment  of  time,  though  they  follow  one 
another  in  the  order  of  nature,  yet  they  are  all  implied  in  the 
act  that  is  exercised  the  first  moment,  so  far  as  that  act  is  of 
such  a  nature  as  implies  a  necessary  tendency  to  what  follows. 
In  these  three  last  especially  consists  man's  committing  himself 
to  Christ  as  a  Saviour.  In  the  third  and  fourth  especially  con- 
sists the  soul's  looking'  to  Christ  as  a  Saviour. 

§  32.  In  that  consent  to  the  way  or  method  of  salvation, 
which  there  is  in  saving  faith,  the  heart  has  especially  respect 
to  two  things  in  that  method,  that  are  the  peculiar  glory  of  it. 
and  whereby  it  is  peculiarly  contrary  to  corrupt  nature. 

1.  Its  being  a  way  wherein  God  is  exalted,  and  man  debased. 
God  is  made  all  in  all,  and  man  nothing.  God  is  magnified 
as  self-sufficient  and  all-sufficient,  and  as  being  all  in  all  to  us  : 
his  power  and  his  grace,  and  Christ's  satisfaction  and  merits, 
being  all :  and  man  is  annihilated ;  his  power,  his  righteous- 
ness,  his  dignity,  his  works,  are  made  as  nothing. 

2.  Its  being  so  holy  a  way.  It  is  a  way  of  mere  mercy,  yet 
of  holy  mercy  ;  mercy  in  saving  the  sinner,  but  showing  no  fa- 
vour or  countenance  to  sin  ;  a  way  of  free  grace,  yet  of  holy- 
grace  ;  not  grace  exercised  to  the  prejudice  of  God's  holiness, 
but  in  such  a  way  as  peculiarly  to  manifest  God's  hatred  of 
sin,  and  opposition  to  it,  and  strict  justice  in  punishing  it,  and 
that  he  will  by  no  means  clear  the  guilty ;  every  way  mani- 
festing the  infinite  evil  and  odiousness  of  sin,  much  more  than 
if  there  had  been  no  salvation  offered.  Therefore,  humiliation 
and  holiness  are  the  chief  ingredients  in  the  act  of  consent  to 
this  way  of  salvation. 

§  33.  In  these  things  I  have  spoken  only  of  a  consent  to  the 
way  or  method  of  salvation.  But  in  saving  faith  is  included 
also  a  consent  to  the  salvation  itself  or  the  benefit  procured. 
What  is  peculiarly  contrary  to  this  in  corrupt  nature,  is  a  worldly 
spirit;  and  therefore  in  order  to  this  act  of  consent,  there  must 
be  mortification  to,  or  weanedness  from,  the  world,  and  a  sell- 

Vol.  VIIt  70 


J54  iiliSCELLANEOlo  REMAUKfK 

ingof  all  for  the  pearl  of  great  price.  Besides  all  these,  there 
is  in  saving  faith  a  consent  to  Christ  himself,  or  a  closing  of  the 
heart  or  inclination  with  the  person  of  Christ.  This  implies 
humiliation;  for  as  long  as  men  deify  themselves,  they  will  not 
adore  Jesus  Christ.  It  implies  sanctijication ;  for  Christ's 
beauty,  for  which  his  person  is  delighted  in  and  chosen,  is  es- 
pecially his  holiness.  It  implies  forsaking  the  world  ;  for  as 
long  as  men  set  their  hearts  on  the  world  as  their  chief  good, 
and  have  that  as  the  chief  object  of  the  relish  and  complacence 
of  their  minds,  they  will  not  relish  and  take  complacence  in 
Christ,  and  set  their  hearts  on  him  as  their  best  good.  The 
heart  of  a  true  believer,  therefore,  consents  to  these  things  ex- 
hibited in  the  gospel  of  salvation  :  The  person  who  is  the  au- 
thor of  the  salvation  ;  The  benefit,  or  the  salvation  itself; 
The  way  or  method  in  which  this  person  is  the  author  of  this 
benefit. 

§  34.  Faith  is  often  mentioned  in  the  same  sense  as  hearing, 
hearkening,  yielding  to,  and  obeying  the  gospel,  obeying  Christ, 
being  obedient  to  the  faith,  obeying  the  form  of  doctrine,  &c. 
Hence  we  may  learn  the  nature  of  saving  faith  ;  that  it  is  an 
accepting,  yielding  to,  and  complying  with  the  gospel,  as  such 
a  call  and  invitation  ;  which  implies  the  hearing  of  the  mind. 
7.  e.  the  mind's  apprehending  or  understanding  the  call  ;  a  be- 
lieving of  the  voice,  and  the  offer  and  promises  contained  in  it ; 
and  accepting,  esteeming,  prizing  the  person  and  benefits  in- 
vited to ;  a  falling  in  of  the  inclination,  the  choice,  the  affec- 
tion, &c.  It  not  only  signifies  dependence,  as  it  appears  in 
venturing  in  practice,  but  also  as  it  appears  in  the  rest  of  the 
mind,  in  opposition  to  anxiety  ;  as  appears  by  Luke  xii.  22, 
&c.  "  Take  no  thought — how  much  more  will  he  clothe  you. 
O  ye  of  little  faith  ! — Fear  not,  little  flock,  it  is  the  Father's 
good  pleasure  to  give  you  the  kingdom,"— compared  with 
Philip,  iv.  6,  7.  and  1  Pet.  v.  7.  This  is  agreeable  to  that 
phrase  used  for  trusting  in  the  Old  Testament,  "  Roll  thy  bur- 
then on  the  Lord."  Matt.  xiv.  30,  31.  "  But  when  he  saw  the 
wind  boisterous,  he  was  afraid  ;  and  beginning  to  sink  he  cried, 
saying,  Lord,  save  me.  And  immediately  Jesus  stretched  forth 
his  hand  and  caught  him,  and  said  unto  him,  O  thou  of  little 
faith,  wherefore  didst  thou  doubt  ?" 

§  35.  The  following  inquiries  concerning  saving  faith,  are 
important :  Whether  justifying  faith,  in  its  proper  essence,  im- 
plies, besides  the  act  of  the  judgment,  also  an  act  of  the  incli- 
nation and  will  ?  Whether  it  properly  implies  love  in  its  essence  ? 
What  are  the  scripture  descriptions,  characters,  and  represen- 
tations of  justifying  faith  ?  What  is  the  true  definition  of.jus- 
tifying  faith,  a  definition  which  agrees  with  the  scriptrue  re- 
presentation of  faith,  and  takes  all  in  ?  Whether  the  word  faith, 
ajs  used  in  the  gospel,  has  a  signification  diverse  from  what  il 


MfSCELLANEOUS   REMARKS.  OOH 

has  in  common  speech  ?  Why  the  word  faith,  is  used  to  sig- 
nify a  complex  act  of  the  mind  ?  How  far  trusting  in  Christ  is 
of  the  nature  and  essence  of  faith  ?  Whether  assent,  consent 
and  affiance,  be  a  proper  distribution  of  the  various  and  distinct 
acts  of  faith  ?  Whether  hope,  as  the  word  is  used  in  the  New 
Testament,  be  properly  distinct  from  saving  faith  ?  What  does 
the  word  trust  imply  in  common  speech  ?  What  it  implies  as 
used  in  scripture  ?  In  what  sense  faith  implies  obedience  ?  What 
is  the  nature  of  self-righteousness  ?  How  self-righteousness  is 
peculiarly  opposite  to  the  nature  of  faith  ?  In  what  sense  there 
must  be  a  particular  application  in  the  act  of  saving  faith  ? 
Whether  the  first  act  of  faith  is  certainly  more  lively  and  sen- 
sible, than  some  of  the  weakest  of  the  consequent  acts  of  saving 
faith  ?  In  what  sense  perseverance  in  faith  is  necessary  to  sal- 
vation ?  What  sort  of  evidence  is  it  which  is  the  principal  imme- 
diate ground  of  that  assent  of  the  judgment  which  is  implied  in 
saving  faith  ? 

§  36.  The  general  description  of  justifying  faith  is  a  proper 
reception  of  Christ  and  his  salvation,  or  a  proper  active  union 
of  the  sold  to  Christ  as  a  Saviour.  1  say,  a  proper  reception. 
which  implies  that  it  is  a  receiving  him  in  a  manner  agreeable 
to  his  office  and  character  and  relation  to  us,  in  which  he  is 
exhibited  and  offered  to  us,  and  with  regard  to  those  ends  and 
effects  for  which  he  is  given  to  mankind,  was  sent  into  the 
world,  and  is  appointed  to  be  preached  ;  and  in  a  manner 
agreeable  to  the  way  in  which  he  is  exhibited,  made  known 
and  offered,  i.  e.  by  divine  revelation,  without  being  exhibited 
to  the  view  of  ourselves ;  and  the  nature  of  his  person,  charac- 
ter, offices  and  benefits ;  and  the  way  of  salvation,  as  related 
to  our  faculties  mysterious  and  incomprehensible  :  and  in  a 
manner  agreeable  to  our  circumstances,  and  our  particular  ne- 
cessities, and  immediate  and  infinite  personal  concern  with  the 
revelation  and  offer  of  the  Saviour.  An  union  of  soul  to  his 
Saviour,  and  a  reception  of  him  and  his  salvation,  which  is 
proper  in  these  respects,  is  most  aptly  called  by  the  name  of 
faith.  As  the  whole  soul,  in  all  its  faculties,  is  the  proper  sub- 
ject and  agent  of  faith,  so  undoubtedly  there  are  two  things  in 
saving  faith,  viz.  belief  of  the  truth,  and  an  answerable  dispo- 
sition of  heart.  And  therefore  faith  may  be  defined,  a  thorough 
believing  of  what  the  gospel  reveals  of  a  Saviour  of  sinners,  as 
true  and  perfectly  good,  with  the  exercise  of  an  answerable  dis- 
position towards  him.  That  true  faith,  in  the  scripture  sense 
of  it,  implies  not  only  the  exercise  of  the  understanding  but  of 
the  heart  or  disposition  is  very  manifest.  Many  important 
things  pertaining  to  saving  religion,  which  the  scripture  speaks 
of  under  the  name  of  some  exercise  of  the  understanding,  imply 
the  disposition  and  exercise  of  the  heart  also.  Such  as,  know- 
ing God — understanding  the  word  of  God — having  eves  to  see 


556  MISCELLANEOUS^REMARKS. 

and  a  heart  to  understand.  And  piety  is  called  wisdom.  So 
men's  wickedness  is  called  ignorance,  folly,  &c.  A  being  wise 
in  one's  own  eyes,  implies  an  high  opinion  of  oneself,  with  an 
agreeable  or  answerable  disposition.  For  we  do  not  trust  in 
any  person  or  thing  for  any  thing  but  good,  or  what  is  agreeable 
to  us ;  what  we  choose,  incline  to,  and  desire.  Yea,  trusting 
commonly  is  used  with  respect  to  great  good  ;  good  that  we 
choose,  as  what  we  depend  upon  for  support,  satisfaction,  hap- 
piness,  &c. 

§  37.  Faith  is  very  often  in  the  scripture  called  trust,  espe- 
cially in  the  Old  Testament.  Now,  trusting  is  something  more 
than  mere  believing.  Believing  is  the  assent  to  any  truth  tes- 
tified ;  trusting  always  respects  truth  that  nearly  concerns  our- 
selves, in  regard  of  some  benefit  that  it  reveals  to  us.  It  is  the 
acquiescence  of  the  mind  in  a  belief  of  any  person,  who  by  his 
word  reveals  or  represents  himself  to  us  as  the  author  of  some 
good  that  concerns  us.  If  the  benefit  be  a  deliverance  or  pre- 
servation from  misery,  it  is  a  being  easy  in  a  belief  that  he  will 
do  it.  So,  if  we  say,  a  man  trusts  in  a  castle  to  save  him  from 
his  enemies,  we  mean,  his  mind  is  easy,  and  rests  in  a  persua- 
sion that  it  will  keep  him  safe.  If  the  benefit  be  the  bestow- 
ment  of  happiness,  it  is  the  mind's  acquiescing  m  it,  that  he 
will  accomplish  it ;  that  is,  he  is  persuaded  he  will  do  it ;  he 
has  such  a  persuasion,  that  he  rejoices  in  confidence  of  it.  Thus, 
if  a  man  has  promised  a  child  to  make  him  his  heir,  if  we  say 
the  child  trusts  in  him  to  be  made  his  heir,  we  mean  he  has  such 
a  belief  of  what  he  promises,  that  his  mind  acquiesces  and  re- 
joices in  it,  so  as  not  to  be  disturbed  by  doubts  and  questions 
whether  he  will  perform  it.  These  things  all  the  world  means 
by  trust.  The  first  fruit  of  trust  as  being  willing  to  do  and 
undergo  in  the  expectation  of  something.  He  that  does  not. 
expect  the  benefit,  so  much  as  to  make  him  ready  to  do  or  un- 
dergo, dares  not  trust  it :  he  dares  not  run  the  venture  of  it. 
Therefore,  they  may  be  said  to  trust  in  Christ,  and  they  only,  that 
are  ready  to  do  and  undergo  all  that  he  desires,  in  expectation 
of  his  redemption.  And  the  faith  of  those  that  dare  not  do  so, 
is  unsound.     Therefore,  such  trials  are  called  the  trials  of  faith. 

But  this  is  to  be  considered,  that  Christ  does  not  promise 
that  he  will  be  the  author  of  our  final  redemption,  but  upon 
condition  ;  and  we  have  not  performed  that  condition,  until  we 
have  believed.  Therefore,  the  first  act  of  faith  is  no  more  than 
this,  the  acquiescence  of  the  mind  in  him  in  what  he  does  de- 
clare absolutely.  It  is  the  soul's  resting  in  him,  and  adhering 
to  him,  so  far  as  his  word  reveals  him  to  all  as  a  Saviour  for 
sinners,  as  one  that  has  wrought  out  redemption,  as  a  sufficient 
Saviour,  as  a  Saviour  suited  to  their  case,  as  a  willing  Saviour, 
as  the  author  of  an  excellent  salvation,  &c;  so  as  to  be  en- 
couraged hearti!v  to  seek  snlvation  of  him.  to  come  to  him,  to 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  00  4 

love,  desire,  and  thirst  after  him  as  a  Saviour,  and  fly  for  refuge 
to  him.  This  is  the  very  same  thing  in  substance,  as  that  trust 
we  spoke  of  before,  and  is  the  very  essence  of  it.  If  a  man  offers 
another  to  rescue  him  from  captivity,  and  carry  him  to  his  own 
country  ;  if  the  latter  believes  the  former  will  do  it,  and  yet  does 
not  desire  it,  he  cannot  be  said  to  trust  in  him  for  it.  And  if  the 
thing  be  accounted  good,  and  be  believed,  yet  if  the  person  to 
whom  it  is  offered,  does  not  like  the  person  that  does  it,  or  the 
way  of  its  accomplishment,  there  cannot  be  an  entire  trust,  be- 
cause there  is  not  a  full  adherence  and  acquiescence  of  mind. 

§  38.  The  conditions  of  justification  are,  repentance  and  faith: 
and  the  freedom  of  grace  appears  in  the  forgiving  of  sin  upon 
repentance,  or  only  for  our  being  willing  to  partwith  it,  after 
the  same  manner  as  the  bestowment  of  eternal  life,  only  for 
accepting  of  it.  For  to  make  us  an  offer  of  freedom  from  a 
thing,  only  for  quitting  of  it,  is  equivalent  to  the  offering  the 
possession  of  a  thing  for  the  receiving  of  it.  God  makes  us  this 
offer,  that  if  we  will  in  our  hearts  quit  sin,  we  shall  be  freed 
from  it,  and  all  the  evil  that  belongs  to  it,  and  flows  from  it ; 
which  is  the  same  thing  as  the  offering  us  freedom  only  for  ac- 
cepting it.  Accepting,  in  this  case,  is  quitting  and  parting 
with,  in  our  wills  and  inclination.  So  that  repentance  is  im- 
plied in  faith ;  it  is  a  part  of  our  willing  reception  of  the  sal- 
vation of  Jesus  Christ ;  though  faith  with  respect  to  sin,  im- 
plies something  more  in  it,  viz.  a  respect  to  Chriat,  as  him  by 
whom  we  have  deliverance.  Thus  by  faith  we  destroy  sin- 
Gal,  ii.  18. 

§  39.  As  to  that  question,  Whether  closing  with  Christ  in  his 
kingly  office  be  of  the  essence  of  justifying  faith  ?  1  would 
say, 

I.  That  accepting  Christ  in  his  kingly  office,  is  doubtless  the 
proper  condition  of  having  an  interest  in  his  kingly  office,  and 
so  the  condition  of  that  salvation  which  he  bestows  in  the  exe- 
cution of  that  office,  as  much  as  accepting  the  forgiveness  of 
sins,  is  the  proper  condition  of  the  forgiveness  of  sin.  Christ, 
in  his  kingly  office,  bestows  salvation ;  and  therefore,  accepting 
him  in  his  kingly  office,  by  a  disposition  to  sell  all  and  suffer 
all  in  duty  to  Christ,  and  giving  proper  respect  and  honour-to 
him,  is  the  proper  condition  of  salvation.  This  is  manifest  by 
Heb.  v.  9.  »« And  being  made  perfect,  he  became  the  author  of 
eternal  salvation  to  all  them  that  obey  him  •"  and  by  Rom.  x. 
10.  "  For  with  the  heart  man  believeth  unto  righteousness,  and 
with  the  mouth  confession  is  made  unto  salvation."  The 
apostle  speaks  of  such  a  confessing  of  Christ,  or  outward  and 
open  testifying  our  respect  to  him,  and  adhering  in  duty  to  him, 
as  exposes  to  suffering,  reproach  and  persecution.  And  that 
such  a  disposition  and  practice  is  of  the  essence  of  saving  faith, 
is  manifest  by  John  xii.  42,  43.     "Nevertheless,  among  the 


»58  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

chief  rulers  also,  many  believed  on  him  ;  but  because  of  the 
Pharisees  they  did  not  confess  him,  lest  they  should  be  put  out 
of  the  synagogue:  for  they  loved  the  praise  of  men  more  than 
the  praise  of  God  ;" — compared  with  John  v.  44.  "  How  can 
ye  believe,  which  receive  honour  of  one  another,  and  .seek  not 
the  honour  that  cometh  from  God  only  ?" 

2.  Accepting  Christ  as  a  priest  and  king,  cannot  be  sepa- 
rated. They  not  only  cannot  be  separated,  or  be  asunder  in 
their  subject,  but  they  cannot  be  considered  as  separate  things 
in  their  natures  ;  for  they  are  implied  one  in  another.  Ac- 
cepting Christ  as  a  king,  is  implied  in  accepting  him  as  a  priest : 
for,  as  a  priest,  he  procures  a  title  to  the  benefits  of  his  kingly 
office  ;  and  therefore,  to  accept  him  as  a  priest,  implies  an  ac- 
cepting him  in  his  kingly  office  :  for  we  cannot  accept  the  pur- 
chase of  his  priesthood,  but  by  accepting  the  benefits  pur- 
chased. If  faith  is  supposed  to  contain  no  more  immediately, 
than  only  an  accepting  of  Christ  as  a  mediator  for  our  justifi- 
cation ;  yet  that  justification  implies  a  giving  a  title  to  the 
benefits  of  his  kingly  office,  viz.  salvation  from  sin,  and  con- 
formity to  his  nature  and  will,  and  actual  salvation  by  actual 
deliverance  from  our  enemies,  and  the  bestowment  of  glory. 

§  40.  Some  have  objected  against  a  spiritual  si#ht  of  divine 
things  in  their  glorious  excellent  and  divine  form,  as  being  the 
foundation  of  faith,  whioh  is  a  spiritual  conviction  of  the  truth 
or  real  existence  of  them  ;  because,  say  they,  the  existence  of 
things  is  in  the  order  of  nature  before  forms  or  qualities  of  them 
as  excellent  or  odious  ;  and  so  the  knowledge  of  their  existence 
must  go  before  the  sight  of  their  form  or  quality  ;  they  must  be 
known  to  be,  before  they  are  seen  to  be  excellent. — I  answer, 
It  is  true,  things  must  be  known  to  be,  before  they  are*  known 
to  be  excellent,  if  by  this  proposition  be  understood,  that  things 
must  be  known  really  to  exist,  before  they  can  be  known  really 
to  exist  with  such  and  such  beauty.  And  all  the  force  of  the 
objection  depends  on  such  a  meaning  of  this  assertion.  But  if 
thereby  be  intended,  that  a  thing  must  be  known  to  have  a 
real  existence  before  the  person  has  a  clear  understanding, idea, 
or  apprehension,  of  the  thing  proposed  or  objected  to  his  view, 
as  it  is  in  its  qualities  either  odious  or  beautiful,  then  the  as- 
sertion is  not  true ;  for  his  having  a  clear  idea  of  something 
proposed  to  his  understanding  or  view,  as  very  beautiful  or  very 
odious,  as  is  proposed,  does  not  presuppose  its  reality.  But,  in 
our  way  of  understanding  things  in  general  of  all  kinds,  we  first 
have  some  understanding  or  view  of  the  thing  in  its  qualities, 
before  we  know  its  existence.  Thus  it  is  in  things  that  we 
know  by  our  external  senses,  by  our  bodily  sight  for  instance. 
We  first  see  them,  or  have  a  clear  idea  of  them  by  our  sight, 
before  we  know  their  existence  by  our  sight.  We  first  see  thr 
sun.  and  have  a  strong,  lively,  and  clear  idea  of  it  in  its  quali- 


MISCELLANEOUS   REMARKS.  559 

ties,  its  shape,  its  brightness,  &c.  before  we  know  there  actually 
exists  such  a  body. 

§  41.  It  is  observable,  that  as  trusting  in  God,  hoping  in  him, 
waiting  for  him,  &c.  are  abundantly  insisted  on  in  the  Old 
Testament,  as  the  main  condition  of  God's  favour,  protection, 
deiiverance,  and  salvation,  in  the  book  of  Psalms  and  else- 
where \  so,  in  most  of  those  places  where  these  graces  of  trust 
and  hope  are  so  insisted  upon,  the  subjects  of  them  are  repre- 
sented as  being  in  a  state  of  trial,  trouble,  difficulty,  danger, 
opposition,  and  oppression  of  enemies,  and  the  like.  And  the 
clearer  revelation,  and  more  abundant  light  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, bring  into  clearer  view  the  state  that  all  mankind  are  in 
with  regard  to  those  things  that  are  invisible,  the  invisible  God, 
an  invisible  world,  and  invisible  enemies,  and  so  show  men's 
lost,  miserable,  captivated,  dangerous,  and  helpless  state,  and 
reveal  the  infinite  mercy  of  God,  and  his  glorious  all-sufficiency 
to  such  wretched,  helpless  creatures,  and  also  exhibit  Christ  in 
the  character  of  the  Saviour  of  the  miserable,  the  great  Re- 
deemer of  captives,  &.c.  Hence  faith,  trust,  and  hope,  are 
mostly  fitly  insisted  on  as  the  duty  and  qualification  peculiarly 
proper  for  all  mankind,  and  the  virtue  proper  to  be  exercised 
in  their  circumstances  towards  God  and  Christ,  as  they  reveal 
themselves  in  the  gospel,  as  belonging  to  them  in  their  character 
and  relation  to  us,  and  concern  with  us,  in  which  they  are  there 
exhibited  ;  and  as  the  grand  condition  of  our  aalvation,  or  our 
receiving  those  benefits,  which  we,  as  sinful,  miserable,  and 
helpless  creatures,  need  from  them,  and  which  Christ,  as  a  Re- 
deemer, appears  ready  to  bestow. 

§  4'2.  Dr.  Manton  reconciles  the  apostle  James  and  the 
apostle  Paul  in  the  following  manner,  in  his  5th  volume  of 
Sermons,  p.  274. — '*  Justification  hath  respect  to  some  accu~ 
sation  :  now,  as  there  is  a  twofold  law,  there  is  a  twofold  ac- 
cusation and  justification  ;  the  law  of  works,  and  the  law  of 
grace.  Now,  when  we  are  accused  as  breakers  of  the  law  of 
works,  that  is,  as  sinners  obnoxious  to  the  wrath  of  God,  we 
plead  Christ's  satisfaction  as  our  righteousness,  no  works  of 
our  own.  But  when  we  are  accused  as  non-performers  of  the 
Conditions  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  as  being  neglectors  and 
rejectois  of  Christ  the  Mediator,  we  are  justified  by  producing 
our  faith  or  sincere  obedience;  so  that  our  righteousness  by  the 
new  covenant  is  subordinate  to  our  universal  righteousness, 
with  respect  to  the  great  law  of  God ;  and  that  we  have  only 
by  Christ.  If  we  are  charged  that  we  have  broken  the  first 
covenant,  the  covenant  of  works,  we  allege  Christ's  satis- 
faction and  merit.  If  charged  not  to  have  performed  the  con- 
ditions of  the  law  of  grace,  we  answer  it  by  producing  our  faith, 
repentance  and  new  obedience,  and  so  show  it  to  be  a  false 
charge.     Our  first  and  supreme  righteousness  consists  in  the 


5U0  MISCELLANEOUS    KEMAKKs. 

pardon  of  our  sins,  and  our  acceptance  in  the  Beloved,  and  our 
right  to  impunity  and  glory.  Our  second  and  subordinate 
righteousness,  in  having  the  true  condition  of  pardon  and  life. 
In  the  first  sense,  Christ's  righteousness  alone  is  our  justifi- 
cation and  righteousness.  Faith  and  repentance,  or  new  obe- 
dience, is  not  the  least  part  of  it.  But  in  the  second,  believing, 
repenting,  and  obeying,  is  our  righteousness  in  their  several  re- 
spective ways,  viz.  that  the  righteousness  of  Christ  may  be  ours, 
and  continue  ours."  See  also  Dr.  Manton  on  James,  p.  310, 
311,  312,  and  331,  &c. 

§  43.  The  very  acceptance  of  Christ  in  his  priestly  office, 
making  atonement  for  sin  by  his  blood,  and  fulfilling  the  law 
of  God  by  his  perfect  obedience  unto  death — and  so  the  very  ap- 
probation of  the  attribute  of  God,  as  it  is  there  exhibited,  an  in- 
finite holy  mercy — thoroughly  secures  holiness  of  heart  and  life 
in  the  redeemed  of  Jesus  Christ.     Acceptance  and  approbation 
will  secure  their  conformity  to  the  law  of  God,  though,  by  this 
very  mercy,  and  this  very  Saviour,  they  are  set  at  liberty  from 
the  law,  and  are  no  longer  under  the  law,  as  a  law  with  its 
sanctions  immediately  taking  hold  of  them,  and  binding  them 
by  its  sanctions  or  threatenings,  connecting  and  binding  to- 
gether its  fulfilment  and  life,  and  its  violation  and  death.    Our 
heart  approving  of  that  holy  mercy  of  Q*"k  which  appears  in 
the  showing  mercy  to  sinners — in  a  way  of  perfectly  satisfying 
the  law,  suffering  all  its  penalty,  and  perfectly  fulfilling  and  an- 
swering its  precepts — implies  a  heart  fully  approving  the  law 
itself,  as  most  worthy  to  be  fulfilled  and  satisfied,  the  authority 
that  established  the  law,  and  to  its  infinite  worthiness  of  being 
obeyed.     It  implies  a  heart  entirely  detesting  sin,  and  in  some 
sort  sensible  of  the  infinite  detestableness  of  it,  that  we  approve 
of  God's  making  such  a  manifestation  of  his  detestation  of  it. 
and  approve  of  the  declared  fitness  and  necessity  of  its  being 
punished  with  so  great  a  punishment  as  the  sufferings  of  Christ. 
Our  accepting  such  sufferings  as  an  atonement  for  our  sin,  im- 
plies  a   heart  fully  repenting  of,  and  renouncing  sin ;  for  it 
implies  not  only  a  conviction  that  we  deserve  so  great  a  pun- 
ishment, and  not  only  a  mere  conviction  of  conscience,  but  an 
approbation  of  heart  of  the  connexion  of  such  sin  with  such 
punishment,  which  implies  an  hatred  of  the  sin  punished.  And 
the  heart's   entire  approbation  of  such  methods  perfectly  to 
fulfil  the  obedience  of  the  law,  by  so  great  a  person,  and  by  his 
doing  so  great  things,  and  denying  himself  so  much,  implies  a 
very  high  approbation  of  this  law,  and  authority  of  the  law- 
giver.    Therefore,  this  acceptance  of  Christ  as  a  Saviour,  by 
his  obedience    and  atonement,  and  an  acceptance  of  God's 
holy  mercy  forgiving  sin,  and  giving  life  in  this  way,  does  well 
secure  universal  obedience  to  the  law  of  God  as  a  law  of  liberty, 
and  with  a  free  and  ingenuous  spirit,  by  the  obedience  of  chif 


MISCJStLANEOUS    REMARKS. 


561 


dren,  and  not  of  slaves.    Thus,  the  faith  that  justified  the  sinner, 
destroys  sin  ;  and  the  heart  is  purified. 

§  44.    It  is  said,    "  Whosoever  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the, 
Christ,  is  born  of  God ;  by  which  it  is  manifest,  that  there  was 
some  great  virtue  that  the   apostles  and  Christians  in  those 
days  used  to  call  by  the  name  of  faith  or  believing,  believing 
that  Jesus  is  Christ,  and  the  like ;  which  was  a  thing  very  pe- 
culiar and  distinguishing,   and  belonging  only  to  those  that 
were  born  of  God.     Thereby  cannot  be  meant,  therefore,  only 
a  mere  assent  to  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  because  that  is 
common  to  saints  and  sinners,  as  is  very  evident.     The  apostle 
James  plainly  teaches  in  chap.  ii.   that  this  faith  may  be  in 
those  who  are  not  in  a  state  of  salvation.     And  we  read  in  the 
Evangelists,  of  many  that  in  this  sense  believed,  to  whom  Christ 
did  not  commit  himself,  because  he  knew  what  was  in  them, 
John  ii.  at  the  latter  end,  and  many  other  places.     When  it  is 
«aid,  "  Whosoever  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  is  born  of 
God  ;"  thereby  cannot  be  meant,  whosoever  has  such  an  assent 
as  is  perfect,  so  as  to  exclude  all  remaining  unbelief;  for  it  is 
evident,  that  the  faith  of  good  men  does  not  do  this.     Thus,  a 
true  believer  said,  Mark  ix.   24,  "Lord  I  believe;  help  thou 
mine  unbelief:'"  and  Christ  is  often  reproving  his  true  disciples, 
that  they  have  so  little  faith.     He  often  says  to  them,  "  O  ye 
of  little  faith;"  and  speaks  sometime*  as  "if  their   faith  were 
less  than  a  grain  of  mustard  seed.     Nor  can  the  apostle,  when 
lie  says,  "  Whosoever  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  is  born 
of  God,"  mean  that  whosoever  has  a  predominant  assent,  or 
an  assent  that  prevails  above  his  dissent,  or  whose  judgment 
preponderates  that  way,  and  has  more  weight  in  that  scale 
than  the  other ;  because  it  is  plain  that  it  is  not  true  that  every 
one  that  believes  in  this  sense,  is  born  of  God.     Many  natural 
unregenerate  men,  have  such  a  preponderating  judgment  of 
the  truth  of  gospel  doctrines  ;  without  it,  there  is  no  belief  of  it 
at  all.     For  believing,  in  the  lowest  sense,  implies  a  prepon- 
derating judgment ;  but  it  is  evident,  as  just  now  observed, 
that  many  natural  men  believe :  they  judge  that  the  doctrine 
is  true,  as  the  devils  do.     And   again,  when  the  apostle  says, 
"  Whosoever  believeth  that   Jesus  is   the  Christ,  is  born   of 
God ;"    he  does  not  mean,  he  that  believes  or  assents  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ,  to  such  a  certain  degree,  is  born  of  God  ; 
but  that  whosoever  at  all  performs  that  act  which  the  apostle 
calls  by  that  name,  or  whosoever  has  any  thing  at  all  of  that 
kind  of  virtue  the  apostle  calls  believing,  is  born  of  God,  and 
that  he  that  is  not  born  of  God,  has  not  that  virtue  that  ho 
meant,  but  is  wholly  without  it.     And  besides,  it  would  be  un- 
reasonable to  suppose,  that  by  this  believing,  which  the  apostle 
there  and  elsewhere  lays  down  as  such  a  grand  note  of  dis- 
tinction between  those  that  are  born  of  God,  and  those  thai 

Von.  VII  71 


562  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARK:;. 

are  not,  is  meant  only  a  certain  degree  of  assent,  li  this  vrai 
the  apostle's  meaning,  he  would  use  words  in  a  manner  not 
consistent  with  the  use  of  language,  as  he  would  call  things 
nearly  alike  by  such  distant  and  contrary  names  :  and 
would  represent  the  subjects  in  whom  they  are,  as  of  such 
different  and  contrary  characters,  calling  one  believer,  and  the 
other  unbeliever,  one  the  children  of  God,  and  those  that  are 
born  of  God,  and  the  other  the  children  of  the  devil,  as  this 
apostle  calls  all  that  are  not  born  of  God,  in  this  epistle, 
(see  chap.  iii.  9,  10 ;)  and  would  represent  one  as  setting  to 
his  seal  that  God  is  true,  and  the  other  as  making  him  a  liar, 
as  in  the  10th  verse  of  the  context.  And  besides,  if  believers 
in  this  sense  only,  with  such  an  infinitely  small  gradual  differ- 
ence, was  all  that  he  meant,  it  would  be  no  such  notable  dis- 
tinction between  those  that  are  born  of  God,  and  those  that 
are  not,  as  this  apostle,  and  other  apostles  every  where  signify. 
Nay,  it  would  not  be  fit  to  be  used  as  a  sign  or  characteristic 
for  men  to  distinguish  themselves  by  :  for  such  minute  gradual 
differences,  which  in  this  case  would  be  alone  certainly  distin- 
guishing, are  altogether  undiscernable,  or  at  least  with  great 
difficulty  determined ;  and  therefore,  are  not  to  be  given  as 
distinguishing  notes  of  the  Christian  character- 

§  45.  If  words  are  exery  whero  used  after  this  manner  in 
the  Bible,  and,  by  f^ith  fin  Christ,  as  the  word  is  generally  used 
there,  is  meant  only  the  assent  of  the  understanding,  and  that 
not  merely  a  predominant  assent,  nor  yet  a  perfect  assent,  ex- 
cluding all  remaining  unbelief,  but  only  a  certain  degree  of  as- 
sent between  these  two,  rising  up  just  to  such  a  precise  height. 
so  that  he  that  has  this  shall  every  where  be  called  a  believer ; 
and  he  whose  assent,  though  it  predominates  also,  and  rises  up 
as  high  as  the  other,  within  an  infinitely  little,  shall  be  called 
an  unbeliever,  one  that  wickedly  makes  God  a  liar,  &c. ;  this 
is  in  effect  to  use  words  without  any  determinate  meaning  at 
all,  or,  which  is  the  same  thing,  any  meaning  proportioned  to 
our  understandings  :  therefore,  there  is  undoubtedly  some 
great  and  notable  difference  between  the  faith  of  those  who 
are  in  a  state  of  salvation,  and  that  of  those  who  are  not;  inso- 
much that  without  that  very  faith,  according  to  the  common 
use  of  language  in  these  days,  those  who  were  not  in  a  state  of 
salvation,  may  be  said  not  to  believe  at  all.  And  besides,  that 
virtue  which  the  apostle  speaks  of  as  such  a  great  and  distin- 
guishing note  of  a  child  of  God,  he  plainly  speaks  of  as  a  su- 
pernatural thing,  as  something  not  in  natural  men,  but  given 
only  in  regeneration  or  being  born  of  God,  which  is  the  great 
change  of  men  from  that  which  is  natural  to  that  which  is  su- 
pernatural. Men  have  what  is  natural,  by  their  being  born  in 
a  natural  way  ;  but  they  have  what  is  supernatural,  by  being 
born  of  God.     But,  says  the  apostle,  '•  Whosoever  believeth 


&LLANEOXJS    REMARK: 


5b;i 


that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  is  born  of  God."  The  same  faith  is 
plainly  spoken  of  as  a  supernatural  thing  in  the  foregoing 
chapter,  verse  15.  "  Whosoever  shall  confess  that  Jesus  is  the 
Son  of  God,  God  dwelleth  in  him,  and  he  in  God." 

§  46.  But  common  faith  is  not  a  supernatural  thing,  any 
more  than  a  belief  of  any  history.  It  is  obtained  by  the  same 
means.  If  one  be  natural,  and  the  other  supernatural,  then 
undoubtedly  the  difference  is  not  only  such  a  gradual  diffe- 
rence, differing  but  an  infinitely  little.  Jf  all  lies  in  the  degree 
of  assent,  let  us  suppose  that  a  thousand  degrees  of  assent  be 
required  to  salvation,  and  that  there  is  no  difference  in  kind  in 
the  faith  of  others.  How  unreasonable  is  it  to  say,  that  when 
a  man  can  naturally  raise  his  assent  to  nine  hundred  and 
ninety-nine  degrees,  yet  he  cannot  reach  the  other  degree,  by 
any  improvement,  but  there  must  be  a  new  birth  in  order  to 
the  other  degree !  And  as  it  is  thus  evident,  that  the  faith  or 
believing  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  which  the  apostle  speaks  of 
in  the  text,  is  some  virtue  intended  by  the  apostle,  differing 
not  only  in  degree,  but  in  nature  and  kind,  from  any  faith  that 
unregenerate  men  have  ;  so,  I  would  observe,  that  this  special 
faith  of  which  the  apostle  speaks,  that  so  differs  from  common 
faith,  is  not  only  a  faith  that  some  Christians  only  have  ob- 
tained, but  all  have  it  who  we  in  a  state  of  salvation  ;  because 
the  same  faith  is  often  spoken  of  as  that  which  first  brings  men 
into  a  state  of  salvation,  and  not  merely  as  that  which  Chris- 
tians attain  to  afterward.  How  often  are  we  taught,  that  it  is 
by  faith  in  Christ  we  are  justified  ;  and  that  he  that  believes  not, 
is  in  a  state  of  condemnation ;  and  that  it  is  by  this  men  pass 
from  a  state  of  condemnation  to  a  state  of  salvation.  Com- 
pare John  v.  "21.  "  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  he  that  heareth 
my  words,  and  believeth  on  him  that  sent  me,  hath  everlasting 
life,  and  shall  not  come  into  condemnation,  but  is  passed  from 
death  unto  life ;"  with  chapter  iii.  18.  "  He  that  believeth  on 
him,  is  not  condemned  ;  but  he  that  believeth  not,  is  condemn- 
ed already,  because  he  hath  not  believed  in  the  name  of  the 
only  begotten  Son  of  God.1'  And  this  faith  that  brings  into  a 
state  of  life,  is  thus  expressed,  John  xx.  31.  "  But  these  things 
are  written,  that  ye  might  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the 
Son  of  God  ;  and  that  believing,  ye  might  have  life  through  his 
name."  Thus  it  is  manifest,  that  the  faith  spoken  of  in  such 
texts,  is  the  faith  that  all  men  have  who  are  in  a  state  of  sal- 
vation, and  the  faith  by  which  they  first  come  into  salvation  ; 
and  that  it  is  a  faith  especially  differing  in  nature,  and  kind 
from  all  common  faith. 

§  47.  That  there  is  some  kind  of  difference  or  other,  is  most 
apparent  from  the  vast  distinction  made  in  scripture,  insomuch 
that  those  who  have  faith,  are  all  from  time  to  time  spoken  of 
a?  justified,  and  in  a  state  of  solvation,  having  a  title  to  eternal 


■>'»  1  'to  REM  A] 

fife,  &  c.  Horn.  i.  16.  '.'  The  gospel  is  the  power  oi  God  to 
salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth:''  And  chap.  iii.  22. 
"  Even  the  righteousness  of  God,  which  is  by  faith  of  Jesus 
Christ,  unto  all  and  upon  all  that  believe"  Rom.  x.  4. 
"  Christ  is  the  end  of  the  law  for  righteousness  to  every  one 
that  believeth:'1  Acts  xiii.  39.  "  And  by  him  all  that  believe 
are  justified.'1''  In  these  and  other  places,  a  stale  of  salvation 
is  predicted  of  every  one  that  believeth  or  hath  faith.  And 
by  the  supposition,  they  that  have  no  saving  faith  are  in  a 
state  of  damnation ,  as  it  is  also  expressly  said  in  Scripture^ 
"  He  that  believeth  not,  shall  be  damned,"  and  the  like.  So 
that  it  is  evident  that  there  is  a  great  difference  between  the 
virtue  that  the  Scripture  calls  by  the  name  faith,  and  speak> 
of  as  saving  faith,  let  it  be  what  it  will,  and  all  that  is  or  can 
be  in  others.  The  difference  must  either  be  in  the  degree  of 
faith,  and  in  the  effects  of  it,  or  it  is  in  the  nature  of  the  faith 
itself. 

§  49.  It  is  not  merely  a  difference  in  degree.  Matt.  xvi.  15 
— 17.  "  He  saith  unto  them,  But  whom  say  ye  that  1  am  ?  and 
Simon  Peter  answered  and  said,  Thou  art  Christ,  the  Son  of 
the  living  God.  And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him, 
Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Barjona  :  for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not 
revealed  it  unto  thee,  but  r»y  Fattier  which  is  in  heaven." 
This  must  evidently  be  understood  of  a  supernatural  way  of 
coming  by  this  belief  or  faith  ;  such  a  way  as  is  greatly  distin- 
guished from  instruction  or  judgment  in  other  matters,  such  as 
the  wise  and  prudent  in  temporal  things  had.  So  Luke  x.  21. 
22.  "  In  that  hour,  Jesus  rejoiced  in  spirit,  and  said,  I  thank 
thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  that  thou  hast  hid 
these  things  from  the  wise  and  prudent,  and  hast  revealed  them 
unto  babes  :  even  so,  Father,  for  so  it  seemed  good  in  thy 
sight.  No  man  knoweth  who  the  Son  is,  but  the  Father  ;  and 
who  the  Father  is,  but  the  Son,  and  he  to  whom  the  Son  will 
reveal  him."  So,  to  the  same  purpose,  is  John  vi.  44,  45. 
"  No  man  can  come  to  me,  except  the  Father  which  hath  sent. 
me  draw  him,  and  I  will  raise  him  up  at  the  last  day.  It  is 
written  in  the  prophets,  "And  they  all  shall  be  taught  of  God  : 
Every  man  therefore  that  hath  heard,  and  hath  learned  of  the 
Father,  cometh  unto  me."  And  what  is  meant  is  not  merely 
that  God  gives  it  in  his  providence  ;  for  so  he  gives  the  know- 
ledge of  those  wise  and  prudent  men  mentioned  in  the  fore 
cited  passage.  It  is  said,  that  he  gives  it  by  the  teaching  of 
his  Spirit,  as  appears  by  I  Cor.  xii.  3.  "  No  man  can  say  that 
Jesus  is  the  Lord,  but  by  the  Holy  Ghost."  And  the  common 
influences  of  the  Spirit,  such  as  natural  men  may  have,  are  not. 
meant,  as  appears  by  what  the  same  apostle  says  in  the  same 
epistle,  chap.  ii.  14.  "  But  the  natural  man  receiveth  not  the 
things  of  the  Spirit,  of  God  :  for  thev  are  foolishness  unto  him  : 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  565 

neither  can  he  know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually  dis- 
cerned.'' The  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  to  which  the  apos- 
tle has  a  special  respect,  arc  the  doctrine  of  Christ  crucified,  as 
appears  by  the  beginning  of  the  chapter,  and  by  the  foregoing 
chapter,  which  he  says  is  to  the  Jews  a  stumbling  block,  and 
to  the  Greeks  foolishness.  And,  that  the  influence  of  the 
Spirit,  in  which  this  saving  faith  is  given,  is  not  any  common 
influence,  or  any  thing  like  it,  but  is  that  influence  by  which 
men  are  God's  workmanship,  or  made  new  creatures,  is  evi- 
dent by  Ephesians  ii.  8,  9,  10.  "  For  by  grace  are  ye  saved, 
through  faith  ;  and  that  not  of  yourselves  :  it  is  the  gift  of  God  : 
not  of  works,  lest  any  man  should  beast :  For  we  are  his  work- 
manship, created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works,  which  God 
hath  before  ordained,  that  we  should  walk  in  them."  And 
what  makes  the  argument  yet  more  clear  and  demonstrative 
is,  that  it  is  mentioned  as  one  of  the  distinguishing  charac- 
ters of -saving  faith,  that  it  is  the  faith  of  the  operation  of 
God  ;  Col.  ii.  12.  "  You  are  risen  with  him  through  the  faith 
of  the  operation  of  God,  who  hath  raised  him  from  the  dead." 
Now,  would  this  faith  be  any  distinguishing  character  of  the 
true  Christian,  if  it  were  not  a  faith  of  a  different  kind  from 
that  which  otWa  may  have  ?  Now  is  it  reasonable  to  suppose, 
that  such  distinctions  as  theafi  would  be  taught,  as  taking 
place  between  saving  faith,  and  common  faith,  if  there  were  no 
essential  difference,  but  only  a  gradual  difference,  and  they  ap 
proached  infinitely  near  to  each  other  ? 

§  49.  The  distinguishing  epithets  and  characters  ascribed  to 
saving  faith  in  scripture,  are  such  as  denote  the  difference  to  be 
in  nature  and  hind,  and  not  in  degree  only.  One  distinguish- 
ing epithet  is  precious ;  2  Peter  i.  1.  "Like  precious  faith 
with  us."  Now,  preciousness  is  what  signifies  more  properly 
something  of  the  quality  than  of  the  degree  ;  as  preciousness 
in  gold  is  more  properly  the  designation  of  the  quality  of  that 
kind  of  substance,  than  the  quantity.  And  therefore,  when  gold 
is  tried  in  the  fire  to  see  whether  it  be  true  gold  or  not,  it  is  not 
the  quantity  of  the  substance  that  is  tried  by  the  fire,  but  the 
precious  nature  of  the  substance.  So  it  is  when  faith  is  tried 
to  see  whether  it  be  a  saving  faith  or  not.  1  Pet.  i.  7.  "  That  the 
trial  of  your  faith  being  much  more  precious  than  of  gold  that 
perisheth,  though  it  be  tried  with  fire,  might  be  found  unto 
praise,  and  honour,  and  glory,  at  the  appearing  of  Jesus  Christ." 
If  the  trial  was  not  of  the  nature  and  kind,  but  only  of  the 
quantity  of  faith ;  how  exceedingly  improper  would  be  the 
comparison  between  the  trial  of  faith  and  the  trial  of  gold  ? 
Another  distinguishing  scripture  note  of  saving  faith  is,  that  it 
is  the  faith  of  Abraham.  Rom.  iv.  lb\  "  Therefore  it  is  of 
faith,  that  it  might  be  by  grace  ;  to  the  end  the  promise 
might,  be  sure  to  all  the  seed,  not  to  that  only  which  is  of  the 


560  MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS. 

law,  but  to  that  also  which  is  of  the  faith  of  Abraham,  wiio  is 
the  father  of  us  all."  Now,  the  faith  of  Abraham  cannot  be 
faith  of  that  degree  of  which  Abraham's  was  ;  for  undoubtedly 
multitudes  are  in  a  state  of  salvation,  that  have  not  that  emi- 
nency  of  faith.  Therefore,  nothing  can  be  meant  by  the  faith 
of  Abraham,  but  faith  of  the  same  nature  and  hind.  Again, 
another  distinguishing  scripture  note  of  saving  faith  is,  that  it  is 
faith  unfeigned.  1  Tim.  i.  5.  "  Now  the  end  of  the  command- 
ment is  charity,  out  of  a  pure  heart,and  of  a  good  conscience, 
and  of  faith  unfeigned.'''1  2  Tim.  i.  5.  "  When  I  call  to  remem- 
brance the  unfeigned  faith  that  is  in  thee,  which  dwelt  first  in 
thy  grandmother  Lois,  and  thy  mother  Eunice ;  and  I  am  per- 
suaded that  in  thee  also."  Now  this  is  an  epithet  which  denotes 
the  native  of  a  thing,  and  not  the  degree  of  it.  A  thing  may  be 
unfeigned,  and  yet  be  but  to  a  small  degree.  To  be  unfeigned, 
is  to  be  really  a  thing  of  that  nature  and  kind,  which  it  pretends 
to  be  ;  and  not  a  false  appearance,  or  mere  resemblance  of  it. 
Again,  another  note  of  distinction  between  saving  faith  and 
common  faith,  plainly  implied  in  scripture,  is,  that  it  differs 
from  the  faith  of  devils.  It  is  implied  in  James  ii.  18, 19.  "  Yea, 
a  man  may  say,  thou  hast  faith,  and  I  have  works,  show  me 
thy  faith  without  thy  works,  and  I  will  show  th^o  my  faiih  by 
my  works.  Thou  believest  that  tW<=  is  one  God  ;  thou  doest 
well :  the  devils  also  hdieve,  and  tremble.  Here  it  is  first-im- 
plied, thai  there  is  a  difference  between  saving  faith  and  com- 
mon that  may  be  shown  by  works ;  a  difference  in  the  cause, 
that  may  be  shown  by  the  effects ;  and  then  it  is  implied,  this 
difference  lies  in  something  wherein  it  differs  from  the  faith 
.of  devils  ;  otherwise  there  is  no  force  in  the  apostle's  reason- 
ing. But  this  difference  cannot  lie  in  the  degree  of  the  assent 
of  the  understanding;  for  the  devils  have  as  high  a  degree  of 
assent  as  the  real  Christian.  The  difference  then  must  lie  in 
the  peculiar  nature  of  the  faith. 

§  50.  That  the  difference  between  common  faith  and  saving 
faith  does  not  lie  in  the  degree  only,  but  in  the  nature  and  es- 
sence of  it,  appears  by  this;  that  those  who  are  in  a  state  of 
damnation  are  spoken  of  as  being  wholly  destitute  of  that  sort 
of  faith  which  the  saints  have.  They  are  spoken  of  as  those 
who  believe  not,  and  having  the  gospel  hid  from  them,  being- 
blind  with  regard  to  this  light ;  as  2  Cor.  iv.  3,  4.  "  But  if  our 
gospel  be  hid,  it  is  hid  to  them  that  are  lost :  in  whom  the  God 
of  this  world  hath  blinded  the  minds  of  them  which  believe  not, 
lest  the  light  of  the  glorious  gospel  of  Christ,  who  is  the  image 
of  God,  should  shine  unto  them."  Now,  can  these  things  be 
said  with  any  propriety,  of  such  as  are  lost  in  general,  if  many 
of  them  as  well  as  the  saved,  have  the  same  sort  of  faith,  but 
only  in  a  less  degree,  and  son.)  of  them  falling  short  in  degree, 
but  very  little,  perhaps  one  degree  in  a  million  ?  how  can  it  be 


MISCELLANEOUS    REMARKS.  d67 

proper  to  speak  of  the  others,  so  little  excelling  them  in  the 
degree  of  the  same  light,  as  having  the  light  of  the  knowledge 
of  the  glory  of  God  shining  unto  them,  and  beholding  as  with 
open  face  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  as  is  said  of  all  true  believers 
in  the  context  ?  while  those  are  spoken  of  as  having  the  gospel 
hid  from  them,  their  minds  blinded,  lest  the  light  of  the  glo- 
rious gospel  should  shine  unto  them,  and  so  as  being  lost,  or  in 
a  state  of  damnation  ?  Such  interpretations  of  scripture  are 
unreasonable. 

§  51.  That  the  difference  between  saving  faith  and  common 
faith  is  not  in  degree,  but  in  nature  and  kind,  appears  from 
this  ;  that,  in  the  scripture,  saving  faith,  when  weakest,  and  at- 
tended with  very  great  doubts,  yet  is  said  never  to  fail.  Luke 
xxii.  31,  32.  "And  the  Lord  said,  Simon,  Simon,  behold, 
Satan  hath  desired  to  have  you,  that  he  may  sift  you  as  wheat : 
But  I  have  prayed  for  thee,  that  thy  faith/mZ  not ;  and  when 
thou  art  converted,  strengthen  thy  brethren."  The  faith  of 
Peter  was  attended  with  very  great  doubts  concerning  Christ 
and  his  cause.  Now,  if  the  distinction  between  saving  and 
other  faith  be  only  in  the  degree  of  assent,  whereby  a  man  was 
brought  fully  to  assent  to  the  truth,  and  to  cease  greatly  to 
question  it  -,  tKen  Peter's  faith  would  have  failed.  He  would 
have  been  without  any  si:  vi«s  faith.  For  he  greatly  questioned 
the  truth  concerning  Christ  and  his  kingxi*>m,  especially  when 
he  denied  him.  Other  disciples  did  so  too ;  for  they  all  for- 
sook him  and  fled.  Therefore  it  follows,  that  there  is  some- 
thing peculiar  in  the  very  nature  of  saving  faith,  that  remains 
in  times  even  of  the  greatest  doubt,  and  even  at  those  times 
distinguishes  it  from  all  common  faith. 

§  52.  Saving  faith  does  not  consist  only  in  the  difference  of 
effects.  The  supposition  that  I  would  disprove  is  this,  that 
there  is  no  difference  between  saving  faith  and  common  faith 
as  to  their  nature;  but  all  the  difference  lies  in  this,  that  in 
him  who  is  in  a  state  of  salvation,  faith  produces  another 
effect;  it  works  another  way;  it  produces  a  settled  deter- 
mination of  mind,  to  walk  in  away  of  universal  and  persevering 
obedience.  In  the  unregenerate,  although  his  faith  be  the  same 
with  that  of  the  regenerate,  and  he  has  the  same  assent  of  his 
understanding  to  the  truths  of  the  gospel,  yet  it  does  not  prove 
effectual  to  bring  him  to  such  a  resolution  and  answerable  prac- 
tice.    In  opposition  to  this  notion,  1  would  observe, 

1.  That  it  is  contrary  to  the  reason  of  mankind  to  suppose 
different  effects,  without  any  difference  in  the  cause.  It  has 
ever  been  counted  to  be  good  reasoning  from  the  effect  to  the 
cause  ;  and  it  is  a  way  of  reasoning  to  which  common  sense 
leads  mankind.  But  if,  from  a  different  effect,  there  is  no  ar- 
guing any  difference  in  the  cause,  this  way  of  reasoning  must 
be  given  up.     If  there  be  a  difference  in  the  effect,  that  doe? 


iJto&  iftlSCELLANEOUS  REMARK:  . 

not  arise  from  some  difference  in  the  cause,  then  there  is  some' 
thing  in  the  effect  that  proceeds  not  from  its  cause,  viz.  that 
diversity;  because  there  is  no  diversity  in  the  cause  to  answer 
it :  Therefore  that  diversity  must  arise  from  nothing,  and  con- 
sequently is  no  effect  of  any  thing ;  which  is  contrary  to  the 
supposition.  So  this  hypothesis  is  at  once  reduced  to  a  con- 
tradiction. If  there  be  a  difference  in  the  effect,  that  difference 
must  arise  from  something :  and  that  which  it  arises  from,  let 
it  be  what  it  will,  must  be  the  cause  of  it.  And  if  faith  be  the 
cause  of  this  diversity  in  the  effect,  as  is  supposed,  then  1  would 
ask,  What  is  there  in  faith,  that  can  be  the  cause  of  this  di- 
versity, seeing  there  is  no  diversity  in  the  faith  to  answer  it  ? 
To  say  that  the  diversity  of  the  effect  arises  from  likeness  or 
sameness  in  the  cause,  is  a  gross  and  palpable  absurdity ;  and 
is  as  much  as  to  say,  that  difference  is  produced  by  no  dif- 
ference :  which  is  the  same  thing  as  to  say,  that  nothing  pro- 
duces something. 

2.  If  there  were  a  difference  in  the  effects  of  faith,  no  dif- 
ference in  the  faith  itself,  then  no  difference  of  faith  could  be 
showed  by  the  effects.  Hut  this  is  contrary  to  scripture,  and 
particularly  to  James  ii.  18.  "  Yea,  a  man  may  say,  Thou  hast 
faith,  and  I  have  works  :  Show  me  thy  faith  without  *hy  works, 
and  I  will  show  thee  my  faith  by  «*>j-  --•  urics."  The  apostle  can 
mean  nothing  «'<">  bj  tnIS?  than  that  I  will  show  thee  by  my 
works  iriat  i  have  a  right  sort  of  faith.  I  will  show  thee  that 
my  faith  is  a  better  faith  than  that  of  those  who  have  no  works. 
I  will  show  thee  the  difference  of  the  causes,  by  the  difference 
of  the  effect.  This  the  apostle  thought  good  arguing.  Christ 
thought  it  was  proper  to  argue  the  difference  of  the  tree  from 
the  difference  of  the  fruit;  Matt.  xii.  33.  "A  tree  is  known  by 
its  fruit."  How  can  this  be,  when  there  is  no  difference  in  the 
tree  ?  and  if  there  is  no  difference  in  the  faith  that  is  the 
cause,  then  certainly  no  difference  can  be  shown  by  the 
effects.  When  we  see  two  human  bodies,  and  see  ac- 
tions performed  and  works  produced  by  the  one,  and  not  by 
the  other,  we  determine  that  there  is  an  internal  difference  in 
the  bodies  themselves :  We  conclude  that  one  is  alive,  and 
the  other  Jdead  ;  that  one  has  an  operative  nature,  an  active 
spirit  in  it,  and  that  the  other  has  none  ;  which  is  a  very  es- 
sential difference  in  the  causes  themselves.  Just  so  we  argue 
an  essential  difference  between  a  saving  and  common  faith, 
by  the  works  or  effects  produced ;  as  the  apostle  in  that  con- 
text observes,  in  the  last  verse  of  the  chapter : — "  For  as 
the  body  without  the  spirit  is  dead,  so  faith  without  works  is 
dead  also." 

§  52.  There  is,  in  the  nature  and  essence  of  saving  faith,  a 
receiving  of  the  object  of  faith,  not  only  in  the  assent  of  the 
judgment,  but  with  the  heart,  or  with  the  inclination  and  will 
of  the  soul  :  as  is  evident  by  2  Thess.  ii.  10.     "Received  nof 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS.  569 

the  love  of  the  truth,  that  they  might  be  saved.1'  And  the 
apostle,  describing  the  nature  of  saving  faith,  from  the  example 
of  the  ancient  patriarchs,  Heb.  xi.  describes  their  faith  thus, 
verse  13.  "These  all  died  in  faith,  not  having  received  the 
promises  ;  but,  having  seen  them  afar  off,  were  persuaded  of 
them,  and  embraced  them."  And  so  the  evangelist  John  calls 
faith  a  receiving  of  Christ ;  John  i.  12.  "  But  as  many  as  re- 
ceived him,  to  them  gave  he  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God, 
even  to  them  that  believe  on  his  name."  Here,  the  apostle 
expressly  declares,  that  he  whom  he  means  by  a  receiver,  was 
the  same  with  a  believer  on  Christ,  or  one  that  has  saving  faith. 
And  what  else  can  be  meant  by  receiving  Christ,  or  accepting 
him,  than  an  accepting  of  him  in  heart  ?  It  is  not  a  taking 
him  with  the  hand,  or  any  external  taking  or  accepting  him, 
but  the  acceptance  of  the  mind.  The  acceptance  of  the  mind 
is  the  act  of  the  mind  towards  an  object  as  acceptable,  but  that 
in  a  special  manner,  as  the  act  of  the  inclination  or  will.  And 
it  is  farther  evident,  that  saving  faith  has  its  seat  not  only  in  tho 
speculative  understanding  or  judgment,  but  in  the  heart  or  will  ; 
because  otherwise,  it  is  not  properly  of  the  nature  of  a  virtue  or 
any  part  of  a.o  moral  goodness  of  the  mind.  For  virtue  has  its 
special  and  immediate"  st<^  in  the  will ;  and  that  qualification, 
that  is  not  at  all  seated  there,  though  u  u  a.  cause  of  virtue  ov 
an  effect  of  it,  yet  is  not  properly  any  virtue  of  the  mind,  nor 
can  properly  be  in  itself  a  moral  qualification,  or  any  fulfilment 
of  a  moral  rule.  But  it  is  evident,  that  saving  faith  is  one  of 
the  chief  virtues  of  a  saint,  one  of  the  greatest  virtues  pre- 
scribed in  the  moral  law  of  God.  Matt,  sxiii.  23.  "  Wo  unto 
you  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  !  for  ye  pay  tithe  of 
mint,  and  anise,  and  cummin,  and  have  omitted  the  weightier 
matters  of  the  law,  judgment,  mercy,  and  faith  :  these  ought  ye 
to  have  done,  and  not  to  leave  the  other  undone."  It  is  a  prin- 
cipal duty  that  God  required,  John  vi.28,  29.  "  Then  said  they 
unto  him,  What  shall  we  do  that  we  may  work  the  works  of 
God  ?  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  them,  This  is  the  work 
of  God,  that  ye  believe  on  him  whom  God  hath  sent."  1  John 
iii.  23.  "  And  this  is  his  commandment,  that  ye  believe  on  the 
name  of  his  son  Jesus  Christ,  and  love  one  another,  as  he  cave 
us  commandment."  And  therefore  it  is  called  most  %oly 
faith,  Jude20.  But  if  it  be  not  seated  in  the  will,  it  is  no  more 
an  holy  faith,  than  the  faith  of  devils.  That  it  is  most  holy, 
implies,  that  it  is  one  thing  wherein  Christian  holiness  princi- 
pally consists. 

§  54.  An  objection  may  be  raised  against  this,  viz.  that  the 
words,  faith  and  believing,  in  common  language,  signify  no 
more  than  the  assent  of  the  understanding.     I  answer, 

1.  It  is  not  at  all  strange,  that  in  matters  of  divinity  and  of 
^he  gospel  of  Christ,  which  arc  so  exceed uiglv  diverse  from  the 

VnT..  VTT.  72 


-jJO  3ELLASE0US    REMARKS. 

common  concerns  of  life,  and  so  much  above  them,  some  words 
should  be  used  in  somewhat  of  a  peculiar  sense.  The  lan- 
guages used  among  the  nations  of  the  world,  were  not  first 
framed  to  express  the  spiritual  and  supernatural  things  of  the 
gospel  of  Christ,  but  the  common  concernments  of  human  life, 
Hence  it  comes  to  pass,  that  language  in  its  common  use,  is 
not  exactly  adapted  to  express  things  of  this  nature:  so  that 
that  there  is  a  necessity,  that  when  the  phrases  of  common 
speech  are  adopted  in  tie  gospel  of  Christ,  they  should  some  of 
them  be  used  in  a  sense  somewhat  diverse  from  the  most  or- 
dinary use  of  them  in  temporal  concerns.  Words  were  first 
devised  to  signify  the  more  ordinary  concerns  of  life  :  Hence, 
men  find  a  necessity,  even  in  order  to  express  many  things  in 
human  arts  and  sciences,  to  use  words  in  something  of  a  pe- 
culiar sense  ;  the  sense  being  somewhat  varied  from  their  more 
ordinary  use  ;  and  the  very  same  words,  as  terms  of  art,  do  not 
signify  exactly  the  same  thing  that  they  do  in  common  speech, 
This  is  well  known  to  be  the  case  in  innumerable  instances  : 
because  the  concerns  of  the  arts  and  sciences  are  so  diverse 
from  the  common  concerns  of  life,  that  unless  some  phrases 
were  adopted  out  of  common  language,  and  *ho"  signification 
something  varied,  there  would  H~  *■«  words  at  all  to  be  found 
to  signify  such  »"J  oUofl  tnmgs  pertaining  to  those  arts.  But 
iho  things  of  the  gospel  of  Christ  are  vastly  more  diverse  from 
the  common  concerns  of  life,  than  the  things  of  human  arts  and 
sciences  :  those  being  heavenly  things,  and  of  the  most  spiritual 
and  sublime,  nature  possible,  and  most  diverse  from  earthly 
things.  Hence  the  use  of  words  in  common  language,  must, 
not  be  looked  upon  as  an  universal  ride  to  determine  the  sig- 
nification of  words  in  the  gospel:  but  the  rule  is  the  use  of 
words  in  the  scripture  language.  What  is  found  in  fact  to  be 
the  use  of  words  in  the  Bible,  by  comparing  one  place  with 
another,  that  must  determine  the  sense  in  which  we  must  un- 
derstand them. 

SJ,  The  words  in  the  original,  translated  faith,  and  believing, 
such  as  •jfis'ig,  irig'evu,  #si$u,  and  tfsiroi^G'is,  as  often  used  in  com- 
mon language,  implied  more  than  the  mere  assent  of  the  under- 
standing. They  were  often  used  to  signify  affiance  or  trusting ; 
which  implies  an  act  of  the  will,  as  well  as  of  the  understand- 
ing. It  implies,  that  the  thing  believed  is  received  as  good 
and  agreeable,  as  well  as  true.  For  trusting  always  relates  to 
some  good  sought  and  aimed  at  in  our  trust ;  and  therefore 
•n>nrf>  implies  the  acceptance  of  the  heart,  and  the  embra- 
d  M'the  inclination,  and  desire  of  the  soul.  And  therefore, 
trusting  in  Christ  for  salvation,  implies,  that  he  and  his  redemp- 
tion, and  those  things  wherein  his  salvation  consists,  are  agree- 
able and  acceptable  to  us. 

3   Supposing  saving  faith  to  be  what  Cajvintetical  divine? 


MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS.  57J 

have  ordinarily  supposed  it  to  be,  there  seems  to  be  no  one 
word  in  common  language,  so  fit  to  express  it,  as  faith,  or  mkjfo 
as  it  most  commonly  is  in  the  original.  Orthodox  divines, 
the  definitions  of  faith,  do  not  all  use  exactly  the  same  terms, 
but  they  generally  come  to  the  same  thing.  Their  distinctions 
generally  signify  as  much  as  a  person's  receiving  Christ  and  his 
sajvation  as  revealed  in  the  gospel,  with  his  whole  soul ;  acquies- 
cing in  what  is  exhibited  as  true,  excellent,  and  sufficient  for  him. 
And  to  express  this  complex  act  of  the  mind,  1  apprehend  no 
word  can  be  found  more  significant  than  faith,  which  signifies 
both  assenting  and  consenting.  The  object  of  the  act  is  wholly 
supernatural,  and  above  the  reach  of  mere  reason,  and  there- 
fore exhibited  only  by  revelation  and  divine  testimony ;  and  the 
person  to  be  believed  in,  is  exhibited  and  offered  in  that  revela- 
tion, especially  under  the  character  of  a  Saviour,  and  so,  as  an 
object  of  trust :  and  the  benefits  are  all  spiritual,  invisible,  won- 
derful and  future.  If  this  be  the  true  account  of  faith,  beware 
how  you  entertain  any  such  doctrines,  as  that  there  is  no  essen- 
tial difference  between  common  and  saving  faith  ;  and  that 
both  consist  in  a  mere  assent  of  the  understanding  to  the  doc- 
trines ot  religion  That  this  doctrine  is  false,  appears  by 
what  has  been  said  ;  ana  lr  it,  to  false,  it  must  needs  be  danger 
ous.  Saving  faith  is  abundantly  insisted  on  in  tko  Hible,  as  in  a 
peculiar  manner  the  condition  of  salvation  ;  being  the  thing  try 
which  we  are  justified. 

How  much  is  that  doctrine  insisted  on  in  the  New  Testament! 
We  are  said  to  be  "justified  by  faith,  and  by  faith  alone :  Bv 
faith  we  are  saved  ;  and  this  is  the  work  of  God,  that  we  believe 
on  him  whom  he  hath  sent :  The  just  shall  live  by  faith  :  We 
are  all  the  children  of  God  by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ :  He  that 
believeth  shall  be  saved,  and  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  dam- 
ned. "  Therefore,  doubtless,  saving  faith,  whatsoever  that  be, 
is  the  grand  condition  of  an  interest  in  Christ,  and  his  great 
salvation.  And  if  it  be  so,  of  what  vast  importance  is  it,  that 
we  should  have  right  notions  of  what  it  is  :  for  certainly  no  one 
thing  whatever,  nothing  in  religion  is  of  greater  importance, 
than  that  which  teaches  us  how  we  may  be  saved.  If  salvation 
itself  be  of  infinite  importance,  then  it  is  of  equal  importance 
that  we  do  not  mistake  the  terms  of  it ;  and  if  this  be  of  infinite 
importance,  then  that  doctrine  that  teaches  that  to  be  the  term, 
that  is  not  so,  but  very  diverse,  is  infinitely  dangerous.  What 
we  want  a  revelation  from  God  for  chiefly,  is,  to  teach  us  the 
terms  of  his  favour,  and  the  way  of  salvation.  And  tlir*  — u' 
the  revelation  God  has  given  us  in  the  Bible  teaches  to  ul 
way,  is  faith  in  Christ.  Therefore,  that  doctrine  that  teaches 
something  else  to  be  saving  foith,  that  is  essentially  another 
thing,  teaches  entirely  another  way  of  salvation  :  and  therefore 
such  doctrine  does  in  effect  mnko  void  the  revelation  wo  have 


O^'Z  MISCELLANEOUS  REMARKS. 

in  the  Bible  ;  as  it  makes  void  the  special  end  of  it,  which  is 
to  teach  us  the  true  way  of  salvation.  The  gospel  is  the  reve- 
lation of  the  way  of  life  by  faith  in  Christ.  Therefore,  he  who 
teaches  something  else  to  be  that  faith,  which  is  essentially 
diverse  from  what  the  gospel  of  Christ  teaches,  he  teaches 
another  gospel;  and  he  does  effect  teach  another  religion 
than  the  religion  of  Christ.  For  what  is  reiigion,  but  that  way 
of  exercising  our  respect  to  God,  which  is  the  term  of  his 
favour  and  acceptance  to  a  title  to  eternal  rewards  ?  The 
scripture  teaches  this,  in  a  special  manner,  to  be  saving  faith 
in  Jesus  Christ.  Therefore,  he  that  teaches  another  faith  in- 
stead of  this,  teaches  another  religion.  Such  doctrine  as  I 
have  opposed,  must  be  destructive  and  directly  tending  to 
man's  damnation;  leading  such  as  embrace  it,  to  rest  in  some- 
thing essentially  different  from  the  grand  condition  of  salva- 
tion. And  therefore,  I  would  advise  you,  as  you  would  have 
any  regard  to  your  own  souPs  salvation  and  to  the  salvation  of 
your  posterity,  to  beware  of  such  doctrine  as  this, 


END  OP  VOL,  VI J- 


Date  Due 


Jt*fc4*4QQG 


1111**11 


rUHMiii _ 


JU*£< 


OCT  2  *W 


■ 


